Word: frei
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...present with renewed fervor despite the bloody golpe de estado against the Allende government--runs something like this: Chile, a prosperous nation with a long tradition of stable democracy, moved into the vanguard of Latin American progress in the late 1960s under the enlightened leadership of President Eduardo Frei. The popular Frei, who led the Christian Democratic Party, guided Chile well along the road to reform when the Chilean Constitution unfortunately intervened...
...Frei was prohibited from running for re-election in 1970, and his lackluster successor was edged out narrowly by Allende, the "Marxist" candidate. Chile's woes began as soon as Allende took office. He ruined the economy and needlessly turned the great majority of the country against him as inflation skyrocketed and food and medical shortages grew. Allende's overthrow was tragic, certainly, but he had it coming because he tried to do too much too fast...
...begin, the Frei years were hardly halcyon times of peace and social justice. Frei snuck past Allende in the 1964 election with strong conservative and CIA support, and he was always beholden to the right. As a consequence, his rhetoric outstripped reality: his touted agrarian reforms did little to change the shape of the Chilean landscape and he never got around to nationalizing the copper interests and other North American businesses as he promised...
...position of Minister of Defense, Allende named a civilian, Orlando Letelier del Solar, until recently Ambassador to Washington. The sensitive post of Interior Minister fell to Carlos Briones, a close personal friend. Briones, as it happens, has managed to stay on good terms with former President Eduardo Frei Montalva, leader of the opposition Christian Democrats. If a crisis should require contact between Chile's past and present Presidents, Briones could provide the liaison...
...liable to prosecution for violating their oath to defend the constitution if they help a President who is acting illegally. Allende is eventually humiliated and resigns, to be succeeded, in the absence of an effective Cabinet, by the president of the Senate-who is none other than Eduardo Frei...