Assignment task:
In 1973 the president of Chile, Salvador Allende (Socialist), was overthrown in a military coup. What followed was a period of brutal repression under the semi-fascistic general Augusto Pinochet. Pinochet would rule Chile from 1974-1990 as a dictator, suspending all political parties and political activity. This would be the longest undemocratic period for Chile since its independence from Spain.
The end of democracy in Chile raised concerns about the Alliance for Progress, a program launched by president Kennedy to "help bring prosperity" to Latin America. In the time of the programs operation (1960-1973) a dozen former democracies in Latin America would be overthrown and replaced with dictatorships. This would severely taint US relations with Latin America for years to come, to the present day even.
What made the Chilean case so striking was the rather overt hand that the US had played in overthrowing the democratically elected government. The backdrop of the Cold War meant that the US had a clear anti-communist position. But for many Americans, even if the actions undertaken had been done in the fight against communism, this seemed like a particularly egregious violation of its core principals as well as the ideals of democracy.
Nixon, who was president at the time would soon come under fire from many directions. A committee was formed by congress to investigate what Nixon and the CIA had been doing in Chile. Led by senator Frank Church of Idaho, the committee unearthed several disturbing actions of the CIA and called into question the legitimacy of US covert action abroad.
The report is known as the "Church Report." It is included in this module in pdf form.
Directions:
For this assignment, you will need to read the following pages from the report. Note that the pages are those listed IN the report and NOT the pdf page.
6-13, 36-40,54-56
Questions
1. List 3 ways in which the CIA tampered with the internal affairs of the Chilean government and/or nation.
2. What does the report define as a US "asset?"
3. Given the current political hub-bub about Russian meddling in US elections these days...
As seen here....
Recent Russian meddling story
How does US involvement in Chile compare to alleged Russian involvement in the US election in terms of scope and level of involvement?
4. What are some concerns raised by the report regarding the actions of the CIA in Chile?
5. In your own opinion, how would you characterize the US' involvement in Chile? What are your thoughts on the matter? Was it a justifiable action in the fight against communism? Was it criminal meddling in a foreign country? Or just a government agency run amok without any clear oversight?