September 11 has a different meaning in Santiago than it does here. Thirty Four years ago today the forces of General Augusto Pinochet launched the coup that overthrew the government of Salvador Allende. As it happens I'm reading the memoirs of Richard Helms, the Director of Central Intelligence at the time. He describes Allende as "an avowed Marxist" who promised to "expropriate land and basic industry" and "subordinate an 'Independent Judiciary to a 'Popular assemby'." But most important, Helms wrote that: "Nor did Allende blush at larding his speeches with large chunks of policy lifted verbatim from the Chilean Communist Party programs. He also took care to make sure the electorate understood one of his most deeply felt convictions was, 'Cuba in the Caribbean and a Socialist Chile in the Southern cone will make Revolution in Latin America.'" Sort of Sounds like the fear of Chavez in official Washington today.
(And before the brickbats come my way, I'm not comparing the two except to say that the views of official Washington towards Allende and Chavez sound mighty similiar. I'll leave it to others to decide if that was warranted or if the actions taken in the former case were justified. I know how I feel.)
As far as Helms was concerned, "I still associate Chile with some of the most unpleasant aspects of my professional life."
Well Dick , imagine how a lot of Chileans felt!
As it happens, tonight HBO will be premiering a docudrama on the arrest of Pinochet on a warrant issued by a Spanish Judge for crimes against Spanish Citizens pursuent to the Coup. Derek Jacobi plays the General. Since its a BBC/HBO Films Co-Production it is bound to be good. So, sight unseen I recommend it.
Maybe it will help explain why "They hate us."
Sort of Sounds like the fear of Chavez in official Washington today.
Not really. Moreover, the amount of pressure brought to bear against Chavez compared to that brought against Allende really doesn't compare.
In addition, Chile was a country that was relatively powerless against US influence. You really can't say the same about Venezuela.
Posted by: Randy Paul | September 11, 2007 at 08:27 PM