Tanquetazo

Tanquetazo
Part of the Cold War

Two Chilean soldiers with a machine gun lie at the south side of La Moneda during the attempted coup.
Date29 June 1973
Location
ActionInsurgents attempt to seize La Moneda
Result

Government victory

  • Insurgents surrendered or exiled
Government-Insurgents   
Chile Chilean Government Chile 2nd Armored Regiment
Commanders and leaders
Chile Salvador Allende
Chile Carlos Prats
Chile Augusto Pinochet
Chile Roberto Souper
Political support
All parties in Congress of Chile Far-right paramilitary and political movement "Patria y Libertad"

El Tanquetazo or El Tancazo (Spanish: "The tank putsch") was an attempted coup d'état that occurred in Chile on 29 June 1973.

Elements of an armored regiment of the Chilean Army led by Lieutenant Colonel Roberto Souper tried to overthrow the Popular Unity government of President Salvador Allende. Souper's regiment fired on buildings of the Chilean Government in central Santiago with tanks and small arms in which 22 people were killed. Loyalist soldiers led by Army commander-in-chief Carlos Prats successfully put down the coup within hours. Souper and most of the soldiers involved in the coup surrendered to Prats while some fled in exile to Ecuador.

The Tanquetazo was unsuccessful but is considered to have weakened Allende's Popular Unity government and contributed to the successful 1973 Chilean coup d'état three months later.


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