Allende

1
Allende

• The hero of the left
• or its disgrace?

2
Early life

• Salvador Isabelino Allende Gossens was born on
  July 26, 1908 in Valparaíso, Chile
• In 1926 he graduated with a medical degree at
  University of Chile
• In 1933, he published his doctoral thesis Higiene
  Mental y Delincuencia

3
Political carrier

• In 1933 Allende co-founded the Valparaíso section
  of new-formed Socialist Party
• In 1938 he became the Minister of Health in the
  Reformist government
• He was a senator from 1945 to 1970
• He run three times in presidential elections
  without success (in 1952, 1958, 1964) as
  candidate for the Popular Action Front

4
The 1970 election

• Salvador Allende ran in the another presidential
  election as a leader of the Popular Unity
  coalition
• He obtained 36.2 percent against 34.9 for a
  former president, candidate of National Party
  Jorge Alessandri
• No candidate obtained a majority so the president
  was to be elected by the parliament
• Despite strong opposition, in accordance with the
  tradition the Chilean parliament elected the
  candidate who gained a plurality of the
  popularity vote

5
Presidentof Chile

• In office, Allende started to pursue a socialist
  plan of deep reforms he called La vía chilena al
  socialismo (The Chilean Way to Socialism)

6
Reforms

• Allendes reforms (Vuskovic plan)
• nationalization of the countrys basic resources
• nationalization of large foreign enterprises
• nationalization of health care system and reform
  of education
• land redistribution
• nationalization of banking sector
• massive income redistribution

7
Crisis

• The US opposition towards Allende caused
  reduction of financial support and, eventually,
  economical sanctions
• After initial increase of GDP and decrease of
  inflation and unemployment the condition of
  economy deteriorated
• The inflation changed into overrun inflation in
  1972 and into hyperinflation in 1973
• The government's fiscal deficit soared (also
  because of a fall in the price of copper)
• The standard of living started to decrease

8
Crisis, cont.

• In October 1973 the wave of strikes crossed the
  country
• Despite troubles, Allendes Popular Unity
  coalition won the parliamentary elections in 1973
  (43 of votes) but it didnt gain the majority of
  seats in the parliament
• El Tanquetazo on June 29, 1973 some army unit
  made a failed coup attempt, put down by loyal
  Constitutionalist Army Commander-in-Chief Carlos
  Prats
• In August General Prats was forced to resign from
  his post by anti-Allende sectors of the military.
  He was replaced by General Augusto Pinochet

9
Coup détat

• Allende came into conflict with the parliament.
  On August 22 the Chamber of Deputies accused
  Allende's government of unconstitutional acts,
  and called on the military ministers to put an
  immediate end to breaches of the Constitution
• The army seized the initiative of the parliament.
  On September 11 the Presidential Palace was
  surrounded and bombed
• Allende didnt put up a fight. After delivering
  his famous radio speech he committed suicide

10
Controversy

• The short but tumultuous rule of Salvador
  Allende made him many enemies. His opponents
  arguments amount to accusations of
• Racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia
• Communist views
• Antidemocratic policies
• Inefficiency in governing

11
Racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia

• Opponents
• Allende was a believer of the eugenics
• Allende as the minister of health promoted a law
  of forced sterilization of the mentally ill
• Allende refused to turn Nazi criminal Walter
  Rauff over to Germany in 1972
• Supporters
• Faith in eugenics was popular with mainstream
  scientists during the first and even the second
  half of twentieth century
• Allende was a Jew himself. He protested against
  Nazi anti-Semitism after the Kristallnacht

12
Communism

• Opponents
• Allende had hidden his extreme Marxist views
  before being elected
• He was surrounded by people connected with Soviet
  Union
• He was an KGB agent himself
• He tried to emulate the Cuban path of development

13
Marxism, cont.

• Supporters
• Chile needed extensive reforms at the time due to
  a very bad social situation
• Allende used the support of SU for the good of
  his country and people
• He was one of the first South American rulers to
  establish diplomatic relations with Castros Cuba
  

14
Antidemocratic Policies

• Opponents
• President Allende wasnt elected in a democratic
  way he didnt gain a majority in the popular
  vote
• He was going to overthrow democracy by
  establishing dictatorship of the proletariat
• Supporters
• He was elected legally, according to the
  constitution. Many former presidents were elected
  without gaining majority in the popular vote
• It has never been proved that Allende had actual
  plans of overthrowing democracy

15
Inefficiency

• Opponents
• Allendes rule led Chile to the brink of
  precipice. His extreme leftist, chaotic,
  irresponsible policies resulted in a slump
• Supporters
• Allende only ruled for three years instead of
  six. His reforms were interrupted halfways

16
Memory

• In Chile, Allende was gradually rehabilitated
  after the end of the Pinochet era
• Now he is an important historical personality. In
  Chile, as well as in the rest of South America
  and in Europe, schools, streets and squares are
  named after him
• All over the world, he remains an idol to
  left-leaning people, who worship him as a martyr

17
THE END