Augusto Pinochet

The general who staged the 1973 coup and ruled Chile for 17 years.

Life

Commander-in-chief of the army

Pinochet was a career soldier. In August 1973 Allende appointed him Commander-in-chief of the army, and three weeks later he led the coup that overthrew Allende.

Military government

He dissolved Congress and banned political parties, and the military government then ruled for 17 years; according to official commissions of inquiry, more than 3,000 people were killed or disappeared and tens of thousands were tortured. Economically he pursued free-market reforms, and Chile's economy grew steadily from the late 1980s onward.

Plebiscite and trials

In 1988 he lost a referendum, and in 1990 he handed over the presidency; in 1998 he was arrested in London, later faced numerous charges in Chile, and died in 2006 without having been convicted.

Legacy

Opinions of Pinochet in Chile remain divided to this day: supporters stress his economic achievements, opponents his large-scale human rights abuses.

Did you know? His arrest in London is a landmark case of "universal jurisdiction" in international law.

Key dates

• 1973Staged a coup
• 1974Became President
• 1980New constitution adopted
• 1988Loses the plebiscite
• 1990Hands over the presidency
• 1998Arrested in London
• 2006Died