[104-10225-10027.pdf — page 63]
# Allende in Retrospect'people have all power and in accord with the consti-tution can do what they desire when they have themajority of the nation behind them.'Yet it was precisely the question of majority sup.port that was Allende's central problem in his de-sign to carry out a peaceful transition to "socialismwith democracy, pluralism and liberty." The partiesin his coalition were in a distinct minority in theCongress, and although there was no doubt about thelegitimacy of his election by that body, his victoryhad only been possible because of the conditionalsupport of the Christian Democrats. The PDC, itshould be noted, included both Radomiro Tornic,the party's 1970 presidential candidate, who hadgone to Allende's house to congratulate him theday after the popular election, clearly inferring hisfuture support, and conservatives like Senator Juande Dios Carmona, who had fought within the partyto prevent it from voting for Allende in the run-off.In the immediate aftermath of the election the PDCwas controlled by the Tornic forces, who claimedto be in favor of "communitarlan" socialism, nationalization of copper, acceleration of agrarian reform,and reduction of Chile's dependencia on the UnitedStates. One way, then, for Allende to achieve hisacknowledged goal of majority support for thetransition to socialism would have been to try toarrive at an understanding with the Christian Demo-crats on the points in his program with which theywere In agreement. This might have provoked thesecession of some of the rightist members of thePDC, but if an accord had been reached with theparty's leaders, it would likely have given Allendea majority in the Congress for at least part of hisprogram.Flushed with victory and unwilling to come toterms with the party which he had termed "the newface of reaction" during the campaign, Allende chosean alternative strategy. The next congressional elections were not scheduled to take place until March1973, but the Chilean Constitution provided that inthe event of a conflict with the Congress over thetext of a constitutional amendment, the Presidentcould call a national plebiscite. The strategic course.adopted by Allende was to attempt to expand popu-lar support for his coalition and then propose aconstitutional amendment which, in accordance withthe. Popular Unity electoral program, would replacethe existing bicameral legislature with a unicameralhouse, tobe elected immediately following the ap.proval of the amendment. The Congress would becertain to reject the amendment, but if Allendehad the support of a majority in the country, hecould win the plebiscite and secure control of theunicameral legislature that would then be estab-lished.Allende's strategy for the expansion of electoralsupport was an economic one which drew as muchfrom John Maynard Keynes as it did from Karl Marx.The Chilean economy, already operating belowcapacity, had gone into a profound recession as aresult of Allende's election. The response of PedroVuskovic, Allende's Minister of Economics, was to"prime the pump" by adopting a deficit budget, In-creasing public expenditures, and redistributing in-come by skewing the annual wage readjustment forthe preceding year's inflation (35 percent in 1970)in favor of the low-income sector of the population(the lowest income groups received a 40-percent in-crease). The utilization of unused industrial ca-pacity, combined with strict enforcement of pricecontrols, more stringent collection of taxes, and re-fusal to devalue the Chilean escudo in relation tothe dollar, were expected to contain possible infla-tionary pressures which might result. (The Allendegovernment also had a cushion of nearly $400million in foreign reserves left to it by the Freigovernment as a result of high international pricesfor copper, Chile's principal export.)The strategy also contained a Marxist element-> [Figure] Salvador Allende speaks of his plans for Chile at the 23rd Congress of the Socialist Party, held in January 1971, three months alter his election as President of Chile.> ![photo of Salvador Allende]> -Photo by Santi Visalli for Photoreporters.*El Mercurio (Santiago), Nov. 6, 1970, p. 23.46