US warned Chile dictator over plebiscite

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

US warned Chile dictator over plebiscite
The Associated Press
Posted: 02/23/2013 09:58:17 AM PST
February 23, 2013 5:59 PM GMT Updated: 02/23/2013 09:58:17 AM PST

SANTIAGO, Chile—Newly declassified U.S. documents indicate that Chilean dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet planned to use violence to annul the referendum that ended his brutal regime.

The formerly secret documents posted by the independent U.S. National Security Archive on Friday showed U.S. officials warning Chilean leaders against violence if Pinochet tried to use force to stay in power if people voted against eight more years of his rule.

They also show U.S. officials and agencies backed the anti-Pinochet campaign portrayed in the Oscar-nominated film "No," even though the U.S. government also had tried to undermine the socialist government Pinochet had overthrown.

The documents also portray Pinochet as furious after the vote results, saying he pleaded with his generals to let him use extraordinary powers to crush dissent.

Read more: http://www.times-standard.com/entertainment/ci_22654056/us-warned-chile-dictator-over-plebiscite

---

(Short article, no more at link.)

[a la izquierda]

1. Wait, so the US ignored Pinochet's brutality for...

15 years, and THEN decided it would be prudent to warn him against violence.

[geek tragedy]

2. Good things happen when war criminals like Henry Kissinger stop making the decisions for us.

Not that Reagan was an angel, obviously, but Kissinger was the worst.

[Ken Burch]

4. After fifteen years of soul-crushing dictatorship, the U.S. felt confident

Last edited Sat Feb 23, 2013, 11:46 PM - Edit history (1)

that the people of Chile would never again disobey their Yanqui masters by voting for someone like Allende-especially since it was clear that any post-Pinochet settlement would involve the acceptance of the notion that the military now had an absolute right to overthrow a civilian democratic government that dared to show actual economic and social independence from what was now called "The Washington Consensus"-that is, an enforced agreement that austerity, inequality and a harsh form of market economics would remain in place no matter what party won the "elections".

In other words, they were sure that Chile had "learned its place".

[a la izquierda]

5. Infuriating.

But yet one more source to use for teaching purposes, I guess.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Chile's Gen Pinochet 'tried to cling to power' in 1988

23 February 2013 Last updated at 19:31 ET
Chile's Gen Pinochet 'tried to cling to power' in 1988

Late Chilean military leader Augusto Pinochet wanted to hold on to power when he lost a referendum on his rule in 1988, newly declassified documents in the US suggest.

They say Gen Pinochet sought the support of his closest military allies to overthrow the results.

But they refused and Gen Pinochet had to accept defeat.

The following year, Chileans elected a civilian government and Gen Pinochet was replaced in 1990.

US-backed vote

The documents, from the US National Security Archive, say the general planned to do "whatever was necessary to stay in power".

"I'm not leaving, no matter what", he reportedly told advisers.

More:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-21563384