Thread by @Vinncent

For conservative military men to openly celebrate the 1973 coup, they really have to be ignorant about what it actually was. Several of the highest-ranking officers in Chile, none of them leftists, had to be murdered in order for Pinochet to create his dictatorship.

1. In 1970 (before Allende took power), Army Commander-in-chief René Schneider was murdered by US-funded right-wing terrorists, because he was loyal to the constitution. Plan was to kidnap him and blame the left. 2. In 1973, the extremists murdered Navy Capitan Arturo Araya ...

...Araya was Allende's aide-de-camp, and his assassination increased pressure on Carlos Prats, the man who took over for Schneider. Prats was also a "constitucionalista," ie - against an army coup. Prats finally resigned, Pinochet took over, and then, 3. Pinochet murdered Prats.

So that's 3 of top Chilean officers, murdered to clear the way for someone who would finally do what the US was desperate for since 1970 (BEFORE Allende was inaugurated and made a single economic or political mistake). Pinochet killed his own boss, in retirement in Buenos Aires.

It's incredibly difficult to simultaneously say, like "I'm a good military man. God, country, and discipline," or whatever, and come to defense of Pinochet's dictatorship. When they do so it's either a cynical way to attack the left or (I think more likely) historical ignorance

Also, anyone who claims that Chile's 1973 coup was a response to Allende's failures is incredibly naive. The US began funding terrorism before he even took office, and the historical record shows very clearly their major fear was that he would do a *good job* and serve as a model

It's very funny because getting into this stuff you look / feel like some conspiracy theorist, but this is the mainstream literature on Chile, liberal / right-leaning historians, using declassified info from the Nixon administration. It just *happened* but everyone forgot

Why did everyone forget? OK, now I might sound slightly conspiratorial lol. I think maybe, because Pinochet and his backers in the United States WON, they won the Cold War, they won the whole world, and the winners always get to write (or at least shape perceptions of) history

Anyways I bring this up now because Brazil military / "liberals" had their brains destroyed by the internet and keep praising Pinochet

Sources:
Mary Helen Spooner, Soldiers in a Narrow Land
Tanya Harmer, Allende's Chile and the Inter-American Cold War
Tim Weiner, Legacy of Ashes

However, there's a reason that Brazil's military, and far-right (now back in power) are especially likely to praise the 1973 coup: they made it happen, and participated. Brazil's dictatorship was Washington's partner since 1970 in plotting to overthrow Allende.