Betrayal to Chile.
Patricia Verdugo


Some of the outrages committed by the Chilean soldiers in September 11, 1973, are described in the book "Secret Interference" of the Chilean journalist Patricia Verdugo, 1997 National Journalism Award. This journalist achieved coordinate a group of details about what happened that day in the Palacio de la Moneda, while president Salvador Allende and his nearest collaborators were resisting to the surrender offer expressed by the armed forces commanders in chief and the self-appointed General Chairman of Carabineers —his headline was loyal to the government—, under the orders of Augusto Pinochet.

The title refers to the main part of the book based in a radio communications recording between Pinochet, General Gustavo Leigh — commander-in-chief of the Air Force and Cartoon of Rius responsible of the bombardment of La Moneda— and Vicealmirante Patricio Carvajal -of the Navy, in charge of the land assault to the palace—, made by a citizen that interfered them and maintained them as a secret during 25 years.

The book includes a compact disk that contains such recording. Given the conditions in which it was accomplished, there are many noises, interruptions and even incomprehensible parts. With such compact disk is proven the vulgar display of prepotence used by the Chilean oligarchy to maintain its privileges: aggression, perfidy, lie, concepts supported by the government of USA.

There are immediately demonstrated some phrases of the Chilean military men.

Pinochet: I have the impression of the fact that mister SE (he refers to Allende, as His Excellence) started-up in the armoured cars...

Carvajal: Not, but he did not flee in the armoured cars. The armourde cars had been gone before and I, thereinafter, personally, converse with him by telephone.

Pinochet: OK, OK. Then we have to prevent the exit. And if he leaves, we must take him prisoner.

Carvajal: And I also spoke thereinafter with the naval aide-de-camp, who confirmed me that Allende is in La Moneda.

Pinochet: then we have to be ready to act on him. Then one must be ready to act on him. It would be better to kill the dog and the levy is out, man.

Carvajal: Right. What we only are waiting for is the exit of the aide-de-camp and carabeeners.

(...)

Pinochet: At 11 o'clock we have to attack La Moneda, because this cock will not surrender.

Carvajal: The attack's already begun... It's been surrounded and attacked with ... let me see... with quite impetus. Thus, I believe that they will soon take it up.

Pinochet: OK. The plane is immediately leaving, man and it is dispatched 'altiró'

Carvajal: He denied the possibility of the plane.

Pinochet: ¿Did he deny it?

Carvajal: ..he was offering to negotiate...

Pinochet: unconditional surrender, not negotiate. ¡Unconditional surrender!

Carvajal: Good, OK. Unconditional surrender and he's taken prisoner offering him nothing else than the respect for his life, we say.

Pinochet: The life and ... his physical integrity and he will be immediately delivered to another part.

Carvajal: OK. I got it. That means to maintain the offer of getting him out of the country.

Pinochet: It is maintained the offer of get him out of the country ... but the plane falls, man, when he goes flying.

Carvajal: OK. He, he, he (he laughes)... OK. We will procure that it prosperes... the parliament.

(...)

Carvajal: Gustavo and Augusto, from Patricio. There is a communication, a personnel information of the Infantry School, that it is already within La Moneda. Due to the possibility of interference, I will go to transmit it in English. They say that Allende comitted suicide and is dead now. Eh...Tell me if you understand it...

Pinochet: Understood.

Leigh: Perfectly understood. Change.

Carvajal: Respect the plane for the family, then this measure would not be an urgency. I understand that it would not be urgent in leaving the family immediately.

Pinochet: They..... they throw him in a booth and board him in a plane, man, together with the family. They better make the burial in other part, in Cuba... We will have problems with the burial. This cock had problems until to die!

Finally, after all the collaborators of Allende had abandoned La Moneda with the promise of the fact that he would leave the last, General Javier Palacios entered with his soldiers to the palace. Upon arriving the destroyed presidential dispatch found the corpse of Salvador Allende. He recognized him by the clock. He left that room in ruins and requested a soldier a portable radio equipment to be communicated with the garrison commandance, in the Defense Ministry to give the following victory message: Fulfilled mission. Moneda taken. President dead.

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Most recent revision: March 17, 2002