Allende Out, Reported Suicide; Marxist Regime In Chile Falls In Armed Forces' Violent Coup
Junta In Charge
State of Siege Decreed by Military Chiefs--Curfew Imposed
Chilean Armed Forces Depose Allende
By The Associated Press
Santiago, Chile, Wednesday, Sept.12--President Salvador Allende Gossens
was deposed yesterday
in a violent military coup, and the Santiago police said that he had committed
suicide rather than surrender
to the attackers.
Dr. Allende, a Marxist who was elected President in 1970, was reportedly
found slumped over a
blood-stained sofa in the presidential palace, a bullet through his mouth.
The palace had been
captured after a 20-minute assault in which the military used bombers and
heavy artillery.
Proclaiming a mission of liberating Chile "from the Marxist yoke," a four-man
military junta took
control of the Government and declared a state of siege. Censorship and
a curfew were imposed.
Noon Deadline Set
The coup followed weeks of nationwide strikes and economic chaos, with
growing groups of
workers and professionals joining in demands that Dr. Allende halt his
attempts to bring socialism to
Chile and resign. Yesterday morning, the chiefs of the army, navy, air
force and national police sided
with the anti-Marxist opposition and issued an ultimatum for the President
to resign by noon.
But the President refused. In his last public statement, made by radio
as two air force jets
were making runs on the palace, he declared:
"I will not resign. I will not do it. I am ready to resist with whatever
means, even at the cost of my
life in that this serves as a lesson in the ignominious history of those
who have strength but not reason."
Bombs Fell on Palace
Attacking only moments after the deadline set by the military had passed,
the
air force jets dropped bombs and fired rockets, severely damaging the
fortress-like presidential palace. The President's official residence,
about a mile
away, was also bombed, the junta said, after guards there "resisted the
armed
forces and police."
A statement that the President had committed suicide was issued after the
attack by Rene Carrasco, a police prefect. He said Augusto Olivares, a
close
Presidential adviser, had also killed himself.
Newsmen for the Santiago daily El Mercurio were allowed inside the palace,
and the newspaper's chief photographer, Juan Enrique Lira, said he saw
the
President lying dead on a blood-soaked sofa in the anteroom of the palace's
dining hall. He said the President had apparently shot himself once in
the
mouth.
A series of orders was issued immediately after the coup by the junta,
composed of Gen. Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, commander of the army; Gen.
Delaire Gustavo Leigh Guzman, commander of the air force; Adm. José
Toribio Merino Castro, acting commander of the navy, and Gen. Cesar
Mendoza Frank, chief of the national police.
A list of 68 prominent Socialist and Communist leaders was broadcast, and
they were ordered to appear at the Defense Ministry or face arrest. More
than
100 Communist and Socialist party members were reported arrested in
Santiago and Valparaiso, a port city where naval units began the coup early
yesterday.
Foreigners were ordered to report to the nearest police station to identify
themselves.
The junta also broadcast an order freezing all bank accounts.
In a radio broadcast monitored after the coup, the junta said that it would
soon
name new ministers, including some civilians, but that Congress would remain
in recess "until further order."
The new Government said it would maintain diplomatic relations with all
nations except for Cuba and a few others.
In several monitored broadcasts the military junta made no mention of Dr.
Allende. It said its aim was to "avoid violence and lead the Chilean people
along the road to peace."
While the military attacks were under way yesterday, long-distance telephone
and telegraph services in this city of three million people were shut down.
They were resumed late in the day, but communications were cut off again
after a few hours.
What other casualties there might have been besides those at the presidential
palace was not immediately clear.
A spokesman at the United States Embassy said no United States citizens
were known to have been wounded.
The coup marked the first time in more than 40 years that the traditionally
nonpolitical Chilean military had overturned a civilian Government. In
1931, a
dictatorial President, Carlos Ibanez del Campo, was forced out during a
general strike and other economic troubles.
Dr. Allende, a physician turned politician, took office nearly three years
ago
insisting that he would lead Chile to Socialism within a democratic framework,
but growing opposition from Chile's large middle class made that impossible.
His leftist coalition, which succeeded the Christian Democratic Government
of
President Eduardo Frei, encountered political and labor turmoil, economic
crises and strong opposition in Congress, which is controlled by anti-Marxist
parties.
In October, 1970, Gen. René Schneider, then the army commander,
was
killed by rightwing extremists in an unsuccessful plot against the Allende
Government. Last June, about 100 soldiers attacked the palace in a coup
attempt that was crushed by loyal army units.
Warned of Coup
The 65-year-old President warned repeatedly in recent speeches that
"fascists" were planning a coup against him. With unrest against him growing,
he named military leaders to his Government in an attempt to keep them
with
him. The army and air force commanders now in the military junta that
deposed him were appointed by Dr. Allende to his Government only two
weeks ago.
Last week the military leaders left the Allende coalition, and he appointed
lower ranking officers to succeed them.
The junta moved against him yesterday morning as a general strike by
merchants went into the fourth day and 50,000 private truckers remained
off
the job for the 47th day.
In their first communiqué, the junta members said they were demanding
Dr.
Allende's resignation in the face of "the extremely grave economic, social
and
moral crisis that is destroying the country." The communiqué added
that the
armed forces and national police were united in "fighting for the liberation
of
the country from the Marxist yoke."
The communiqué, described as a "proclamation of the military Government
junta," declared that, because the Government was unable to "stop the growth
of chaos," the President "must proceed immediately to hand over his high
office to the Chilean armed forces and national police."
"The workers of Chile may be certain," the declaration went on, "that the
economic and social benefits they have achieved to the present will not
suffer
fundamental change."
The communiqué also warned that the Government's newspapers and
radio
and television stations must suspend their activities at once or "they
will be
assaulted by land and air."
First word of the revolt came from the port city of Valparaiso and Dr.
Allende
rushed from his residence to the palace. Shortly after 8 A.M. yesterday
he
made a brief statement over his Socialist party's radio station, saying
"a sector
of the navy" had rebelled and "I am awaiting now a decision from the army
to
defend the Government."
Bombs Strike Palace
Ten minutes later he went on the air again, saying "irresponsible elements"
were demanding that he quit.
The heavy action centered at noon on the presidential palace, a fortress-like
building that once was a mint and covers a block in the heart of the city.
Bombs and rockets smashed into the graceful interior patios and Dr. Allende's
office was reported badly damaged. Several tanks opened fire at the front
of
the building when President Allende's guards refused to surrender.
Fires broke out and a column of black smoke rose from the building.
Spectators gathered at intersections but then darted for cover as bullets
struck
near them.
Guests in the luxurious Carera Sheraton Hotel fell to the floor as their
windows
were shot out. They were led to a relatively secure area at the rear of
the
second story.
The revolt left only four South American countries in the hands of civilians:
Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela and Guyana. The other countries are directly
ruled by the military, as in Brazil and Peru, or under heavy influence
of military
men, such as in Uruguay, which came under armed forces domination last
May.