Salvador Allende: July 1908 – 11 September 1973
Allende was a physician and politician. He became the first democratically elected Marxist president in 1970. Allende introduced a socialist program called La vía chilena al socialismo (the Chilean Path to Socialism".) Policies under this program included nationalizing industries, implementing national health care and education, free milk for impoverished children, and land reformation. His goal was to bring socialism to Chile within the confines of the constitution. Allende took his own life during the military led coup d’etat on 11 September 1973.
Pablo Neruda (July 12, 1904 – September 23, 1973)
Neruda was a Nobel Prize winning poet. He was also a diplomat and a politician. His political beliefs and poetry were heavily influenced by the Spanish Civil War in which he lost several close friends such as Spanish play-write and poet Federico Garcia Lorca. He was briefly the candidate for the communist party but pledged his support to Allende after forming the coalition party. Allende appointed Neruda the Chilean ambassador to France after winning the nomination in 1970. Neruda returned to Chile in 1972 for health reasons. You can click on "Neruda" under the "Chile" tab at the top of the page to learn more about Neruda, his poetry, and his political experience/influence.
"In the midst of the arena of America's struggles I saw that my human task was none other than to join the extensive forces of the organized masses of the people, to join with life and soul, with suffering and hope, but it is only from this great popular stream that the necessary changes can arise for writers and for nations...”- Excerpt from Neruda's Nobel Prize speech.
"In the midst of the arena of America's struggles I saw that my human task was none other than to join the extensive forces of the organized masses of the people, to join with life and soul, with suffering and hope, but it is only from this great popular stream that the necessary changes can arise for writers and for nations...”- Excerpt from Neruda's Nobel Prize speech.
Victor Jara
Jara was a teacher, director, poet, and singer. He is best known for his inspirational folklore songs and activism. His songs spoke of love, peace, and social justice. One of his most popular songs is Plegaria a un Labrador ("Prayer to a Worker.") A strong supporter of the Popular Unity party, he campaigned for Allende's election. He was arrested in the early days days of the coup and held at the stadium where soldiers crushed his hands and tortured him extensively. Other prisoners noted that he continued to sing in defiance until he was shot 44 times. His body was dumped into the streets of a shantytown then later collected and identified by his wife Joan Jara. Shortly after his funeral Joan went into exile. Joan Jara smuggled out some of Jara's recordings and distributed them whilst in exile. His music and poetry were amongst a long list of banned works within Chile. As a result the majority of his work was destroyed by the government.
Agusto Pinochet (25 November 1915 – 10 December 2006)
Pinochet was one of the four military leaders who betrayed his oath to Chile and Allende by orchestrating the Coup d' etat. He appointed himself as the president of Chile in 1973. His dictatorship lasted from 1973-1990.
Orlando Letelier
Letelier was the Minister of Defense in Allende’s administration. He was one of the first captured by the insurgents and held at the prison on Dawson Island. His international connections secured his release one year later. He immediately went into exile, first in Venezuela then Washington D.C. He succeeded in cutting off all military aid to Chile in 1976 (Kennedy Amendment.) He also convinced other nations to refrain from investing in Chile. As a result he was targeted for assassination through Operation Condor. On September 21, 1976 Letelier and his assistant, American born Ronni Moffit, were killed by a car bomb near Sheridan Circle in Washington D.C. American Michael Townley was later found guilty of planting the bomb on behalf of DINA director Michael Contreras.
Miguel Enriquez Espinosa: (March 27, 1944- October 05, 1974)
Enriquez was a distinguished neurologist and one of the founding members of MIR. As a high ranking officer in MIR he was heavily sought after by DINA. Most testimonies that I have read mention that the torturers begin their interrogation with questions about the whereabouts of Miguel Enriquez Espinosa. DINA finally found him in a safe house in San Miguel, Santiago resulting in a long shoot out between Espinosa and DINA. He remained in the house alone so that his wife and friends could escape. He was shot ten times before he eventually died.
Jaime Guzman
Henry Kissinger
Michael Townley
Townley was a CIA agent and an operative of DINA. He was convicted of murdering Letelier and his assistant Ronni Moffet for which he served a mere 62 months. He currently lives in the US in the witness protection program as guaranteed by his plea bargain. He is also believed to have been responsible for the assassinations of General Prats in Buenos Aires and the attempted murder of Leighton in Rome.
Manuel Contreras
Pro Paz Commitee/Vicariate of Solidarity
MIR Movimiento de Izquierda Revolucionaria/Revolutionary Left Movement
Popular Unity
FPMR
GAP Grupo de Amigos Personales/Group of Personal Friends
Allende formed this group to serve as his personal body guards after the attempted kidnapping and accidental murder of Rene Shneider. He felt he could not trust the traditional security with his life. The group comprised of exemplary militants from each of the parties within the Popular Unity Party. They received military and personal security training. Famous GAP members include Luz Arce.
DINA Dirección de Inteligencia Nacional/National Intelligence Directorate
DINA was a secret police/intelligence unit within the army. It was established in November of 1973 and headed by General Manuel Contreras.