The Movement Towards the Left in Chile: The Factors that Led to the Election of Salvador Allende in 1970

Chloe Hardeman

In 1970, something unprecedented in history occurred – the election of the first-ever democratically-elected Marxist president in Chile, Salvador Allende. Only three years into his presidency he was brutally ousted and replaced with one of the bloodiest dictatorships in Latin America, Augusto Pinochet. Allende’s presidency and Pinochet’s dictatorship have become a key point of interest for historians. Allende’s presidency begs the question of why and how did he come into power? One of the justifications for the coup d’état of 1973 is that there was no true support for Allende and that his election was an accident. The chaos and destruction that ensued, was inevitable. This justification serves as a way to take blame off of the CIA and dismiss the kidnapping, torturing, mutilating, raping, and killing of tens of thousands of innocent Chileans. However, Allende’s election was not a fluke. Allende was elected because there was movement towards the left. This research proves that this movement towards the left evolved out of the mobilization of the rural sector, the unusual effect of the Frei regime, and the radicalization and negligence of the working class. The reflection of this movement is able to be seen through polling data, Nueva Canción, and the 1970 and 1972 election.

1 thought on “The Movement Towards the Left in Chile: The Factors that Led to the Election of Salvador Allende in 1970

  1. Chloe,

    Your subject matter is thought-provoking and important. I greatly appreciate how you show the objective nature of the social force behind Allende’s rise and the reaction that has unfortunately been all too typical of our country’s response to motions toward political independence.

    You handle a tough subject in an engaging manner.

    Thank you,

    Danny

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