Roberto Viaux

General Roberto Viaux Marambio (born 1917- September 5, 2005) was a Chilean Army General and the primary planner of a failed coup d'état attempt in Chile in 1970, aimed at preventing Socialist Salvador Allende's election. An important aspect of his plot involved the kidnapping of constitutionalist Chilean Army Commander-in-Chief General René Schneider, who was adamantly opposed to any prospect of a coup.

Prior to his involvement in the Schneider case, he was a very well respected and admired military leader. He became famous when he led a small military uprising (known as El Tacnazo) in 1969. In that ocassion he basically shut himself up with the "Tacna" regiment inside its barracks and went on a strike. He demanded a pay-rise for the Army and the resignation of both the Defense Minister and the Army Commander-in-Chief. After tense negotiations with the government, he deposed his strike when the government promised to study his salary demands and the Commander-in-Chief resigned.

On October 22, 1970 coup-plotters loyal to him attempted to kidnap Chilean Army Commander-in-Chief General René Schneider, who was adamantly opposed to any prospect of a coup. The official car was ambushed at a street intersection in the capital city of Santiago, Chile. When General Schneider drew a gun to defend himself, he was shot point-blank several times. Rushed to a military hospital the wounds proved fatal and he died three days later, on October 25. General Viaux was later convicted of involvement with the plot and imprisoned.

It should be noted that the coup-plotters did not intend to kill Schneider; his death severely weakened the chance of a successful coup, as Chilean opinion was almost entirely sympathetic toward him. Critics of U.S. policy in Chile at the time, particularly contrarian journalist Christopher Hitchens, have accused former U.S. National Security Advisor and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger of conspiring with Viaux in the murder of General Schneider. As far as Kissinger's role in the coup, declassified U.S. documents show that while the Central Intelligence Agency had explored the possibility of supporting a Viaux coup, they later decided that his ideology was "far out" and, while maintaining contact with him, did not provide him with direct support. In a declassified October 15th conversation with President Richard Nixon about the matter, Kissinger said, "This looks hopeless. I turned it off. Nothing could be worse than an abortive coup." [1]

In August of 1973, General Viaux was released and exiled to Paraguay. He was not involved in General Augusto Pinochet's successful 1973 coup. He returned to Chile in 1990, where he lived quietly in retirement until his death on September 5, 2005.

See also

* 1970 Chilean presidential election
* René Schneider
* Salvador Allende
* Carlos Prats
* Camilo Valenzuela

External Links

*More information on El Tacnazo