US declassified two reports on 1973 coup d'état in Chile

The US government has declassified two reports on the preparation of the coup d'état in Chile, which took place on September 11, 1973.

In the first document - dated September 8, 1973 - US President Richard Nixon was notified of the "possibility of an attempted military coup" in Chile, TASS reports with reference to the United States Embassy in Santiago.

It also states that at that time there was no evidence of a plan with coordinated participation by all branches of the Armed Forces, despite the fact that the Navy "claimed support from the Air Force and ground forces".

Another document - dated 11 September 1973 - reported that the Chilean Navy had secured the support of "some key military units". The report also said that the military leadership did not have a "well-coordinated plan" but was determined to restore political and economic order.

The documents were released at the request of the Chilean government. Earlier, Chilean MPs had sought the country's foreign ministry to get the US to release secret documents revealing Washington's role in the coup d'état.

The coup in Chile took place on 11 September 1973.

As a result of a well-planned mutiny of the high command, the legally elected president of Chile Salvador Allende was overthrown, and the leader of the junta headed by General Augusto Pinochet came to power. Repression against members of the fallen regime and their families began in the country.