Augusto Pinochet | |
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Pinochet's official portrait.
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31st President of Chile | |
In office 17 December 1974 – 11 March 1990 |
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Preceded by | Salvador Allende |
Succeeded by | Patricio Aylwin |
President of the Government Junta of Chile
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In office 11 September 1973 – 11 March 1981 |
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Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | José Toribio Merino |
In office 23 August 1973 – 11 March 1998 |
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Preceded by | Carlos Prats |
Succeeded by | Ricardo Izurieta |
Senator for life of Chile | |
In office 11 March 1998 – 4 July 2002 |
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Constituency | Former president |
Personal details | |
Born |
Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte 25 November 1915 Valparaíso, Chile |
Died |
10 December 2006 (aged 91) Santiago, Chile |
Nationality | Chilean |
Spouse(s) |
Lucía Hiriart (1943–2006; his death)
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Children |
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Alma mater | Chilean War Academy |
Occupation |
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Profession | Soldier |
Religion | Roman Catholicism |
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Military service | |
Allegiance | Chile |
Service/branch | Chilean Army |
Years of service | 1931–1998 |
Rank | Captain General |
Unit |
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Commands |
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Battles/wars | 1973 Chilean coup d'état |
Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (Spanish pronunciation: [auˈɣusto pinoˈ(t)ʃe] or [-ˈ(t)ʃet]; 25 November 1915 – 10 December 2006) was a Chilean general, politician and the military ruler of Chile between 1973 and 1990; he remained the Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Army until 1998. He was also president of the Government Junta of Chile between 1973 and 1981. His rule of Chile was a dictatorship.
Pinochet assumed power in Chile following a United States-backed coup d'état on 11 September 1973 that overthrew the democratically elected socialist Unidad Popular government of President Salvador Allende and ended civilian rule. Several academics have stated that the support of the United States was crucial to the coup and the consolidation of power afterward. Pinochet had been promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the Army by Allende on 23 August 1973, having been its General Chief of Staff since early 1972. In December 1974, the ruling military junta appointed Pinochet Supreme Head of the nation by joint decree, although without the support of one of the coup's instigators, Air Force General Gustavo Leigh.
From the start of the new military government harsh measures were implemented. During the period of Pinochet's rule, various investigations have identified the murder of 1,200 to 3,200 people with up to 80,000 people forcibly interned and as many as 30,000 tortured. According to the Chilean government, the official number of deaths and forced disappearances stands at 3,095.