DECLARATION OF THE MILITARY JUNTA ON SEPTEMBER 11, 1973
WORDS EXPRESSED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE HONORABLE GOVERNMENT JUNTA, COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARMY, GENERAL AGUSTO PINOCHET UGARTE IN THE SWEAR-IN CEREMONY THAT TOOK PLACE IN THE MILITARY ACADEMY, ON THE DAY OF SEPTEMBER 11 OF 1973.
"The Armed Forces of Law and Order have acted under patriotic inspiration.
"The naming of the new military Ministers, the naming of Governors, [Intendentes] and civil assesors that will act in the different Ministries, is being studied. Also I must manifest that diplomatic relations with the different countries will be maintained, with the exception of Cuba and others that will be studied. The Junta will maintain the Judicial Power and the assesories of the Comptrolers. The Chambers will be in recess, until new order".
WORDS EXPRESSED BY THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE NAVY, ADMIRAL JOSE TORIBIO MERINO, IN THE SAME OCASSION.
"The National Navy, that lives a bit far from these bickerings, could not stay idle with the national task at hand. And it is because of this that without searching for honor nor power, but on the contrary, when the only thing we desire is to rest, we have entered to direct the fatherland, because the armed institutions are useless if there is no bread".
"The whole Nation formed a State. This State, constituted by three Powers, was crumbling. There was one Power, the Executive Power to be exact, that had forgotten its duties".
"Like Chileans, doing honor to the swearing-in that one day we did, we had to ssume this responsibility that we don't want. And even though it is sad that a long democratic tradition in this continent has been broken, when the State looses its qualities those that by mandate have to be maintained by good use, one must assume that job".
"Today we do it, and we are sure that the whole of Chile has to understand that to us, the marines, it is much nicer to be next to the sea, to be together with our battleships. But when the task is so big, the wishes of niceties are forgotten, the hearts unite, the institutions unite, because above the wishes of everyone of us is the fatherland and to the nation we dedicate our efforts. No matter what the costs. No matter what the personal sacrifice".
WORDS EXPRESSED BY THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE AIR FORCE OF CHILE, GENERAL OF THE AIR GUSTAVO LEIGH GUZMAN, IN THAT SAME OCASSION.
"The armed Institutions of Law and Order of Chile had been placed in an exceptional prescindent political plan. But, after three years of supporting the marxist cancer, that took us to economic, moral and social setbacks that could not be tolerated anymore, by the sacred interests of the fatherland we have been obliged to asume the sad and painful mission that we have undertaken".
"We are not afraid. We know the enormous responsibility that we carry on our shoulders, but we have the certainty, and the security that the enormous mayority of the Chilean people are with us, willing to fight against marxism, willing to extirpate it until the last consecuences. And thanks to the support of the noble Chilean people, with, the exception of those marxists, we will take the nation to economic, political, social and moral resurgence".
WORDS EXPRESSED BY THE GENERAL DIRECTOR OF CARABINEROS OF CHILE (POLICE), GENERAL OF CARABINEROS DON CESAR MENDOZA DURAN, IN THE OCCASION MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY.
"In this moment of supreme decition, Carabineros of Chile (Chilean Police), since Integrating itself to the Junta that assumed leadership of the country, has established as a goal to reestablish the Judicial Order that lately has seriously been broken. It is not about implanting tendencies, ideological currents or to practice personal vengeances, but, like I mentioned, to reestablish the public order, and return the country to its formal state and the fulfillment of the constitution and the laws of the republic".
"It is, but, the spirit of the Junta to return to the formal true legality. Waiting from the whole citizenry without exception of its colaboration for the best success and the best achievement for this task".