[FreedomPoster]

The reality there is that, even if the coup did occur due to U.S. involvement, we wouldn't have been there but for the Soviet agents and money that were assisting Allende. And that, relative to, say, Cuba, many fewer people died, the people today are much better off, and are much more free in their lives.

[Verginius Rufus]

Undoubtedly there were some innocent people who died because of the 1973 coup or who were killed during the years of Pinochet's dictatorship, but Pinochet yielded power peacefully and there can be little doubt that Chile is better off today than if Allende had been able to continue his efforts to turn Chile into a communist dictatorship.

One good indicator of quality of life is the infant mortality rate. According to this year's World Almanac, Chile has the lowest rate in South America, only a little higher than that of the U.S. Figures (per 1,000 live births):

U.S.: 6.7
Chile: 9.1
Uruguay: 14.2
Argentina: 17.2
Colombia: 23.2
Venezuela: 24.6
Brazil: 35.9
Peru: 38.2
Bolivia: 57.5