During the Cold War, the perceived threat of Salvador Allende's socialist government in Chile to other countries and the world was significant, particularly among the United States and other capitalist nations. They viewed socialism as closely linked to communism, fearing that Allende's policies could inspire similar movements across Latin America and beyond.
Allende's government, which aimed to implement a socialist agenda through democratic means, raised alarms about potential destabilization in the region. The U.S. and its allies equated socialism with the expansion of Soviet influence, arguing that it posed a direct threat to democracy and capitalism. By supporting Allende, they were concerned that he might destabilize the established order, leading to broader communist sympathies and potentially tipping other countries towards leftist policies.
Furthermore, the fear of a “domino effect”—whereby one country's shift to socialism could encourage others to follow suit—contributed to the urgency with which the U.S. approached the situation in Chile. This led to covert operations, including funding opposition groups and eventually supporting a military coup in 1973 that removed Allende from power. The ideological battle of the Cold War viewed the rise of socialism in any form as a fundamental challenge to Western democratic ideals and capitalism, thus framing Allende’s government as a potential harbinger of instability throughout the Western Hemisphere.