In 1973 with the help of the American Government, General Augusto Pinochet led a four man junta in a coup d'etat which successfully overthrew the democratically elected socialist regime of president Salvador Allende. The election of Allende was a historic event as it was the first time a marxist ruler had ever been democratically elected president—much to the chagrin of American President Richard Nixon who was currently engaged in the Cold War with socialist Russia. Sadly, Allende’s attempt to redistribute the wealth of the state only lead to hyperinflation and economic turmoil. In 1973 President Allende appointed Pinochet commander-in-chief of the Chilean army. A short 3 weeks later he led the violent overthrow of the government and assumed power. In the midst of the overthrow, seeing his empire falling to the ground around him, President Salvador Allende took his own life.
Pinochet seized control and ruled Chile with an iron fist for the next 17 years. He made it clear that he had little use for the past systems of government, banning all political parties, disassembling congress, and throwing out the constitution. He blamed democracy for the rise of socialism and communism in the country and asserted that a strong authoritarian government was necessary to bring the country to prosperity. Under Pinochet’s rule the press was silenced, workers unions were banned, and scores of thousands of people were killed and tortured.
Although Pinochet ruled as an oppressive fascist despot, he was greatly successful in restoring and furthering the Chilean economy. With help from a group of Chilean economists dubbed “The Chicago Boys” (because most of them had studied at the University of Chicago) Pinochet was able to suture the wounds that the Allende regime caused the economy and transform it into the most successful economy in South America.
To this day Pinochet’s Chile is still heavily discussed as a controversial subject. While some see him as a necessary evil that was able to bring about a lot of good, others see him as a tirant and scar on Chile’s past, responsible for committing countless acts of atrocious human rights violations. Either way it cannot be denied that Augusto Pinochet has been an enormous contributing factor in making Chile the country it is today.
Pinochet seized control and ruled Chile with an iron fist for the next 17 years. He made it clear that he had little use for the past systems of government, banning all political parties, disassembling congress, and throwing out the constitution. He blamed democracy for the rise of socialism and communism in the country and asserted that a strong authoritarian government was necessary to bring the country to prosperity. Under Pinochet’s rule the press was silenced, workers unions were banned, and scores of thousands of people were killed and tortured.
Although Pinochet ruled as an oppressive fascist despot, he was greatly successful in restoring and furthering the Chilean economy. With help from a group of Chilean economists dubbed “The Chicago Boys” (because most of them had studied at the University of Chicago) Pinochet was able to suture the wounds that the Allende regime caused the economy and transform it into the most successful economy in South America.
To this day Pinochet’s Chile is still heavily discussed as a controversial subject. While some see him as a necessary evil that was able to bring about a lot of good, others see him as a tirant and scar on Chile’s past, responsible for committing countless acts of atrocious human rights violations. Either way it cannot be denied that Augusto Pinochet has been an enormous contributing factor in making Chile the country it is today.