today is an anniversary of a terrible, horrific tragedy. thousands dead, more missing. we will probably never know the exact numbers. many families will never be able to bury their dead. their dead who died needlessly, and in frightening, painful ways. here's the catch: it's the thirtieth anniversary.
and it's the military overthrow of a democratically elected leader.
Main Entry:coup d'état
Variant(s): or coup d'etat /"kü-(")dA-'tä, 'kü-(")dA-", -d&-/
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural coups d'état or coups d'etat /-'tä(z), -"tä(z)/
Etymology: French, literally, stroke of state
Date: 1646
: a sudden decisive exercise of force in politics; especially : the violent overthrow or alteration of an existing government by a small group
on september 11, 1973, general augusto pinochet led a military coup against democratically elected socialist leader salvador allende. in the first three weeks of the coup, 1500 people were killed, many of them summarily executed. the dictatorship of pinochet lasted for seventeen years, giving him a lot more time for brutality.
Main Entry: jun·ta
Pronunciation: 'hun-t&, 'j&n-, 'h&n-
Function: noun
Etymology: Spanish, from feminine of junto joined, from Latin junctus, past participle of jungere to join -- more at YOKE
Date: 1622
1 : a council or committee for political or governmental purposes; especially : a group of persons controlling a government especially after a revolutionary seizure of power
the worst part of this anniversary is how much my country did to make it possible.
"i want our policy to be clear. however bad this military government behaves, it is better for our interests than allende's was." --henry kissinger, secretary of state to richard nixon.
from the time allende was elected, the united states plotted toward his downfall. nixon himself personally alotted one million dollars to a chilean newspaper for alarmist reporting. a full propaganda campaign was waged, attempting to overthrow allende. the CIA payed for miners, drivers, and other state workers to strike in an effort to destabilize the economy. they did not directly finance or plan the coup (in which allende died, though by his own hand or that of the junta i'm not sure), but they helped to make it possible.
thus began some of the worst human rights abuses of the twentieth century. imagine watching tanks roll down the streets of your town. imagine the fear when you realize it's your own military, coming for your own president. and if you dare speak out against them, torture. and if you are accused of speaking out about anything, death. secret police searches, midnight arrests. but when henry kissinger met with pinochet in june of 1976, he said "we want to help, not undermine you. you did a great service to the west in overthrowing allende. otherwise chile would have followed cuba and then there would have been no human rights."
in the light of recent events in iraq and on the home front (a long sholarly discourse on the Patriot Act will follow soon), these things take on an even greater significance. for one, because i am amazed at the continued hubris of the CIA and its supporters in meddling with the affairs of other countries. for another, because the loss of civil rights is eerily reminiscent of my fears of my own government's trampling the bill of rights in the name of counter-terrorism.
i'm marking two anniversaries today. and i'm feeling more than a little ashamed of my country's actions in one of them.
beatpoetgrrl
(as always, hate mail finds me at beatpoetgrrl@diaryland.com)
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