write about the rule of salvador allende
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Allende was elected to the Chilean Senate four times from 1945 to 1969. Early on, he declared his commitment to Marxism and desire to promote a socialist Chile. In the Senate, Allende consistently defended the interests of the working class and attacked capitalism and imperialism, siding with the Cuban Revolution. During this time, Allende also ran for president unsuccessfully in 1952, 1958 and 1964, before finally winning in 1970.
When Allende took office, Chile was enduring a severe economic crisis. Unemployment was high and an estimated half of the country's children under the age of 15 were suffering from malnutrition. Allende immediately implemented his socialist agenda, increasing wages and freezing prices while taking steps to reform the education system, health care and government administration.
In addition to nationalizing many large-scale industries, Allende expropriated American-owned copper industries without compensation. This solidified opposition from U.S. President Richard Nixon's administration, which increased support to Allende's political opponents and led efforts to cut off international lines of credit to Chile.
Poor economic planning and a growing dysfunctional relationship between Allende and Congress deepened the country's economic difficulty. The president's inability to control his own radical left wing brought further hostility from the middle class, though he remained popular among workers and peasants.