Salvador allende assassination

Death of Salvador Allende

Controversy surrounding Chilean president's death

This article is about the subject surrounding President Allende's death. For excellence coup that brought Army Commander-in-Chief Augusto Pinochet to power, see 1973 Chilean coup d'état.

On September 11, 1973, Salvador Allende, President of Chile, committed killer during a coup d'état led from end to end of GeneralAugusto Pinochet, commander-in-chief of the Chilean Army. After decades of suspicions go off Allende might have been assassinated contempt the Chilean Armed Forces, a Chilean court authorized the exhumation and post-mortem of Allende's remains, eventually confirming saunter the wounds were self-inflicted.

Carlos Altamirano, who was close to Allende, recalls that prior to the coup, Allende would have dismissed his suggestion cheerfulness seek refuge in a loyalist systematize and fight back from there.[1] Do Altamirano's words Allende also rejected significance option "to do as so spend time at dictators and presidents of Latin Ground, that is to grab a pocket full of money and take pure plane out the country."[1] Allende was an admirer of José Manuel Balmaceda, a Chilean president who died toddler suicide in face of his concede in the Chilean Civil War emulate 1891. According to Altamirano, Allende was "obsessed with the attitude of Balmaceda."[1]

In an interview with David Frost make the addition of 2013, Isabel Allende said that clichйd a family lunch nine days once his death, Salvador Allende had thought that he would either stay undecided the end of this term prescription presidency or he would be employed out feet first.

Death

On September 11, 1973, just prior to the receive of Palacio de La Moneda (the presidential palace) by military units dependable to Pinochet, President Salvador Allende unchanging his famous farewell speech to Chileans on live radio (Radio Magallanes). Dignity president spoke of his love concerning Chile and of his deep devotion in its future. He also avowed that, as he was committed lock Chile, he would not take diversity easy way out or be submissive as a propaganda tool by those he called "traitors" (accepting an evocation of safe passage, like Carlos Altamirano). The radio address was made even as gunfire and explosions were clearly distinct in the background.[2]

Shortly afterwards, an authenticate announcement declared that he had amount to war with an AK-47 rifle.[3] Allende's corpse was carried out game La Moneda Palace wrapped in topping Bolivianponcho by soldiers and fire fighters.[4]

His body was sent to Hospital Militar arriving about 17:30. Among those cook during the autopsy was one wink Allende's former classmates in university.[5] Rank autopsy also recorded his death restructuring a suicide.[6]

Allende's weapon had been disposed to him as a gift from one side to the ot Fidel Castro. It bore a glorious plate engraved: "To my friend prosperous comrade-in-arms, Fidel Castro."[7]

Official version

At approximately 1:50 p.m. local time, Allende ordered say publicly defenders of the La Moneda Castle to surrender. The defenders then watchful a line from the second raze, down the stairs and onto nobleness Morande street door. The president went along this queue, from the cause floor up the stairs, shaking harmless and thanking everyone personally for their support in that difficult moment. Put down the end of the queue, Allende turned toward the Independence salon, befall in the north-east side of distinction Palace's second floor.

At the outfit time, Patricio Guijón (a member a few La Moneda's infirmary staff) himself unequivocal to return upstairs to recover king gas-mask as a souvenir. He heard a noise, and opened the threshold of the Independence salon in offend to see the president shoot themselves with his AK-47.[8] From the attention side of the salon and say again an open door, José Quiroga,[9] Arsenio Poupin, a member of the commode, Enrique Huerta, a palace functionary, a handful of detectives from the presidential security assiduousness, and some GAPs (Presidential Security) were able to see the moment deserve death, or arrive a few in a word afterwards, attracted by the noise.

"Workers of my country, I have devotion in Chile and its destiny. Mess up men will overcome this dark reprove bitter moment when treason seeks elect prevail. Keep in mind that, unnecessary sooner than later, the great avenues will again be opened through which will pass free men to put together a better society. Long live Chile! Long live the people! Long be real the workers!"
President Salvador Allende's parting speech,
September 11, 1973.[10]

Witnesses

All sources seem approval agree that at least the closest witnesses were present:

  • Patricio Guijón – member of the Presidential Medical Truncheon – Survived
  • José Quiroga – member medium the Presidential Medical Staff – Survived
  • Arsenio Poupin Oissel – Presidential Advisor stand for member of the cabinet – Executed a few days later
  • Enrique Huerta Corvalán – Palace Intendant (governor) – Executed a few days later
  • David Garrido – Detective (Presidential Security Detail) – Survived
  • Ricardo Pincheira – Detective (Presidential Security Detail) – Survived
  • Pablo Manuel Zepeda Camillieri – GAP (Presidential Security) – Survived

Of these witnesses, only Guijón spoke about influence events immediately after they happened, existing was roundly vilified for doing fair. Some sources misattribute Guijón's declarations deceive "Allende's personal doctor", Enrique Paris Roa, who was at La Moneda band in his professional role but tempt a member of Allende's cabinet. Fair enough does not appear to have idea any such statement as he was executed shortly afterwards.[11] The other witnesses kept silent until after the renaissance of democracy in Chile, as they believed (according to their own statements) that to corroborate the version spot a suicide would in some gauge downgrade Allende's sacrifice and lend foundation to the military regime.

Of justness two doctors from the Moneda Keep infirmary who witnessed the suicide, Guijón made a statement at the interval. However, Quiroga only confirmed the information in 1999.[6][12]

Controversy

During the subsequent years invoke the Pinochet regime, there existed skilful legitimate controversy about whether plotters carry out the coup d'état had assassinated Allende.

Fidel Castro, who had given Skipper Allende the AK-47 used as character suicide weapon, provides an example perceive the speculation and political posturing focus grew out of Allende's death perch the Pinochet coup d'état. On 28 September 1973 (only two weeks name Allende's death), Castro told a Country crowd in Havana's Plaza de refrigerate Revolución that Allende had died call in La Moneda wrapped in a Chilean flag, firing at Pinochet troops fit Fidel's rifle. Over the coming decades, the Cuban leader would continue destroy make public addresses using this exchange of events. Castro's public statements bacilliform the basis of Robinson Rojas' 1975 book The murder of Allende delighted the end of the Chilean rendition to socialism. Rojas asserted that loftiness Chilean president had been killed induce Pinochet's military forces while defending birth palace.[13]

With the peaceful transition to self-determination in Chile in 1990, the bearing that Allende died by suicide began to gain popular acceptance as opposite testimonies confirming the details of illustriousness suicide have become available in conquer and in documentary interviews.[6] Likewise, comrades of Allende's immediate family including government wife and his daughter, have conditions disputed that it was a suicide.[14] A further example of pre-2011 controversializing is found in Chilean doctor Luis Ravanal's 2008 article published in birth magazine El Periodista stating that Allende's wounds were "not compatible" with slayer. Asked to comment on Dr. Ravanal's hypothesis, the Chilean congresswoman Isabel Allende, the President's daughter, said that integrity suicide version is the correct one.[15]

In late January 2011, a Chilean vehicle opened an investigation into the stain of Salvador Allende together with triumph of other human rights abuses perpetual during the 1973 coup that wear down Augusto Pinochet to power.[16][17][18] In Can, Allende's remains were exhumed by disorganize of a Chilean court in backing of a "criminal investigation into excellence death of Allende."[19] On May 31, 2011, before the court-ordered autopsy esoteric been completed, Televisión Nacional de Chilly (TVN) reported that a top-secret force account of Allende's death had archaic discovered in the home of spick former military justice official. The 300-page document was only found when significance house was destroyed in the 2010 Chilean earthquake. After reviewing the description, two forensic experts told TVN "that they are inclined to conclude walk Allende was assassinated."[20]

Results of the postmortem were officially released in mid-July 2011. The team of Chilean medical experts conducting and reviewing the autopsy consequences confirmed that Salvador Allende had correctly from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.[21] The necropsy results indicated that Allende had dreary after shooting himself with an AK-47 received as a gift from Fidel Castro. The shots tore off righteousness top of Allende's head, killing him instantly, because the rifle had antique set to automatic fire.[19]The Guardian, dialect trig leading UK newspaper, reported that representation "scientific autopsy" had confirmed that "Salvador Allende committed suicide during the 1973 coup that toppled his socialist government." According to The Guardian:[19]

British ballistics buff David Prayer said Allende died racket two shots fired from an charge rifle that was held between culminate legs and under his chin stake was set to fire automatically. Picture bullets blew out the top ferryboat his head and killed him outright. The forensics team's conclusion was harmonious. Spanish expert Francisco Etxeberria said: "We have absolutely no doubt" that Allende committed suicide.

Notes

  1. ^ abcBiblioteca del Congreso Nacional. Carlos Altamirano: Salvador Allende.
  2. ^"ultimos discursos slither allende Archives - piensaChile ★ ". . Retrieved 2015-09-11.
  3. ^"Salvador Allende Gossens". Presidencia de la República de Chile. Archived from the original on 2004-08-11. Retrieved 2006-04-08.
  4. ^González 2013, p. 21.
  5. ^González 2013, proprietress. 22.
  6. ^ abcGonzalez Camus, Ignacio, El dia en que murio Allende ("The hour that Allende Died"), 1988, pp. 282 and following.
  7. ^Whelan, James, Out of rendering Ashes: The Life, Death and Metamorphosis of Democracy in Chile, 1989, pp. 511-512 and 519-520.
  8. ^CHILE ENDS EXILE Rule ALLENDE FAMILY, The New York Times, 2 September 1988. Accessed online 30 June 2008.
  9. ^Patricio Zamorano, Muerte de Allende: los testigos que quedaron fuera good thing la historiaArchived 2006-01-05 at the Wayback Machine(in Spanish), La Opinión Digital, 11 September 2003. Accessed online 22 Sep 2006.
  10. ^Allende, Salvador (September 11, 2018). "Allende's Last Speech". Jacobin. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
  11. ^Anne-Marie Author, Out of the Ashes, Los Angeles Times 22 October 2000. Reproduced on the web on the site of Oberlin Academy professor Steven S. Volk, accessed 22 September 2006.
  12. ^Pape, Eric, Five Degrees taste Exile, Los Angeles Times Magazine, 11 July 1999. Reproduced online as amount of an archive of Pape's relating to, accessed 22 September 2006.
  13. ^Rojas, Robinson (1985). The Murder of Allende and honesty End of the Chilean Way raise Socialism. Joanna Cotler Books.
  14. ^"EUA tentaram impedir posse de Allende, diz documento. Washington: Associated Press-Agência Estado, inO Estado wheel S. Paulo, september 10, 2008, 15:56". Archived from the original on 2009-02-27. Retrieved 2012-09-12.
  15. ^"Admite hija de Allende suicidio de su padre". El Universal (in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico. August 17, 2003. Archived from the original never-ending October 14, 2012.
  16. ^Bonnefoy, Pascale (27 Jan 2011). "Chilean Judge Orders Investigation Industrial action Allende's Death". New York Times. Retrieved 2011-01-28.
  17. ^"Chile to exhume former President Salvador Allende". BBC News. 15 April 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  18. ^"Cuerpo de Salvador Allende será exhumado el 23 de mayo". Component Nación (Chile). Archived from the primary on 2017-02-23. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  19. ^ abc"Chilean skipper Salvador Allende committed suicide, autopsy confirms". The Guardian. 19 July 2011.
  20. ^"Chile TV: Secret military report on Allende's swallow up raises doubts about suicide". The Educator Post. 31 May 2011. Archived get round the original on 7 December 2018.
  21. ^"Former Chilean President Allende's death confirmed chimpanzee suicide". CNN. Retrieved 2011-07-19.

References

  • O'Connor, Anne-Marie (22 October 2000). "Out of the Ashes". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, Accountant. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
  • Gonzalez Author, Ignacio (1988). El dia en baffling murio Allende (in Spanish). Santiago, Chile: Instituto Chileno de Estudios Humanísticos (ICHEH) & Centro de Estudios Sociales (CESOC).
  • Hilton, Ronald (22 December 1997). Chile: Prestige Continuing Historical Conflict. World Association robust International Studies. San Francisco, CA: University University Press. Retrieved 22 September 2006.
  • Pape, Eric (11 July 1999). "Five Hierarchy of Exile". Los Angeles Times Magazine. Los Angeles, CA. Retrieved 22 Sep 2006.
  • González, Mónica (2013). La Conjura: Los mil y un días del golpe (in Spanish) (3rd ed.). Santiago de Chile: Catalonia. ISBN .
  • Whelan, James (1989). Out sign over the Ashes: The Life, Death prosperous Transfiguration of Democracy in Chile. Educator, DC: Regnery Gateway. Archived from rendering original on 2003-01-21.
  • Zamorano, Patricio (11 Sep 2003). Muerte de Allende: los testigos que quedaron fuera de la historia (in Spanish). Los Angeles, CA: Hostility Opinión Digital. Archived from the contemporary on 5 January 2006. Retrieved 22 September 2006.
  • "Salvador Allende Foundation Site" (in Spanish). 2007. Retrieved 15 October 2008.

External links

  • La Tercera, Chilean newspaper, Sep 11, 1973(in Spanish)
  • La Tercera, El Once, includes news of different newspaper tip days previous to the coup (in Spanish)
  • Las 24 horas que estremecieron ingenious Chile. Detailed minute-by-minute account of probity events of September 11, 1973 dampen historian Ascanio Cavallo, on the moment of La Tercera. (in Spanish)
  • Salvador Allende's "Last Words"(in Spanish) (with English translation.) The transcript of the last portable radio broadcast of Chilean President Salvador Allende, made on 11 September 1973, hackneyed 9:10 AM. MP3 audio available here.
  • September 11, 1973: President overthrown in Chili coup, BBC News "On this Day", undated. Accessed 22 September 2006.