Topic > The Relationship Between the United States and Chile

The relationship between the United States and Chile deteriorated in the 1960s due to concerns from the Chilean left and increased nationalization. “For the United States, the appearance of a Marxist government was completely unacceptable. The separation between the superpowers was one thing, allowing Chile to “go communist” was, as Kissinger said, another.” democratic socialism. As Henry Kissinger, Richard Nixon's national security advisor, declared: "I don't see why we should stand by and watch a country go communist because of the irresponsibility of its own people." (notes the CIA). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay By mid-1973 it was clear to many people in Chile that the democratic foundations would not hold, as opposition groups began publicly calling for the military to violently overthrow the government. On the left, some argued that the existing constitutional system and many freedoms democracy had to be suspended and that it was necessary for workers and the popular classes to unite with the loyalist sectors of the army to establish a new political regime. Neither the Richard Nixon administration, nor the current Chilean government, nor US companies with commercial activities in Chile (Anaconda, International Telephone & Telegraph, Kennicott) wished to see an Allende presidency, fearing his communist sympathies. The fear in the growth of this socialist sentiment is what led the United States to openly and covertly send aid and assistance to the Chilean government, as well as support for political parties such as the Christian Democratic Party. Allende wanted to reform healthcare, agriculture and education and invested in further nationalization of businesses. It increased the percentage of nationalized farms and businesses. Wages increased throughout the administration, and for the first few months inflation was kept at bay. On the surface, the reforms appeared to be successful. It became clear, however, that the successes did not outweigh the problems. Rising wages produced a boom in consumerism, and Chile had to rely on imports to meet demand. The price of copper collapsed, seriously affecting the country's balance of payments. Furthermore, the Chilean government was running out of foreign sources of aid. If this happened, the US government feared, many of the capitalist exploiters it represented, such as the owners of the ITT, Anaconda and Kennecott companies, who had invested heavily in the country, might nationalize their factories. Furthermore, Allende's election would interfere with the US government's attempts to isolate Cuba and repel its revolution. Furthermore, if events lead to a socialist revolution in which local capitalist rulers and imperialist lackeys are overthrown by the working class, this would open the door to similar events throughout Latin America. US economic involvement in Chile is not the only evidence of the highly significant role of the US in the fall of the Allende regime. The funding of opposition parties and campaigning against the UP government is another piece of evidence to support this claim. At a Committee 40 meeting on September 8, 1970, the chairman of the committee asked for an analysis of the US/CIA position in terms of actions to prevent Allende from becoming president of Chile. The US government used secret funds in Chile during this electoral period, not for the use of a candidate, but to prevent the election of Allende. The administration feared that Allende would create a communist government in Chile. The politicians)