Allende (Gossens), Salvador (1908–1973)

Chilean left-wing politician, president 1970–73. Elected president as the candidate of the Popular Front alliance, Allende never succeeded in keeping the electoral alliance together in government. His failure to solve the country's economic problems or to deal with political subversion allowed the army, backed by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), to stage the 1973 coup that brought about the death of Allende and many of his supporters.

Allende, born in Valparaíso and educated as a physician at the University of Chile, became a Marxist activist in the 1930s and was elected to congress in 1937 and the senate in 1945. He rose to prominence as a presidential candidate in 1952, 1958, and 1964. In each election he had the support of the socialist and communist movements but was defeated by the Christian Democrats and nationalists. As president, his socialism, land reforms, and nationalization of banking and US-owned copper mines led the CIA to regard him as a communist and to their involvement in the coup that replaced him by General Augusto Pinochet.

He was the first Marxist head of state to be democratically elected and his appointment marked a swing to the left in Chilean politics.