[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 153 (Thursday, September 21, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S4662]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 20--RECOGNIZING THE DECADES-LONG EFFORT OF 
   PRO-DEMOCRACY FORCES IN CHILE TO END THE DICTATORSHIP AND RESTORE 
                   CIVILIAN GOVERNANCE IN THE COUNTRY

  Mr. SANDERS (for himself, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Merkley, and Mr. 
Cardin) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                            S. Con. Res. 20

       Whereas nations around the world are confronting the 
     challenge of strengthening the institutions of democracy 
     against the dire threat of authoritarianism;
       Whereas Chile is a strategic partner of the United States, 
     and the bilateral relationship, which includes cooperation on 
     economic, environmental, defense, and human rights issues, is 
     predicated on a shared commitment to democratic values, 
     including absolute respect for free and fair elections;
       Whereas Chile is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 
     bloody military coup d'etat of September 11, 1973;
       Whereas, as part of that commemoration, the Congress of 
     Chile has overwhelmingly passed a resolution requesting the 
     declassification of United States records related to the coup 
     and its aftermath;
       Whereas, after the democratic election of the Popular Unity 
     Party candidate, Salvador Allende, in September 1970, 
     according to reports in 1975 by the United States Senate 
     Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with 
     Respect to Intelligence Activities, President Richard Nixon 
     ordered the Central Intelligence Agency to ``make the economy 
     scream'' and covertly block the inauguration of Allende 
     through instigation of a military coup, an operation that led 
     to the assassination of the pro-constitution commander in 
     chief of the army of Chile, General Rene Schneider, in a 
     failed kidnapping attempt supported by the Central 
     Intelligence Agency;
       Whereas, under the supervision of then-national security 
     adviser Henry Kissinger, the Central Intelligence Agency 
     continued its efforts to foster a ``coup climate'' in Chile 
     and, in Kissinger's own words to Nixon, ``created the 
     conditions as great as possible'' for the military takeover;
       Whereas the United States provided active support, 
     including assistance from the Central Intelligence Agency, 
     for the creation of the repressive intelligence directorate 
     of Chile;
       Whereas then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger told coup 
     leader General Augusto Pinochet in a private meeting, ``We 
     want to help, not undermine you. You did a great service to 
     the West in overthrowing Allende.'';
       Whereas the rampant human rights violations committed by 
     the military regime of Pinochet led to an estimated 40,000 
     people tortured and more than 3,000 killed, including the 
     murder of United States citizens in Chile and targeted 
     assassinations of political opponents in the United States; 
     and
       Whereas the United States Congress played a critical role 
     in bringing to light the atrocities committed by the Pinochet 
     regime against the Chilean people, and growing congressional 
     awareness of the role of the United States in the 1973 coup 
     and ongoing United States support for the Pinochet regime led 
     to the creation in 1977 of what is now the Bureau of 
     Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the Department of 
     State, charged with the mission of ensuring the centrality of 
     human rights in United States foreign policy: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) recognizes the decades-long effort of the pro-democracy 
     forces of Chile that, with support from human rights 
     movements in the United States and around the world, ended 
     the dictatorship and restored civilian governance in Chile;
       (2) applauds the Chilean people for rebuilding a strong and 
     resilient democracy against the forces of authoritarianism;
       (3) expresses profound regret for the United States 
     contribution to destabilizing Chile's political institutions 
     and constitutional processes and for United States assistance 
     in the consolidation of the repressive military dictatorship 
     of General Pinochet, and believes that full accountability 
     requires a full accounting in the form of disclosure and 
     declassification of remaining United States records relating 
     to events leading up to, during, and after the military coup 
     of 50 years ago;
       (4) will continue to engage with the Chilean people to 
     participate in truth and reconciliation efforts and continue 
     the shared bilateral commitment to strengthen democratic 
     government institutions confronted with the current and ever-
     changing threats against democracy around the world; and
       (5) emphasizes that support for human rights is and should 
     remain a key pillar of United States foreign policy 
     everywhere in the world.

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