September 11, 1973 · Latin America Theater
September 11, 1973
Salvador Allende, the world's first democratically elected Marxist head of state, had nationalized Chile's copper industry and pursued socialist economic policies since his 1970 election. With CIA funding of opposition groups, economic destabilization, and logistical support, Chilean military commanders launched a coup on September 11, 1973. The Presidential Palace was bombed; Allende died in the assault. General Pinochet's regime that followed killed over 3,000 people, tortured tens of thousands, and 'disappeared' hundreds more.
Commanders