Initially created as organs to exert social pressure on the ruling government, they ultimately became a base for working-class political power itself.
By the time the Salvador Allende government was overthrown on September 11, 1973 military coup 31 cordones had been established and were operational.
The independent nature of these organs of poder popular from the bureaucracies of the official trade union body (C.U.T.
), the state (the National Congress of Chile) and the leadership of the parties forming the governing Popular Unity coalition (viz.
created a complex situations for those attempting to implement socialism within the framework of existing democratic institutions.