Allende Salvador: biography, photos, quotes. Who dethroned Salvador Allende?

Salvador Allende - who is this? He was President of Chile from 1970 to 1973 . At the same time he enjoyed extraordinary popularity in the USSR and the countries of the Soviet bloc. What attracted people's attention to Salvador Allende? A brief biography of this extraordinary person and politics 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 in the early 19th century was an ally of O'Higgins, the leader of the uprising in Chile against Spanish colonial rule. Salmon's grandfather Ramon Allende was a medical scientist, dean of the medical faculty of the University of Chile, as well as a military doctor who participated in the Second Pacific War with Bolivia and Peru, the organizer of army military medicine. Salvador's father was a lawyer who held to the left.

Childhood and youth

Where did Salvador Allende study and grow up? His biography continued in various Chilean provinces, where El Salvador's father moved several times with his wife and four children in search of a better place for advocacy. Finally, he received a notary position in the port city of Valparaiso. Here, Allende Salvador graduated from the medical school. Already in his youth he showed a tendency to political activity, heading the student federation in the school. In the early 30-ies 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 only a couple of weeks in the summer of 1932 and arose in the situation of the complete collapse of economic life in the country due to the Great Depression. The power in Chile was captured by a group of left-wing military forces led by Marmaduke Grove (he was the friend of Salvador Allende's father, and Brother Grove was married to his sister), who was proclaimed head of the revolutionary government of the Socialist Republic of Chile. The new government in its program unveiled the path of the country's transition to socialism: the nationalization of strategic enterprises and banks, collective ownership of small enterprises, the transfer of land to peasants, amnesty of political prisoners, which in the country were many after a series of previous popular uprisings.

Salvador Allende urged university students to support the revolution. But its century was short, the revolutionary government was overthrown, its members arrested, like many of those who supported the revolution. He was arrested and a recent medical student Allende Salvador (just before the beginning of the revolution he received a doctor's diploma), which was kept in the barracks of the carabinieri body (analogous to the internal troops), and then handed over to a military court.

At this time, his father was in Valparaiso at the death, and El Salvador was taken to his native home under guard, so that father and son could say goodbye. As he later recalled, at this tragic moment in his mind emerged the determination to fight to the end for the victory of social justice.

Fortunately for Allende, the rebellious revolutionary government itself soon lost power, then there were several more coups, until finally the interim President Figueroa announced an amnesty for political prisoners. Returned to the island of Easter Marmaduke Grove returned to political activity, and Elende Salvador was released.

Formation of the Socialist Party

In the spring of 1933, a number of socialist organizations that took an active part in the revolutionary events of 1932 united and formed the Socialist Party of Chile, the leader of which was Marmaduke Grove (who headed the party for two decades until his death in 1954), and one of the most active members - Allende Salvador. Soon he creates the organization of the Socialist Party in Valparaiso. In 1937, Allende was elected to the National Congress from the province of Valparaiso.

In 1938 Allende was responsible for the election campaign of the Popular Front, which put forward the radical candidate Pedro Aguirre Cerda as his presidential candidate. The slogan of the Popular Front was "Bread, shelter and work!". After the victory of Serda in the election of Allende, Salvador became Minister of Health in the reformist government of the Popular Front, in which radicals dominated. At his post he contributed to the adoption of a wide range of progressive social reforms, including safety laws that protect workers in factories, higher pensions for widows, laws on maternity protection and the introduction of free meals for schoolchildren.

Political activity in the 40s-60s

After the death of President Aguirre Cerda in 1941, Allende was again elected to the 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 facilitated the introduction of legislation that established the Chilean national health care system, the first program in America to guarantee universal health care.

Since the early 50's, Allende three times unsuccessfully struggled for the presidency. All three times he was a candidate of the Front "People's Action", created by socialists and communists.

Elections of 1970

In the presidential elections held that year, the candidate for the new electoral bloc, "People's Unity" (composed of Socialists, Communists and some left-of-center parties), Salvador Allende Gossens, won. His victory did not seem very convincing: he gained just 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 whom the other voters voted, had a program close to the "People's Unity." So we can assume that the Chilean society favored change. According to the Chilean Constitution, the National Congress approved the candidate who received the largest number of votes, ie, Allende, as president.

Transformations of the presidency period

After gaining power, Allende began to pursue the "Chilean road to socialism." For three years, the government of the "National Unity" nationalized, that is, transferred the country's main natural resources to the state: copper and iron ore deposits, coal deposits, saltpeter, etc. A public sector of the economy was created that 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 received into its own hands a significant financial resource, which previously swam in the form of profits in the hands of business owners. This made it possible to raise the standard of living of the population substantially. The minimum real wages of factory workers were 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% between November 1970 and July-October 1971. The inflation rate dropped from 36.1% in 1970 to 22.1% in 1971, while the average real wage increased by 22.3% during 1971. Despite the fact that the acceleration of inflation in 1972-1973. Undermined part of the initial increase in wages, it continued to grow (on average) in real terms and in those years.

The Allende government expropriated all land holdings that exceeded eighty "main" ha, so that within eighteen months all Chilean latifundia (vast agricultural estates) were abolished.

The minimum pensions were increased by amounts equal to a double or triple inflation rate. 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: 12% growth in industrial production and GDP growth of 8.6%, accompanied by a large drop in inflation (from 34.9% to 22.1%) and unemployment (to 3.8% ).

Allende's views on the essence of democracy

The President-Socialist and, probably, the idealist did not at all believe that the former owners of the nationalized assets would take any steps to return them. On what counted, starting his transformation of Salvador Allende? Quotations from his speeches show that he believed in the effectiveness of democracy. Thus, 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 for many generations, introduced it ...." That is, Allende believed that state institutions, according to the principles of democracy, will fulfill the will of the majority of the people (ie, its poor part) in opposition to the interests of the propertied minority. History showed that he was wrong.

Who dethroned Salvador Allende?

Openly and secretly against the policy of the government of "National Unity" the US authorities acted in alliance with the largest American corporations. They immediately launched a campaign to economically stifle the new Chilean authorities. To grant her loans and loans immediately imposed restrictions, and freezing was not only loans from the US itself, but also from all international financial organizations in which the United States and even today still play a dominant role.

The Chilean industry was in a real blockade on the supply of raw materials and spare parts. The US threw its strategic copper reserves to the market, knocking down prices for this metal, whose sales gave the main foreign exchange earnings to the Chilean treasury. The buyers of Chilean copper faced unprecedented pressure to force them to declare an embargo on its acquisition, including even those volumes that were already in the 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 had reached 140%. Average real GDP declined between 1971 and 1973. In annual terms by 5.6% ("negative growth"); And the budget deficit of the government increased, while foreign exchange reserves declined.

Soon, the US engaged in direct secret coordination of political forces opposing Allende, providing them with both finance and advice. A group of CIA agents entered the country and began to organize subversive activities. The American military mission in Chile openly incited the Chilean officers not to obey the government.

From the shelves of shops, the main foodstuffs (they were hid by the owners) disappeared, which led to the growth of the black market of rice, beans, sugar and flour. The parliament, courts, and state control bodies sabotaged government activities. The media misinformed the population, spread rumors hostile to the president, incited to panic and to oppose the measures of the new government. Obstruction was subjected to collaborating with the government military, for example, army commander Carlos Prats, who under pressure from the media was forced to resign. At the same time, he was actively encouraged by the chief of the Chilean army Augusto Pinochet, who in words supported the legality in the country, but actually cherished the idea of a military coup. And Prats before leaving recommended his president as his successor. Allende Salvador and Pinochet will soon become, for several decades, indissoluble symbols of the future bloody Chilean events.

So, who dethroned 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 deteriorated. At the end of June, there was the first attempt of a military coup that was then prevented. During this attempt, Allende urged workers to occupy factories, factories, estates and public buildings. In some parts of the country, Soviets of workers 'and peasants' deputies were formed, who took power into their own hands.

In response, a strike of road transport companies began. In fact, the supply of food to the cities has practically ceased. The government requisitioned part of the cars from owners. After that, throughout the country, terrorist actions, explosions on power lines and oil pipelines began. At the same time, General Pinochet secretly conducted in the army and the Navy a real purge from the officers and soldiers supporting the "People's Unity". They were secretly taken to the port of Valparaiso, where they were kept in the holds of warships, torturing them.

In late August, the parliament openly opposed the president, declaring the government of the country illegal. In early September 1973, the President put forward the idea of solving the constitutional crisis by plebiscite. The speech with a statement of this decision was to be delivered on September 11 to Allende Salvador himself. The coup, which this day was arranged by the Chilean military, led by Pinochet, crossed out this plan.

Allende Salvador: death and immortality

Shortly before the invasion by the rebels of La Moneda (Presidential Palace), with shots and explosions clearly heard in the background, Allende delivered 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 workers of my country, I believe in Chile and its fate, other people will overcome this dark and bitter moment when treachery strives to win." Keep in mind that soon great ways will be opened again and free people will go through to build a better society Long live Chile, Long live the people, Long live the working people! ".

Soon after, the rebels declared that Allende committed suicide, although the circumstances of his death are still being discussed by experts. Before his death, he was photographed several times with the AK-47 gun, received as a gift from Fidel Castro. This is how the memory of the Chilean people, Salvador Allende, remained forever, the photo of which is shown above. President, who did not bow his head before the rebels.