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4 Things to Remember About Chile's 1973 Coup
Chile remebers its socialist president Salvador Allende
Published 26 June 2016
June 26 marks the birthday of former president Salvador Allende, who died in the coup.
Salvador Allende, the iconic left-wing leader and one of Chiles best known presidents, was born on this day on June 26, 1908. The tragic fate of his government, overthrown in a right-wing coup in 1973, changed the history of the countryand regionforever. On September 11, Allende's socialist was toppled by a U.S.-backed military coup led by Augusto Pinochet, barely three years after being elected.
Allende wasn't the only casualty of the coup, as thousands of Chileans were subsequently tortured, jailed and killed by the military regime. Democracy in Chile was irreparably altered, and even now the country continues to be scarred by one of the darkest eras of fear and repression on the continent.
After winning the 1970s presidential elections in Chile, the left-wing Salvador Allende worked toward social reforms and justice, nationalizing natural resources, building homes for the poor and focusing on better access to health and education.
Allende fought until the last hours of his life to defend the social gains and constitutional order. On his last speech, just minutes before the military bombed the presidential palace, he gave Chileans one last message of hope. I will not resign. Placed in a historic transition, I will pay the loyalty of the people with my life. And I tell them I have the certainty that the seed that we have planted in the dignified conscience of thousands and thousands of Chileans will not be shriveled. You have the power, they can destroy us, but social progress cannot be stopped neither by crime nor by force. History is ours, and people make it happen.
More:
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/4-Things-to-Remember-About-Chiles-1973-Coup-20160626-0012.html