Schneider, Rene (1913–1970)

Rene Schneider, born December 31, 1913, was a Chilean army officer. A graduate of the Escuela Militar, he became commander of the army after the government forced the resignation of General Camilo Valenzuela, for failing to prevent a coup launched by General Roberto Viaux of the Tacna Artillery Regiment in 1969. This incident became known as the Tacnazo in reference to the rebellious unit.

Schneider became important following the presidential election of 1970. Because none of the three candidates, Salvador Allende, Jorge Alessandri, or Radomiro Tomic, a Christian Democrat, had won a majority of the votes cast, the Constitution called for the Congress to select the winner. Chilean political tradition had stipulated that the legislature would elect the candidate who had won a plurality, in this case, Allende, a socialist.

Right-wing elements hoped to convince the legislature to elect Alessandri, who would immediately resign, thus allowing Eduardo Frei, president from 1964 to 1970, to seek the presidency again. Failing that, they were prepared to launch a coup. Schneider had earlier stated that he saw the army as the guarantor of the Constitution of 1925, making it clear that the military would not meddle in the election. Consequently, General Viaux ordered some of his followers to kidnap Schneider and whisk him out of Chile until Frei could be reelected. The kidnappers, however, mistakenly mortally wounded Schneider, thereby unifying the nation behind Allende.

See alsoAlessandri Rodríguez, Jorge; Allende Gossens, Salvador; Chile: The Twentieth Century; Chile, Constitutions; Frei Montalva, Eduardo; Tomic, Radomiro.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Davis, Nathaniel. The Last Two Years of Salvador Allende. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1985.

                                          William Sater