Chilean youth mass action supporting Allende on Jury 5.

After three years of intense and open class struggle, the government of Dr Salvador Allende, the "first freely elected Marxist president in the Western Hemisphere" as the news media has mistakenly dubbed him, has fallen to a violent coup. The first concerted application of Khrushchovism has reached the tragic denouement that Marxist-Leninists so clearly foresaw when Allende took office.

In September 1970 the six party coalition Popular Unity formed a self-proclaimed socialist government in Chile following the surprise victory of Allende in the presidential elections. In polling 36% of the vote Allende narrowly defeated Jorge Allesandri, candidate of the right-wing National Party, who polled 35%. The third candidate, a Christian Democrat, polled 28%. With a groundswell running in favour of Popular Unity due to the assassination of General Schneider, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, and Allende's declaration to act constitutionally, the Chilean Congress confirmed Allende as President by 1 53 votes to 35.