Chilean presidential election, 1970 Totally Explained

Everything about 1970 Chilean Presidential Election totally explained

A presidential election was held in Chile on 4 September 1970. A narrow plurality (36.2 percent of the total vote) was secured by Salvador Allende, the candidate of the Popular Unity coalition of leftist parties. Because he didn't obtain an absolute majority, his election required a further vote by the National Congress of Chile which resulted in Allende assuming the presidency in accordance with the Chilean Constitution of 1925.

Campaign

Both the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the KGB spent significant amount of money to influence the outcome of the election.
   The CIA spent $425,000, however the CIA didn't provide direct assistance to any candidate as they'd in 1964, but rather focused on anti-Allende propaganda, a "scare campaign" of posters and pamphlets linking an Allende victory with the violence and repression associated with the Soviet Union This CIA campaign was very inefficient. CIA director Richard Helms complained that he was ordered by the White House to "beat somebody with nothing"
   The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) reports that a total of 2,954,799 votes were cast, from a registered electorate of 3,539,747, giving a turnout of 83.5%. 3,539,747 registered voters is a noticeably low proportion of the total Chilean population of 9,720,000, of whom IDEA calculates that 5,346,000 (55.3%) were of voting age. Registration and turnout were reasonably consistent with earlier Chilean presidential elections, although both registration and participation have been considerably higher since the restoration of elections, beginning with the election of 1989.
   Other sources give slightly different figures.

Congressional confirmation

None of the candidates received an absolute majority of votes; according to the 1925 Constitution, the National Congress had to decide between the two candidates who had received the most votes, Allende and Alessandri. The precedent set on the three previous occasions this situation had arisen since 1932 was for Congress simply to choose the candidate with the highest number of votes; indeed, former president Alessandri had been elected in 1958 with 31.6% of the popular vote, defeating the same Allende.
   In this case, however, there was an active campaign against Allende's confirmation by Congress, including an intensification of the CIA propaganda campaign to create concerns about Chile's future. During this period the CIA generated over 726 articles, broadcasts and similar items. The CIA also encouraged international economic pressure against Chile during this period. The United States also began to lay the groundwork for a military coup in this stage, authorizing the Ambassador to Chile to encourage this outcome with his contacts in the Chilean military.
   Allende's presidency was eventually ratified, after he agreed to sign a "Statute of Constitutional Guarantees", promising not to undermine the Chilean Constitution.
   Two days before the confirmation, Army Commander-in-Chief General René Schneider, a legalist, was killed in a botched kidnapping attempt organized by General Roberto Viaux, and supported by the CIA, who later gave $35 000 to the kidnappers in "humanitarian" assistance René Schneider had expressed his deep opposition to organizing a coup d'état in case Salvador Allende's was finally chosen by Parliament as president.
   René Schneider's murder was disapproved by a lot of people, and helped citizens and military support Allende, whom the Parliament finally chose on 24 October. On 26 October, President Eduardo Frei named General Carlos Prats as commander in chief of the army in replacement of René Schneider.

Candidate	Party/Coalition	Votes	%
Salvador Allende	Popular Unity (UP)	153	81.38%
Jorge Alessandri Rodríguez	Independent conservative	35	18.62%
Blank votes		7
Total votes		188	100%

Source:

Additional information

Articles about Allende/Pinochet coup d'état in Chile

History of Chile – long article with section on 1970-1973 events

Alejandrina Cox incident

Chilean coup of 1973 – events following this election

Augusto Pinochet – took power in 1973 coup

U.S. intervention in Chile ==

Further Information

Get more info on '1970 Chilean Presidential Election'.

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