Salvadore Allende
The candidate Allende was called Marxist by the U.S. news agencies (UP, UPI) and Washington became determined to overthrow him. The right-wing saw Allende as a Marxist but Marxism is atheistic in its philosophical doctrine while Allende was genuinely Christian and a social democrat. The U.S. State department sent messages to all agencies not to accept the slightest tolerance toward "liberal" tendencies. After the election, the bourgeoisie vowed to support social justice. He nationalized the banks, cutting off at the source the economic power of the bourgeoisie monopolies. Allende exhibited the faith of authentic Christian thought, more apostolic than capitalistic and understood that land reform could only be carried out by the oppressed, not the elite.
Allende aimed at democratic controlled planning with the workers having a share of decisions. He denounced the privileged classes that were living in the lap of luxury and comfort provided by foreign capitalism in exchange of the natural wealth and the misery of the people. Allende respected the freedom of all creeds, his was the church of Jesus. He wanted people who worked the land to see the fruits of their labor and sought to end financial exploitation.
The press revealed that ITT had offered the Central Intelligence Agency $1 million to help overthrow Allende and he was murdered by American backed rightists sent there by the CIA and the ITT. Of course, all involved denied any invoment. Once Allende was dead, the dictator Pinochet immediately took over the country and replaced the social programs with a murderous regime of oppression and robbery. This was of course more acceptable to the United States.
Salvadore Allende was the elected president of Chile in the 1970's. He is a sign of the times revealing the true Christian thought of the south and contrasted against the nature of the beast coming out of the north. Allende did not follow the Cuban, nor Soviet, nor North American but the Chilean model. "I believe the Church will not be a factor against the Popular Unity Government... because we are going to try to make a reality of Christian thought." Salvadore was as his name sugggests, a savior and the people loved him. The bourgeoisie in power tried to bar Allende and the Popular Unity from gaining the presidency; they felt that Chile would fall the way of Cuba.
