31 Augusto Pinochet Facts To Know About The Chilean Dictator

Augusto Jose Ramon Pinochet Ugarte, also known simply as Augusto Pinochet, was born in Chile on November 25, 1915.

He was a Chilean Army General who rose to power and ruled Chile as a military head and a president from 1973 to 1990. Pinochet was the leader of the Military Junta of Chile from 1973 to 1981.

Augusto Pinochet was responsible for overthrowing the socialist government of President Salvador Allende in a military coup on September 11, 1973. Surprisingly, he was promoted from a career military officer to commander in chief by the President himself, only 18 days before the military coup took place.

Pinochet has confessed that he was the master planner and the leader of the entire coup.

Within a year after coming into power, Augusto Pinochet declared himself as the President of the Republic in 1974, becoming the de facto dictator of Chile. Augusto Pinochet was known for his determination to exterminate leftism in Chile and also for introducing free-market policies.

Fun Facts About Augusto Pinochet

Augusto Pinochet was an oppressive leader during most of his regime. Let's look at some fun facts about this Chilean dictator.

• He was arrested in London in 1998 on account of human rights violations, after which he was extradited to Spain.
• When he returned to Chile after facing trials, he had to face trials again in his own country, which he had once ruled over.
• By the end of 2004, the National Commission on Political Imprisonment and Torture, which was set up to look into the killings and crimes committed by the previous President, submitted its report. It confirmed that more than 30,000 cases of torture took place under the regime of Augusto Pinochet.
• The immunity that Pinochet had created for himself was taken away by the Chilean court of Appeal, and he was declared eligible for the trial.
• In 2005, the Chilean Supreme Court also revoked Pinochet's immunity in the case of illegal financial deals and the disappearance and execution of more than 119 Chilean political figures.
• It has been estimated that from the time of Augusto Pinochet's military regime from 1973 till his presidency, until his stepping down in 1990, more than 3,200 people were killed on his orders.
• It is estimated that more than 40,000 were detained and tortured illegally, while more than 200,000 people went into exile from Chile to other countries to escape the regime.
• In 2006, just before Pinochet's death, his wife conveyed a public statement on his behalf, declaring that he accepted political responsibility for all the acts for which he was accused.
• He died two weeks later; however, he never had to stand trial for all the crimes and human rights abuses he had committed during his lifetime.

Augusto Pinochet's Rise To Power

Augusto Pinochet was a part of the Chilean Army from a young age. Read on to find out how he rose to power in Chile.

• He climbed ranks to become the General Chief of Staff in 1972. When President Allende was elected in 1970, it was already a pretty narrow win for him.
• The government had been in distress for a few years, and there was civil unrest in Chile by 1973, as several groups were trying to overthrow Allende's government.
• On September 11, 1973, Augusto Pinochet planned and led a coup d'etat as the military surrounded the presidential palace.
• It is said that President Salvador Allende committed suicide, but there is no solid evidence to prove that fact.
• It is believed that the military junta took over the civilian government with support from the USA.
• As soon as the military junta was established, the military took control of both the executive and judiciary functions of the government.
• It was soon declared that Augusto Pinochet was the military coup leader. He took over the presidential palace with the help of the military and the national police.
• In December of 1974, Pinochet was appointed as the nation's Supreme Head by a joint decree by the military junta.
• This was the time, immediately after seizing power, when most of the war crimes took place. Thousands of political people and anyone who was a threat to the government were rounded up and held in a national stadium, and several of them were killed.
• Contrary to the rumors, the CIA has confirmed that they did not help Pinochet in his rise to the presidency.

Crimes Committed By Augusto Pinochet

Augusto Pinochet committed numerous crimes during his regime. Read on to find out about the distress he caused to hundreds and thousands of people.

• When Augusto Pinochet rose to power, he executed several socialists, leftists, and everyone who threatened his regime, which resulted in the murder of more than 3,000 people.
• More than 80,000 politicians, civilians, and many people were house arrested or subjected to internment.
• Augusto Pinochet was finally arrested in London on October 10, 1988, on several charges of human rights violations.
• He was extradited to Spain to face trial for torture and murder of Spanish citizens.
• A few years after returning to Chile, in 2004, the Chilean court ruled that Pinochet was fit for standing trial for his war crimes and was immediately placed under house arrest.
• More than 300 counts of criminal charges and cases of human rights violations were filed against him, most of which remained pending because he died in 2006.

Chile Under Augusto Pinochet

• Augusto Pinochet was influenced by the free-market policy based on economic liberalization.
• In March 1981, a new Constitution was brought into force by the Augusto Pinochet regime, where he appointed himself as the President for the next eight years until 1989.
• This included currency stabilization, removing tariff protection for local industries, removing trade barriers, privatizing state-owned enterprises and social security systems, creating a centralized bank to control interest and exchange rates without government interference, banning trade unions, and cutting wages.
• The former members in the office were either removed or forced to leave by the military members and members of Pinochet's inner circle to take their place instead.
• Censorship of media and entertainment was a tool used to punish the opponents and reward the regime's supporters. No political opposition was allowed during this time.