Salvador Allende - who is it? He was President of Chile from 1970 to 1973 . At the same time, he was extremely popular in the USSR and the countries of the Soviet bloc. What attracted the attention of people of Salvador Allende? A brief biography of this extraordinary person and politician is given below.
Origin
Where was Salvador Allende born? His biography began in Santiago on June 26, 1908 in a family of hereditary intellectuals and politicians. His great-grandfather at the beginning of the 19th century was a companion of OʼHiggins, the leader of the rebellion in Chile against Spanish colonial rule. Salvador’s grandfather Ramon Allende was a medical scientist, dean of the medical faculty of the University of Chile, as well as a medical doctor who participated in the second Pacific War with Bolivia and Peru, the organizer of army military medicine. El Salvador's father was a left-wing attorney.
Children's years and youth
Where did Salvador Allende study and grow up? His biography continued in various Chilean provinces, where Salvador's father moved several times with his wife and four children in search of a better place for advocacy. Finally, he received the position of notary public in the port city of Valparaiso. Here Allende Salvador graduated from medical school. Already in his youth, he showed a penchant for political activity, leading the student federation at the school. In the early 30s of the last century, he went to Santiago and entered the medical faculty of the university.
The Socialist Republic of Chile in 1932
This state existed for only a couple of weeks in the summer of 1932 and arose in an atmosphere of complete collapse of economic life in the country due to the Great Depression. Power in Chile was seized by a group of left-wing military leaders led by Marmaduke Grove (he was a friend of Salvador Allende's father, and his brother Grove was married to his sister), who was proclaimed the head of the revolutionary government of the Socialist Republic of Chile. The new government in its program unveiled the country's transition to socialism: nationalization of strategic enterprises and banks, collective ownership of small enterprises, transfer of land to peasants, amnesty for political prisoners, which were numerous in the country after a series of previous popular uprisings.
Salvador Allende called on university students to support the revolution. But her century was short-lived, the revolutionary government was overthrown, its members were arrested, like many of those who supported the revolution. A recent medical student, Allende Salvador, was arrested (just before the revolution began, he received a doctor’s diploma), who was kept in the barracks of the carabinieri corps (an analogue of the internal troops), and then put on trial.
At that time, his father ended up in Valparaiso at the time of his death, and Salvador was brought under guard to his home so that his father and son could say goodbye. As he later recalled, at this tragic moment in his mind a determination arose to fight to the end for the victory of social justice.
Fortunately for Allende, the rebels who overthrew the revolutionary government themselves soon lost power, then several more coups took place, until finally the interim president Figueroa announced an amnesty for political prisoners. Marmaduke Grove, exiled to Easter Island, returned to political activity, and Allende Salvador was also released.
The formation of the party of socialists
In the spring of 1933, a number of socialist organizations that took an active part in the revolutionary events of 1932 united and created the Socialist Party of Chile, whose leader was Marmaduke Grove (he led the party for two decades until his death in 1954), and one of the most active members was Allende Salvador. Soon he creates the organization of the Socialist Party in Valparaiso. In 1937, Allende was elected to the National Congress of the province of Valparaiso.
In 1938, Allende was responsible for the election campaign of the Popular Front, which nominated the radical candidate Pedro Aguirre Cerda as his presidential candidate. The slogan of the Popular Front was "Bread, shelter and work!" Following Serda’s victory in the election, Allende Salvador became Minister of Health in the reformist government of the Popular Front, which was dominated by radicals. At his post, he promoted the adoption of a wide range of progressive social reforms, including safety laws protecting workers in factories, higher widow pensions, maternity protection laws, and the introduction of free lunch for students.
Political activity in the 40-60s
After the death of President Aguirre Cerda in 1941, Allende was again elected to parliament, and in 1942 became Secretary General of the Socialist Party. From 1945 to 1969, Allende was elected senator from various Chilean provinces, and in 1966 became president of the Senate of Chile. During the 1950s, he promoted the introduction of legislation establishing the Chilean national health care system, the first program in America to guarantee universal health care.
Since the beginning of the 50s, Allende has three times unsuccessfully fought for the presidency. All three times he was a candidate for the Popular Action Front, created by socialists and communists.
1970 election
Salvador Allende Gossens, candidate of the new electoral bloc “People’s Unity” (consisting of socialists, communists and some left-centrist parties), won the presidential election that year. His victory did not seem very convincing - he won only 36.2 percent of the vote, while his closest rival, one of the former Chilean presidents, Jorge Alessandri received 34.9 percent. But the third rival, who participated in the elections from the Christian Democratic Party, for which the other voters voted, had a program close to "National Unity." So we can assume that Chilean society has advocated for change. According to the Chilean constitution, the National Congress approved the candidate with the highest number of votes, that is, Allende, as president.
Presidency Transformations
Having gained power, Allende began to pursue the "Chilean path to socialism." For three years, the government of “People’s Unity” nationalized, that is, handed over to the state the main natural resources of the country: copper and iron ore deposits, coal deposits, nitrate, etc. A public sector of the economy was created, which included the lion's share of the Chilean industry. Under the control of the state was the banking sector and foreign trade. The Allende government restored relations with Cuba and amnestied political prisoners.
The state got its hands on a substantial financial resource, which previously sailed away in the form of profit into the hands of the owners of enterprises. This allowed to significantly raise the living standards of the population. The minimum real wage of production workers was increased by 56% during the first quarter of 1971, while in the same period the real minimum wage of white-collar workers was increased by 23%. As a result, the purchasing power of the population increased by 28% from November 1970 to July-October 1971. Inflation declined from 36.1% in 1970 to 22.1% in 1971, while average real wages rose by 22.3% during 1971. Despite the fact that inflation accelerated in 1972-1973. undermined part of the initial increase in wages, it continued to grow (on average) in real terms during these years.
The Allende government expropriated all land holdings that exceeded eighty "main" hectares, so that within eighteen months all Chilean latifundia (vast agricultural estates) were abolished.
Minimum pensions were increased by amounts equal to double or triple inflation. Between 1970 and 1972, such pensions increased by a total of 550%.
In the first year of the Allende term, short-term economic results were very favorable: a 12% increase in industrial production and an increase in GDP of 8.6%, accompanied by a large decrease in inflation (from 34.9% to 22.1%) and unemployment (up to 3.8% )
Allende's views on the essence of democracy
The socialist president and, probably, the idealist by nature did not believe that the former owners of nationalized assets would take any steps to return them. What did El Salvador Allende count on, starting his transformations? Quotes from his speeches show that he believed in the power of democracy. So, he said: "Chilean democracy is the conquest of all people. It is neither the creation nor the gift of the exploiting classes, and it will protect those who, with the sacrifices accumulated over many generations, introduced it ...." That is, Allende believed that state institutions, in accordance with the principles of democracy, would fulfill the will of the majority of the people (i.e., the poor), as opposed to the interests of the possessing minority. History has shown that he was mistaken.
Who overthrew Salvador Allende?
Openly and secretly against the policy of the government of "People's Unity" the US authorities came out in alliance with the largest American corporations. They immediately launched a campaign to strangle the new Chilean government economically. Restrictions were immediately imposed on granting loans and borrowings to her, and not only loans from the United States itself, but also from all international financial organizations, in which the United States still play the leading role, were subjected to freezing.
Chilean industry found itself in a real blockade on the supply of raw materials and spare parts. The United States threw its strategic copper reserves onto the market, dropping prices for this metal, sales of which gave the main foreign exchange income to the Chilean treasury. Unprecedented pressure was placed on buyers of Chilean copper to force them to impose an embargo on its purchase, including even those volumes that were already in ports under unloading. The Chilean leadership for all its requests to restructure the country's external debt accumulated by previous governments was categorically refused.
As a result, by 1972, inflation in Chile reached 140%. Average real GDP declined between 1971 and 1973. 5.6% year on year ("negative growth"); and the government’s budget deficit increased while foreign exchange reserves declined.
Soon, the United States engaged in direct secret coordination of political forces opposing Allende, providing them with finance and advice. Groups of CIA agents entered the country and began to organize subversive activities. The US military mission in Chile openly incited Chilean officers to disobey the government.
The main foodstuffs disappeared from the shelves (the owners hid them), which led to the growth of the black market for rice, beans, sugar and flour. Parliament, courts, and state control bodies sabotaged government measures. The media misinformed the population, spread rumors hostile to the president, incited to panic and to counteract the measures of the new government. The military, collaborating with the government, was subjected to obstruction, for example, army commander Carlos Prats, who was forced to resign under pressure from the media. At the same time, Augusto Pinochet, the chief of staff of the Chilean army, actively encouraged him to resign. And Prats before leaving recommended him to the president as his successor. Allende Salvador and Pinochet will soon for several decades become inextricable symbols of future bloody Chilean events.
So who overthrew Salvador Allende? This was done by the reactionary Chilean military with the support of the US authorities.
The coup of 1973
In the summer of 1973, the situation in the country sharply worsened. At the end of June there was the first attempt at a military coup, which was then prevented. During this attempt, Allende called on workers to occupy factories, factories, estates and public buildings. In some areas of the country, councils of workers and peasants' deputies were formed, taking power into their own hands.
In response, a strike of trucking companies began. The country almost stopped the supply of food to the cities. The government requisitioned part of the cars from the owners. After that, terrorist attacks, explosions on power lines and oil pipelines began throughout the country. At the same time, General Pinochet secretly carried out a real purge in the army and navy of officers and soldiers who supported People's Unity. They were secretly taken to the port of Valparaiso, where they were held in the holds of warships, torturing them.
In late August, the parliament openly opposed the president, declaring the government illegal. In early September 1973, the president put forward the idea of resolving the constitutional crisis through a plebiscite. A speech outlining such a decision was to be delivered on September 11 by Allende Salvador himself. The coup that the Chilean military led by Pinochet staged that day crossed out this plan.
Allende Salvador: death and immortality
Shortly before the rebels seized La Moneda (Presidential Palace), with shots and explosions clearly heard in the background, Allende made a farewell speech on the radio, talking about himself in the past tense, his love for Chile and his deep faith in the future of the country. He said:
“The working people of my country, I believe in Chile and its fate. Other people will overcome this dark and bitter moment when treason seeks to win. Keep in mind that soon great paths will be opened again and free people will follow them to build a better society.” "Long live Chile! Long live the people! Long live the working people!"
Soon after, the rebels announced that Allende had committed suicide, although the circumstances of his death are still being discussed by experts. Before his death, he was photographed several times with an AK-47 assault rifle, received as a gift from Fidel Castro. This remained forever in the memory of the Chilean people, Salvador Allende, whose photo is shown above. President who did not bow his head before the rebels.