On this day, 11 September 1973, right-wing general Augusto Pinochet launched a coup against the elected left-wing government in Chile of Salvador Allende. Allende had appointed Pinochet as head of his armed forces the previous month, and used the position to orchestrate the coup. (Content note: this post contains graphic descriptions of violence and sexual violence)
On day one, the new government began rounding up thousands of people – mostly working class activists and left-wingers – in the national stadium, killing many. The brutal military dictatorship, which was backed by western powers like the US and UK, implemented the harsh right-wing economic ideology of the neoliberal Chicago Boys.
While international observers heralded the resultant “economic miracle”, in reality living standards declined for the vast majority of the population, with wages falling and spending on healthcare, education and housing being cut.
Any workers who attempted to resist were murdered, tortured, imprisoned or “disappeared”. A popular method of execution by the regime was to throw civilians to their deaths from helicopters into the ocean or over the Andes mountains. Many of the alt right today celebrate these murders with “helicopter memes”.
Over the next 17 years, more than 3,000 people were murdered by the regime, with more than 37,000 others illegally imprisoned or tortured. Many prisoners, men and women, were systematically raped and sexually abused by guards, with women a particular target. In addition to being violated by guards, some women were sexually assaulted with dogs, rats and spiders, and forced to have sex with male family members. Many children of those killed were given to the Catholic church, or adopted, with the children either not informed or told their parents had died in accidents. https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/1805168589668283/?type=3
