Selected Works of Salvador Allende

Salvador Isabelino del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus Allende Gossens (26 June 1908 - 11 September 1973) was a Chilean physician and is generally considered the first democratically elected Marxist to become president of a country in Latin America. Allende's involvement in Chilean political life spanned a period of nearly forty years. As a member of the Socialist Party, he was a senator, deputy and cabinet minister. He unsuccessfully ran for the presidency in the 1952, 1958, and 1964 elections. In 1970, he won the presidency in a close three-way race. He adopted the policy of nationalization of industries and collectivization. Amidst strikes by the far-right Patria y Libertad and CIA opposition under the Nixon administration, protests were held in Chile against Allende's rule. The Supreme Court criticized Allende for subordination of the judicial system to serve his own political needs; and the Chamber of Deputies formally implored the military to intercede and restore rule of law on 22 August 1973. Less than a month later, on 11 September Allende was deposed by the military, thus ending the Popular Unity government. As the armed forces surrounded La Moneda Palace, Allende gave his last speech vowing not to resign, but he was said by the U.S. to have committed suicide later in the day. In 2011, new evidence relating to the cause and manner of Allende's death has led to an official inquiry, including an autopsy. The investigation is still underway. After Allende's ouster, General Augusto Pinochet did not return authority to the civilian government, Chile became led by a military junta, and then as a dictatorship by General Pinochet.