Roberto Viaux

Who was Roberto Viaux?

Roberto Urbano Viaux Marambio was a Chilean Army General and the primary planner of two attempted coup d'états in Chile in 1969 and 1970. The first was against President Eduardo Frei Montalva, and the second sought to prevent Socialist Salvador Allende's election.

Prior to his involvement in the René Schneider case, Viaux was a very well respected and admired military leader. He became famous when he led a small military insurrection on October 21, 1969. In the Tacnazo, Viaux shut himself up with the Tacna regiment inside its barracks and went on a strike. He demanded a pay-raise for the Army and the resignation of both the Defense Minister and the Army Commander-in-Chief. After tense negotiations with the government, he ended his strike when the Commander-in-Chief resigned and the government promised to study his salary demands.

On October 22, 1970, coup plotters loyal to Viaux attempted to kidnap constitutionalist Chilean Army Commander-in-chief General René Schneider, who was adamantly opposed to any prospect of a coup. General Schneider's official car was ambushed at a street intersection in the capital city of Santiago, Chile.