Us Covert Operations In Chile 1963-1974 Summary

Improved Essays
US Covert Operations in Chile 1963-1974 On September 11, 1973, a Chilean Air Force plane flew over the skies of La Moneda, presidential palace of Chile. Inside Salvador Allende , the first Marxist socialist chief of state ever elected in a democratic country via free vote three years earlier . Rather than surrender to a military coup, Allende commits suicide . Many reason exist as to why the Chilean military decided to overthrow a democratic government. Some attribute it to the United States involvement in covert operations along with national interests all over the world especially in the Western Hemisphere. Potentially this was another Vietnam for the United States who willfully fought against any communist, or socialist regimes in many parts of the world. With the declassification of thousands of documents one can see the stance and covert operations especially in Chile during this time period. While no secret to anyone in denying …show more content…
Ultimately the presence and influence of a Marxist Socialist government in South America posed a threat to destabilize the United States ‘control’ as it perceived that its regional influence in the region was at risk.

In addition to the secondary literature, much has been written on Chile especially during this time period. The story fits into many narratives that can now be reinterpreted……. and have been attributed to the 16,000 secret U.S. records and totaling over 50,000 pages of State Department, CIA, White House, Defense and Justice Department records .
The purpose of having Government agencies like the State Dpeartment, CIA, Defense amd Justice Deparrtment is to act on behalf of state and influence regions where the U.S. can make a presence. What makes this so tricky is that when documents are released they depict the goals of a state and influence on other regions of the

Related Documents

  • Great Essays

    One of the defining moments in Chile’s history was the fight for change for the working class against the Chilean government during the 1970s. In the midst of an upsurge of worker militancy, the 1970 presidential election was taking place. Running was Salvador Allende who represented the common people of Chile. Allende led the left-wing coalition Popular Unity (UP) and for many Chilean workers, the UP government embodied their aspirations for a better life. In Peter Winn’s book, Weavers of Revolution, he tells the story of the Chilean revolution through the eyes of the participants.…

    • 1137 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Manuel Contreras, who headed Chile's intelligence service, Dina, during the rule of Augusto Pinochet in the 1970s and 80s, has died aged 86. Dozens of people gathered at the military hospital in Santiago where he was being treated to celebrate. He had been serving a sentence of more than 500 years for human rights abuses.…

    • 282 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout the past hundred years the U.S. has participated or organized many regime changes. In Stephen Kinzer’s “Overthrow” he shows how the U.S. participated in various regime changes throughout the world, whether it was orchestrated by the U.S. or if they were helping an ally. The U.S. participated in various “overthrows” over the last hundred years because during these eras many American business were threatened, there was concern for other countries falling into communism and the U.S. wanted to spread its cultural influence to other countries. During the Imperialist Era the United States went into Hawaii in order to annex Hawaii and profit more from the money coming in from the sugar plantations.…

    • 841 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Despite lacking technologically advanced intelligence platforms and capabilities, Castro is able to conduct successful intelligence operations informing him of a pending invasion. Castro utilizes human intelligence operatives within the U.S. and Guatemala to anticipate the planned invasion. Additionally, poor operational security on behalf of the CIA and U.S. government prevent secrecy during operation planning. Castro is able to conduct propaganda and ideological operations within Cuba in order to prevent and dismantle hostile groups within his country. Castro utilizes lessons learned and past U.S. involvement in the successful outcome of Operation PBSUCCESS in Guatemala.…

    • 1215 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    He states that “dominant US culture was viewed as ‘imperialist’, ‘decadent’, and something to be resisted” (Gomez-Barris 99). While Oscar and his sister, Lola, attempted to assimilate into American culture as a result of transnational struggles, Gomez-Barris describes the Chileans as resistant to assimilation because they recognize the faults in US culture as a result of the two 9/11’s they…

    • 889 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Dbq Chilean Civil War

    • 1000 Words
    • 4 Pages

    This was largely in part because he kept the country from fighting for a very long time. Although there were Spanish in the southern part of the country, Chile prevented a drawn-out conflict. With the use of the first national squadron, Chile was able to secure the south and flush out any remaining Spanish by 1820. Even though Chile had to use resources to secure the south, they remedied any greater conflict the loyalists may have caused the country later. One major problem that remained was the lack of a stable government.…

    • 1000 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    It all started with the Bay of Pigs invasion, the CIA told the president that the invasion would be kept a secret and it would spark an anti-castra uprising on the island. On April 1, 1961, a group of Cuban exiles took off from Nicaragua to look for stolen Cuban planes and to strike against cuban airfields. The CIA wanted to keep the attack a secret, but a radio station on the beach broadcast every detail to listeners across Cuba. Castro and his advisers knew about his plan and took their planes out of harm's way. President Kennedy began to suspect the the plane that the CIA had would be “both clandestine and successful” might be in fact “too large to be Clandestine and too small to be successful”.…

    • 1262 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Domingo Sarmiento Analysis

    • 1085 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In the late 18th and early 19th century many colonies in South America began wars against Spain in an effort to gain their independence. Eventually all of Latin America gained independence from Spain. Two key leaders in the liberation movements were Simon Bolivar and Jose de San Martin. After the creation of Republics Latin American politicians looked to the United States for support and guidance. Two such influential men were Domingo Sarmiento, President of Argentina, and Matias Romero, Mexican Ambassador to the United States.…

    • 1085 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    From Nicaragua to Guatemala, The Philippines to The Middle East, U.S. covert operations have played a significant role in past conflicts. The implementation and impact of these operations can be seen in many different instances, but the most noteworthy occurred during the Vietnam War. From 1963 to 1975 The CIA, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam(MACV), and other defense and intelligence agencies planned and conducted countless counterinsurgency and covert operations in Vietnam and the surrounding areas. These operations ranged from intelligence gathering and propaganda, to sabotage and assassination missions. The operations went under many titles and responsibility for the operations continued to move hands as the war went on.…

    • 1228 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    The shape of modern day Cuban society is undoubtedly and irreversibly built on the goal of withstanding imperialistic advances from the United States. Since the end of the 19th century, the United States has attempted to shape Cuba into an expendable asset that helps drive the economical wagon of the most powerful nation on earth. In this paper I will discuss the imperialistic endeavours America subjected Cuba to prior to the Cuban Revolution, how biased and misinformed reporting on Cuba has helped shape a negative image of Cuba and discuss Cuba’s involvement in ending a war between South Africa and Angola as well as Namibia gaining its long fought for independence. Since the Cuban Revolution, public perception of Cuba has been one of a country…

    • 1923 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    First, some 25,000 Chileans we’re killed by their Armed Forces. Next some were arrested. Out of the Chileans that were arrested “all were interrogated, most were tortured, and many disappeared into the Junta’s prisons or concentration camps.” About 10 to 20% of the working force were purged of their jobs and because of their politics and then work black listed so they’ve remained unemployed. Following this the military government was very harsh and controlling.…

    • 1979 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Bay Of Pigs Legacy

    • 1197 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Gov). United States hired a whole lot of mercenaries to the island where some of the men surrendered at (www..history.com). Some of the plans were made by the Central intelligence agency none as “CIA’’. President Dwight Eisenhower wanted to take out Fidel Castro while he was in office, but he couldn 't cause when he was in office is when the big great depression happened (U.S. History). The great depression was horrible everyone had to pay taxes to the government there was a lot of stuff going and all the people blaming Eisenhower for it, but it wasn’t his fault that there was no jobs for the…

    • 1197 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Chilean government was vehemently against communism, and was able to convince their soldiers that the inhumane acts they were committing, were justified as a way to detect and eradicate communism in their country. Out of fear of communism, and likely fear of their own government, the soldiers agreed to these acts of horror. In conclusion, The Grill by Adolfo Pardo is an inspiring and moving story of a woman who survived torture and abuse at the hands of her own government. It sheds light on the harsh reality for many Chilean citizens during the Pinochet dictatorship, and what they were forced to endure.…

    • 811 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    With secret missions often involving many moving pieces, such as different units, increases the odds of the operation being discovered. In 1961, the failed Bay of Pigs operation occurred under United States President John F. Kennedy, with the strategy to oust Fidel Castro from Cuba using rebel forces. The operation trained and equipped hundreds of Cuban rebel to lead an offensive on the shores of Cuba with the aspiration to overtake Castro and re-claim Cuba. However, Fidel Castro and his militants were privy to information of the impending raid and readied themselves. Castro and his men were able to counter the attack and cause the American and rebel forces to fall back.…

    • 955 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Brilliant Essays

    The “domino theory” greatly worried the US; this was the idea that if South Vietnam fell to communism then all of South Asia would follow. With this in mind, once Cuba had turned communist, the US was worried that the idea of democracy would be undermined and seen as a weak ideology. It is argued that ideology is the evident reason that led to actions made by the US to create such conflict and hostility between the three nations, for example the Bay of Pigs invasion that in turn led to the Cuban Missile…

    • 1482 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Brilliant Essays