52 years ago today, on March 20, 1973 (February 16, 1973 in the lunar calendar), the United States attempted to undermine the Allende election in Chile. Allende delivers a speech to Chilean youth On March 20, 1973, a U.S. Senate subcommittee was shocked to hear testimony of the apparent collusion between AT & T and the CIA to disrupt Chile's political process in 1970. William Merriam, vice president of AT & T, testified that the purpose of the venture was to prevent the Marxist Salvador Allende from being elected president of Chile. But the plan failed and Allende was elected. Merriam told the committee that the CIA agreed to the plan formulated by International Telephone and Telegraph to carry out anti-Allende propaganda and would not hesitate to create violence to provoke a military coup against Marx. A meeting between International Telephone and Telegraph Chairman and General Manager Harold Jenin and William Brewer and Merriam, the CIA's director of covert operations in Latin America, led to the private company's cooperation with the CIA. A Senate subcommittee led by Democrat Frank Church is investigating the activities of the multinational company.