Augusto Pinochet
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| Augusto Pinochet | |
 | |
| 30th President of Chile | |
|---|---|
| In office 17 December 1974 – 11 March 1990 | |
| Preceded by | Salvador Allende |
| Succeeded by | Patricio Aylwin |
| President of the Government Junta of Chile | |
| In office 11 September 1973 – 17 December 1974 | |
| Succeeded by | José Toribio Merino |
| | |
| Born | 25 November 1915 Valparaíso, Chile |
| Died | 10 December 2006 (aged 91) Santiago, Chile in the Military Hospital |
| Nationality | Chilean |
| Political party | None (Military) |
| Spouse(s) | Lucía Hiriart (1943–2006) |
| Occupation | Soldier Politician |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte[note 1] (25 November 1915 – 10 December 2006) was a Chileanarmy general and president who assumed power in a coup d'état on 11 September 1973. Among his titles, he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean army from 1973 to 1998, president of the Government Junta of Chile from 1973 to 1974 and President of the Republic from 1974 until transferring power to a democratically elected president in 1990.[1]
At the beginning of 1972, Pinochet was appointed General Chief of Staff of the Army. In August 1973, he was appointed as Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Army by president Salvador Allende.[2] On 11 September 1973, Pinochet led a coup d'état which put an end to Allende's democratically elected socialistmilitary junta appointed Pinochet as President by a joint decree, with which Air Force General Gustavo Leigh disagreed.[3] From the beginning, the government implemented harsh measures against its political opponents.[4] According to various reports and investigations 1,200–3,200 people were killed, up to 80,000 were interned, and up to 30,000 were tortured by his regime including women and children [5][6][7] The new government also implemented economic reforms, including the privatization of several state-controlled industries and the rollback of many state welfare institutions. These policies produced what has been referred to as the "miracle of Chile", but the government policies dramatically increased economic inequality[8] and some attribute the devastating effect of the 1982 monetary crisis in the Chilean economy precisely to these policies.[9] Pinochet's economic policies were continued and strengthened by successive governments after 1990.[10] government. In December 1974, the
Pinochet's presidency was given a legal framework through a highly controversial plebiscite in 1980, which approved a new Constitution drafted by a government-appointed commission. A plebiscite in 1988 (which saw 56% vote against continuing his presidency) led to democratic elections for the Presidency and Parliament. After peacefully stepping down in 1990, Pinochet continued to serve as Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Army until 10 March 1998, when he retired and became a senator-for-life in accordance with the 1980 Constitution. In 2004, Chilean Judge Juan Guzmán Tapia ruled that Pinochet was medically fit to stand trial and placed him under house arrest.[2] By the time of his death on 10 December 2006, around 300 criminal charges were still pending against him in Chile for various human rights violations, tax evasion and embezzlement under his rule and afterwards.[11] Pinochet was accused of having corruptly amassed a wealth of US$28 million or more while ruler of Chile.[12]
