Nixon officials talked of stopping Allende's rise
Associated Press
September 11, 2008
WASHINGTON -- Senior officials in the Nixon administration discussed a desire to stop the newly elected government of leftist Chilean President Salvador Allende from taking power in 1970, according to recently declassified transcripts of those conversations made public Wednesday.
In one exchange, President Nixon's Secretary of State, William P. Rogers, cautioned about secret U.S. efforts to prevent Allende from taking power after the administration had stressed the importance of democratic elections. The CIA ended up supporting the kidnapping of Chile's top general in an effort to block Allende's ascendance to the presidency.
The subsequent coup led by Gen. Augusto Pinochet overthrew the Allende government on Sept. 11, 1973.
At least 3,197 people were killed for political reasons during Pinochet's 17-year rule and thousands more disappeared, Chile's government says.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-nixon11-2008sep11,0,2368635.storySalvador Allende