CHILE: LEGACY OF THE ALLENDE YEARS

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP88-01350R000200340010-6
Release Decision: 
RIFPUB
Original Classification: 
K
Document Page Count: 
1
Document Creation Date: 
December 16, 2016
Document Release Date: 
November 5, 2004
Sequence Number: 
10
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
September 25, 1974
Content Type: 
NSPR
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PDF icon CIA-RDP88-01350R000200340010-6.pdf115.94 KB
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e(5cra Approved For Release; dQ1JY,13c RDPg8 i50R00020034001036 A ~~ bc_ r 2 5 ,EP 1974 I Pn;;rv nf the All' de years 0 G:~ ~/,i in -fir Sweezy's opinior ! No Peaceful VWay: Chile's Struggle for Dignity, by Gary MacEoln. New York: Sheed and Ward. $8.93. Revolution and Counter'Revolutlon in Chile, edited by Paul M. Sweezy and Harry Magdoff. New York: Monthly Review Press. V.W. By Jamey Nelson Goodsell Verdicts on Salvador Allende Gos- sens' three year of Marxist-leaning -rule in Chile are coming in. Like the government itself when it was In power (1970-1973), opinions are di- vided. But the authors of "No Peaceful Way" and "Revolution and Counter- Revolution In Chile" leave no doubt that they consider Allende'sovve The thwarted throw as 'a tragedy. hopes of The: workers and peasants will make It extremely difficult for the present military leaders to gov- ern, they believe. In fact, bl '. MacEain, from his long experience with both Latin America and his native Ireland, worries that Chile might become "another North- ern Ireland." MacEoin's book, with its wise schol- arship, able marshaling of facts, and clear writing, is easily the better book. It chronicles the years of Al- lende rule and his efforts to nudge Chile toward socialism, providing a solid look at his successes and2allures (there were plenty of both), and the obstacles he encountered. Chile was a heady place under Allende. "As a politician pursuing unconventional objectives by con- ventional means, he had few.peers," 1,lacEoin writes. - "Even when his overwhelmingly powerful enemies in Congress aban- doned the role of a loyal opposition, There are readers who may quarrel power was, with this view, but M.acEoin docu- the fatal error of the Allende govern- ments the evidence and makes a moth the `+iacEoin and the Sweezy fairly strong case. Some of his most telling analysis concerns what hap-' Magdoff books suggest some of the paned Immediately before the mill- forces which will be at work In Chile tary coup upset ALende's con- during yro ob erving thatc"t e stltutional government just a year meaning of UP's attempt to lead Chile ago. toward socialism by constitutional Role-of the CIA methods must be sought less in the 'some prescient passages, he mentpresident than in the social move- In s on which he depended and takes abard look at the United States' mentrt which he had to maneuver. role in the ouster. Writing before the withi "Asa corollary, his death did not Central- Intelligence Agency's at- alter radically the fundamental equa- temptsinefltdestabilize" the Allende tions. The circumstances in which. it this go month, t were disclosed occurred. will undoubtedly Anfluence month, MacEoin documents the future strategy, but the forces agency's penetration o f C iilean politi- through which he wtrkth are . ces cal parties, its support of anti-Allende as yesterday." demonstrations, and Its fl lancing of same The today e as ate ars i. Chile a *-e opposition newspapers. It. is a grim ended, but not the desire of millions of tale. Chileans for some of the thins Al- The Sweezy-Ma.bix~t'is a core- lende seemed to promise t.em. In a pllation of articles which have ap- sense, the forces he unleashed are as peered in Monthly Review and other real today as when le hedad the publications. All have a partisan government. Marxist tone and should be read wi h this in rnin.d:But precisely because of James Goodsell is the Y.onitor's ndent in Latin America. correspo their bias they have some value. In the opening essay, ti[r. Sweezy analyzes Allende's overthrow, ar- guing, that "The Chilean tragedy confirms what should have been, and to many was, obvious all along, that there is no such thing as a peaceful road to socialism." Editor Sweezy contends that Al- lende's Unldad Popular (UP) govern- ment - which was composed of the President's own Socialists, the CaaT- munists, and other left-leaning par- ties -- made a series of mistakes once it had achieved power. Toward socialism For instance, he says that the UP should have followed up the success- ful municipal elections by wresting "complete control of the state appa- ratus from the bourgeoisie" which was then in disarray. Failure to attempt at least to consolidate its without which representational de- mocracy cannot function, and when ,the judiciary dropped its mask of objectivity to become an Integral loart with Congress of the openly Y opposition, he refused consistently to play by their rules." '9Y Approved For Release 2005/01/13 : CIA-RDP88-0135OR000200340010-6