The other 9/11

On this day 10 years ago, terrorists from the Muslim extremist group al Qaeda launched a coordinated and planned strike on America soil, killing 2,996 civilians. This is a story virtually everybody on the face of the Earth is familiar with. Today, there will be a myriad of posts commemorating its anniversary, so I thought that me throwing another one into the mix would contribute virtually nothing. There is another, however, that most do not know about. This 9/11 took place in the South American country of Chile, and ironically saw the United States act as the terrorists, so to speak.

The year was 1973. The world was embroiled in an ideological battle between capitalism and communism. Chile had chosen her side in 1970, when the country democratically elected Salvador Allende of the Marxist party. Needless to say, the United States did not take so kindly the idea that a country would legally and democratically elect a communist leader. For three years Allende ruled Chile with the support of the Chilean people, increasing the size of healthcare, education, and welfare for the lower classes. He increased employment of people like miners and nationalized institutions such as banks. All the while, the United States was using the CIA to cause political and economic imbalance in the country. The fact that Allende was communist superseded the fact that he was elected by his people; the US cared more about stopping communism than helping democracy.

In 1973, the CIA’s moment of opportunity came. Discontent with Allende’s treatment of them, the military was showing signs of opposition. The CIA seized upon this and helped foster a military coup d'état. On September 11, the coup began. Allende, surrounded in his Presidential palace on all sides with nobody to turn to, decided to kill himself rather than surrender. After the coup, Augusto Pinochet set up a military junta to take control of the country. He later became the sole dictator of the country, all with the United States’ blessing. Upon taking control of the country, Pinochet immediately set out to oppress all opposition, disbanding and killing many leftist parties and declaring all other parties in “recess.” In all, Pinochet was estimated to have killed over 2,000 Chileans, exiled over 1,000, and tortured over 30,000 citizens, including women and children. All of this because the United State could not accept a democratically elected Marxist.

So as we commemorate the loss of life that happened on 9/11 in the United States, do not forget what the United States did in Chile on the same day. Do not forget that the United States, the so called “land of the free,” choose fascism and capitalism over democracy and communism. Do not forget that Chile suffered for 17 years because of the actions of the CIA. Do not forget the other 9/11.