In 1973, Chile was going through a period of intense political polarization, on the eve of the September 11 coup d’état. While Salvador Allende’s government was implementing its program of social and political reforms, the opposition, formed mainly by the National Party and the Christian Democratic Party, organized strikes, protests, and actions in Congress to hinder his administration. On the streets, interviews with the population revealed a country divided between supporters and opponents of the government. In the parliamentary elections held in March, the parties that made up the Popular Unity coalition failed to obtain the votes needed to secure the expected majority. From then on, the political conflict intensified, and the government faced further opposition actions, while sectors of the Armed Forces began to gain a larger role in the political landscape. The first part of “The Battle of Chile” records the events in the months leading up to the coup and the struggle between the different political groups of the period.

New restoration.