Short Answer
Santiago, Chile, September 11, 1973. At 3:30 in the morning, the presidential residence at Tomás Moro was awake. Dr. Danilo Bartulín, Allende’s personal physician and close friend, was in a meeting with the president and his collaborators, studying the “possibility of a coup within a few days.” The coup was not days away—it was hours. By midday, the presidential palace of La Moneda would be under aerial bombardment, its walls scorched, and the president of Chile would be dead. This article reconstructs that day through the testimonies of the men who stood beside Allende, who witnessed his final moments, and who carried the truth through imprisonment and exile.
What Happened?
The coup of September 11, 1973, unfolded with devastating speed. During the early morning hours, the Chilean Navy initiated military movements in Valparaíso under what was called “Operación Unitas.” Allende was warned, and at around 7:00 a.m., Detective Juan Collío, a member of the presidential escort, arrived at Tomás Moro. “In that place we were informed that apparently there was a coup d’état by the Armed Forces,” he later testified, “and the President decided that we had to go immediately to the Palacio de La Moneda to assume this situation.”
Approximately fifty people remained inside La Moneda throughout the day. The military, led by General Augusto Pinochet, launched a full assault on the palace, including an aerial bombardment. In the chaos of the attack, President Allende made his final decision. Dr. Patricio Guijón, who was in the palace, witnessed the moment: “In the little corner where I had left the mask there was an open door, through which I see the President at the moment he was shooting himself as he sat down, because I saw the movement, what he does with a machine gun (metralleta).” Guijón took the president’s pulse, “but there was nothing to do.”
How It Was Seen at the Time
The accounts of the survivors describe a mixture of loyalty, fear, and tragic awareness. Dr. Danilo Bartulín, who was at the 3:30 a.m. meeting, described the day as a “bitter experience” that he kept silent for fifteen years. After the coup, he was imprisoned and “suffered the horror of the Chilean prisons,” living in exile afterward. He remained attentive to the political process in his country, which he hoped would end the “15 years of nightmare.”
The documentary La última decisión de Salvador Allende (2001), directed by Patricio Henríquez, brought together the testimonies of nearly all who were with the president in his final hours. It was described as showing “the heroism and the gallantry of ‘Allende’s last decision’ before the military rebels.” The mood in the palace was one of determination—a group of men who refused to abandon their president even as the building burned around them.
Historical Snapshot
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | September 11, 1973 |
| Place | Palacio de La Moneda, Santiago, Chile |
| People | Salvador Allende (president), Dr. Danilo Bartilín, Dr. Patricio Guijón, Detective Juan Collío, General Augusto Pinochet |
| What Happened | Military coup; aerial bombing of the presidential palace; Allende’s suicide |
| Why It Mattered | The end of Chile’s democratic government and the beginning of 17 years of military dictatorship |
Eyewitness Accounts
The testimonies of the survivors were collected in the Archivo de la Brigada Investigadora de Delitos contra los DD.HH. of the PDI (Chilean Police). These include statements from doctors, police officers, politicians, and journalists who were in La Moneda during the attack.
Dr. Patricio Guijón, who witnessed the president’s death, described the scene with the clinical precision of a physician:
“En el rinconcito donde había dejado la máscara había una puerta abierta, a través de la cual veo al Presidente Allende en el instante que se disparaba al momento de sentarse, porque yo vi el movimiento, lo que hace con una metralleta (…) Por esas cosas mecánicas le tomé el pulso, pero no había nada que hacer.”
Dr. Danilo Bartulín, in a 1988 interview with EL PAÍS, recalled the beginning of the day:
“A las 3.30 de la madrugada estábamos en la residencia presidencial. Teníamos una reunión en la que estudiábamos la posibilidad de un golpe para dentro de unos días.”
Detective Juan Collío, member of the presidential escort, testified:
“En ese lugar (Tomás Moro) fuimos informados que aparentemente había un golpe de Estado por parte de las Fuerzas Armadas, y el Presidente decidió que había que dirigirse a la Palacio de La Moneda para asumir esta situación.”
Timeline
- June 29, 1973: Failed coup attempt, the “Tanquetazo,” is suppressed.
- September 11, 1973, 3:30 a.m.: Allende and his collaborators meet at the presidential residence, studying the possibility of a coup.
- Early morning: The Navy initiates movements in Valparaíso (“Operación Unitas”).
- Around 7:00 a.m.: Detective Juan Collío arrives at Tomás Moro; Allende is informed of the coup.
- 7:00 a.m.: Allende and his group depart to La Moneda. About fifty people remain inside.
- Midday: The palace is bombed from the air.
- Final hours: Allende commits suicide with a machine gun; Dr. Guijón confirms his death.
Common Misconceptions
Aftermath
The coup of September 11, 1973, put an end to the government of the Unidad Popular and initiated the military dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet, which lasted 17 years. The survivors of La Moneda were imprisoned. Danilo Bartulín was among them and “suffered the horror of the Chilean prisons” before living in exile. In 1988, he described the period as “15 years of nightmare.” The testimonies of the survivors were preserved in the Police Archive, where they remain a record of the day.
How Historians See It Today
At the time, the events were understood as a military coup, but the full picture emerged only through the testimonies of the survivors. The documentary La última decisión de Salvador Allende (2001) was described as having “put an end to one of the myths and lies that have circulated, almost to this day, in a stupid hagiographic desire to hide the historical truth.” The truth was that Allende took his own life rather than surrender to the military.
Modern historiography recognizes that the coup was not a spontaneous act but a coordinated military operation. The meeting at 3:30 a.m. shows that the coup was anticipated, and the early movements of the Navy were the first signals of the operation. The testimonies of the survivors are now considered the definitive evidence of the day.
The last day of Salvador Allende is not just a historical event; it is a lesson in the power of testimony. The accounts of the doctors, detectives, and police officers who were in La Moneda give us a direct, human connection to a day that changed the world. They show a president who chose death over surrender, and a group of men who carried the truth through decades of silence. The primary sources remind us that history is not just dates and facts—it is the story of the people who lived it.
FAQ
Did Salvador Allende die in combat or by suicide?
According to the eyewitness testimony of Dr. Patricio Guijón, who was inside La Moneda and took the president's pulse, Allende took his own life with a machine gun (metralleta). This has been confirmed by the documentary 'La última decisión de Salvador Allende' (2001), which put an end to the myth that he died in combat.
How many people were inside La Moneda during the bombing?
Approximately fifty people remained inside the presidential palace throughout the day of September 11, 1973, according to the testimonies collected in the Archive of the Investigative Brigade of Crimes against Human Rights of the PDI.
What was the 'Tanquetazo'?
The 'Tanquetazo' was a failed military coup attempt that occurred on June 29, 1973, just over two months before the successful coup of September 11. It was suppressed, but it was a clear warning of the military's intentions.
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