MEMO: CHILE: POLITICAL ASSESSMENT

Created: 9/10/1979

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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CHILE:

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military government is headed by President Agosto Pinochet, leader of the coup that ousted leftist President Salvador Allende Congress was ;dissolved at the time of the coup, and the military now dominates all governmentunusual situation for Chile, whose political history has been more stable and democratic than its.Pinochet has said that general elections will not be

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The Chilean regime lis closer to] tha modern Brazilian-Peruvian model of; nationalistic military government than to the old-style Latin military tradition. Pinochethorough restructuring of economic and political life before restoring civilian government,

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In the first years after the coup, the regime employed harsh internal security practices. Some serious abuses of human rights still;occur, but, in general, Chile's record has improved. The!government sincerely believes that Chileontinuing threat from violence-prone leftists and the assessment, although exaggerated, has some factual basis. The divisions in Chilean society and the sometimes irresponsible policies of political parties encouraged leftist growth during; this growth soarod further during3 term of Allende.

theory, 'the Pinochet regime now maintains over traditional opposition elements, but

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the press, political parties and,esser extent, the labor unions enjoy considerable latitude. Politicalare prohibited, but parties hold small meetings, express some criticism of the government, and meet with foreigners. The threat of repression, however, xeeps criticism within bounds.

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Chile Is regarded in much of the worldargely because of the government's human rights record and the Internationaleven by Western countriei who were notympathy with Allende--that the Pinochet government is out of character for Chile. The regime has therefore had difficulty buying arms, finding loans, and gaining acceptance in international forums. The government has tried during the pastftwo or three years to Improve Its image and expand contacts with Western and Third World countries but has*been|only partially successful.

Relations with the US have been poor throughoutbut there has been no open break. The mostinvolves the question of the Chilean securityin6 Washington assassination ofexile leader Orlando Letelier. The US has requestedof former security chief Contreras inthe case, and the. matter is now before the Supreme Court, i

!It Chile's relationship with its neighbors inolivia, and Argentina is equally poor. Peru and Bolivia have repeatedly:vowed to retake land Chile seized froia them in the War of the Pacific, whose centenary is being observed [I* this year; the more recent quarrel with Argentina lover. Beagle Channel and surrounding territorial seas is being mediated byhile maintains diplomatic relations i: ow level of trade with China- but ties with Cubahe Soviet Union were broken soon after the coup.1

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