[Samirol]

The 1973 Chilean coup, which overthrewthe democratically-elected Marxist Allende, began a reign of terror by the US-backed Pinochet. Allende killed himself during the coup. During Pinochet's rule, 3200 people died, 200,000 fled, and another 80,000 were imprisoned and tortured without trials in his 27 year reign. Thousands more were disappeared for political reasons, all with active support from the CIA.

This led to the Soviet Union becoming more active in 3rd world affairs, and the effect is still being debated today.

At the time of Pinochet's death in December 2006, around 300 criminal charges were still pending against him in Chile for human rights abuses (torture, forced disappearance, assassination, etc.), tax evasion and embezzlement.

 

[Transcend]

The prison where they were tortured is now an art center. A downhill race runs through it, believe it or not.

This was taken in front of the front wall of the recreation yard, the graffiti behind him shows the insane breakout of Allende that took place, via helicopter. The pilot was never identified and no military pilot could reproduce the spectacular bit of flying that occured that day.

The main cell block. Bad things went on behind those bars.

 

[drkenan]

Yep - there was some pretty nasty stuff going on during Pinochet's reign. I learned all about it last year when my wife and I were thinking about going on our honeymoon in Chile (ended up in Argentina). He even had a floating prison/torture ship that's still causing controversy around the world.

 

[Samirol]

One of the worst things is that Friedman called his reign a success, because he instituted laissez-faire policies. The policies caused 45% of the population to live in poverty though, but hey, the GDP went up which is all that matters right?

 

[Silver]

It was great when he died to read the press. Most writers of a conservative bent, lovers of freedom of thought and individual liberty to a man, fell all over themselves writing about, "Yeah, he did a few bad things, but his economic polices were great. And Allende would have raped every child in Chile and then roasted them on a giant BBQ for dinner because he was a communist, so if Pinochet did a few shady things, it was really ok..."

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110009376

And the same people call anyone left of Franco a moral relativist...assholes.

 

[sanjuro]

Happy Birthday Sis!

 

[Fonzie18]

Chile...Nicaragua, Panama, Guatemala all have interesting relationships with us. Is this why that Chavez fellow is so bitter at the US?

Not very many people know much about the dramas that have gone down in South America (including me), it seems amazing to me since we have had our hands in shaping virtuallty every country down there.

 

[Samirol]

Chile...Nicaragua, Panama, Guatemala all have interesting relationships with us. Is this why that Chavez fellow is so bitter at the US?

Well, we did know that he was going to get overthrown by a coup 2 weeks before the coup happened, and we may have had something to do with it. The coup leaders took over for a couple days before the poor revolted and put Chavez back in power.

 

[Defenestrated]

America, screwing over South American's since Monroe.

 

[manimal]

America, screwing over South American's since Monroe.

i bought some sandals at wal-mart last month for $8!!! that's success if you ask me.

 

[rockwool]

Chile...Nicaragua, Panama, Guatemala all have interesting relationships with us. Is this why that Chavez fellow is so bitter at the US?

Not very many people know much about the dramas that have gone down in South America (including me), it seems amazing to me since we have had our hands in shaping virtuallty every country down there.

If you have the time and interest you won't be disapointed if you read The Chavez Code by US/Venezuelan civil rights lawyer Eva Golinger, who based the book solely on classified documents released with the help of FOIA, Freedom Of Information Act.

i bought some sandals at wal-mart last month for $8!!! that's success if you ask me.

I've been searching for a couple of years now for a nice lamp for my livingroom that doesn't cost a months wages. Found a Vietnamese one for 11€ that I love, but it does make me feel a little guilty for feeling that part of that love for it is because it was so darn cheap. oster_oops:

I belive that socialist, not marxist or communist, is the right term for what Allende was. The radical stance he had that led to his fall, was that he wanted normal trading relations with the eastern block just like Chile already had with the western block.