The Day British Diplomacy Failed: Chile 1973
Newly surfaced accounts reveal one of the most disturbing chapters in postwar British diplomacy during the violent overthrow of Chile's democratic government. On 11 September 1973, soldiers loyal to General Augusto Pinochet stormed the presidential palace in Santiago, detaining civilians outside the building in a brutal coup that would reshape South American politics for decades.
British Embassy's Shocking Stance
While desperate Chileans sought refuge from death squads by scaling embassy walls across Santiago, the British embassy stood almost alone in refusing sanctuary. According to journalist Neal Ascherson's firsthand account, the British ambassador appeared thrilled with the military takeover. The diplomat told assembled British journalists that "our business chaps here have been having a really difficult time, you know" under Allende's presidency.
Even more disturbingly, the ambassador's wife reportedly commented that "it was so marvellous to see our Hawker Hunters circling up there" - a reference to British-made fighter jets that had been sold to Pinochet's forces and were used in the attack on President Salvador Allende's offices.
Journalist's Fiery Confrontation
The atmosphere turned explosive when journalist Richard Gott confronted the ambassador. Ascherson describes Gott "roaring like a red-bearded lion and reducing a British ambassador to a pallid cringe" as he expressed his rage and shame at Britain's position. Gott's lengthy accusation left the ambassador pale-faced and his staff rigid with hatred, but it permanently marked what Ascherson calls "one of the lowest points to which British postwar diplomacy ever sank."
Outside the embassy walls, the slaughter continued unabated while Britain celebrated its arms deals. This revelation exposes the uncomfortable truth about British foreign policy priorities during one of Chile's darkest historical moments.
