(1915-2006)

Table of Contents

Synopsis

Augusto Pinochet Ugarte joined the Chilean army in 1935. He rose through the ranks and was appointed Commander in Chief by President Salvador Allende in 1973. A month later, Pinochet led the military coup that overthrew Allende. After 25 years in power, he was put under arrest, but died in 2006, before he could be tried for alleged human rights violations.

Profile

Chilean dictator, born in Valparaíso, Chile. A career army officer, he led the military coup overthrowing the Allende government in 1973, establishing himself at the head of the ensuing military regime. In 1980 he enacted a constitution giving himself an eight-year presidential term (1981–89). A plebiscite held in 1988 rejected his candidacy as president beyond 1990, but he retained his post as commander-in-chief of the army until 1998.

In October 1998 he became the centre of international attention when he was arrested in London, following a request from Spain for his extradition to stand trial for ‘crimes of genocide and terrorism’, in which some of the victims had been Spanish nationals. The arrest caused tension between U.K. and Chile, and civil unrest in Chile between Pinochet supporters and opponents. At the beginning of 2000, Pinochet remained under house arrest in the U.K., pending the outcome of legal procedures, but the U.K. government returned him to Chile on the grounds of ill health. Chile’s Court of Appeal decided to strip Pinochet of immunity from prosecution, and he was later ordered to stand trial.

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In 2001, a Santiago appeals court voted in favor of suspending proceedings against him on the grounds that he was mentally unfit to stand trial, and in 2002 the Chilean Supreme Court ruled that proceedings against him be suspended for good. However, in 2004 the Court of Appeal stripped him of immunity from prosecution, thus paving the way for a trial on charges of human rights abuses during his rule.

Pinochet died December 10, 2006, never having stood trial for the crimes for which he was accused.

QUICK FACTS

  • Name: Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte
  • Birth Year: 1915
  • Birth date: November 25, 1915
  • Birth City: Valparaiso
  • Birth Country: Chile
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet overthrew the Allende government in 1973 and stayed in power until 1998. He was never tried for alleged human rights abuses.
  • Industries
    • World Politics
  • Astrological Sign: Sagittarius
  • Nacionalities
    • Chilean
  • Death Year: 2006
  • Death date: December 10, 2006
  • Death City: Santiago
  • Death Country: Chile

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CITATION INFORMATION

  • Article Title: Augusto Pinochet Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/political-figure/augusto-pinochet
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: June 1, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014