Uncool and Incorrect in Chile: The Nixon Administration and the Downfall of Salvador Allende

The military coup that toppled Chilean President Salvador Allende in 1973 led to one of the most repressive military dictatorships in Latin American history. Although the coup’s full origin remains one of the great mysteries of the Cold War, most assume that powers in Washington were largely to blame, given the long history of U.S. interventionism in Latin America. These assumptions were only strengthened by ongoing suspicions about the Nixon administration’s role in a failed campaign to prevent Allende’s inauguration in 1970.

Providing a comprehensive account of the Nixon administration’s efforts to undermine and unseat Allende, the book relies heavily on newly declassified records, addressing several crucial questions regarding U.S. involvement. The author explores several counterfactual scenarios to highlight important turning points and crucial decisions which contributed to the failure of Chilean democracy.

Stephen M. Streeter is an associate professor of history at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He specializes in the history of U.S. foreign relations and teaches courses on the history of the United States, Latin America, and the Vietnam War.