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[[Image:342px-Pinochet de Civil.jpg|right|thumb|Augusto Pinochet]]

[[Image:342px-Pinochet de Civil.jpg|right|thumb|Augusto Pinochet]]

General '''Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte''' (1915–2006) was a [[Chile]]an [[general]] who became Chile's head of state (or leader) from 1973 to 1990. He came to power as a member of a council of military leaders after the overthrow of the communist government of President [[Salvador Allende]].  

General '''Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte''' (1915–2006) was a [[Chile]]an [[general]] who became Chile's head of state (or leader) from 1973 to 1990. He came to power as a member of a council of military leaders after the overthrow of the [[communism|communist]] government of President [[Salvador Allende]].  Pinochet is credited with restoring the [[free market]] and prosperity to Chile after hardship under communism.  [[Leftist]]s hated Pinochet for his [[conservative]] policies, to the point of wrongly imprisoning him in [[England]] on political charges long after Pinochet had relinquished power.

US intelligence reports implicated Allende in the assassination of several opponents,<ref>http://nixontapeaudio.org/chile/517-004.pdf</ref> while [[KGB]] files smuggled out of Russia by Vasily Mitrokhin indicate that Allende received funds from the Soviet Union.<ref>https://www.nationalreview.com/articles/219461/pinochet-history-nro-symposium</ref> Allende was formally condemned by Chile's parliament for systematically destroying democracy in Chile.<ref>“Declaration of the Breakdown of Chile’s Democracy,” Resolution of the Chamber of Deputies, Chile, August 22, 1973.</ref> The Chilean Chamber of Deputies Resolution of August 22, 1973, accused Allende of support of armed groups, torture, illegal arrests, muzzling the press, confiscating private property, and not allowing people to leave the country. In the infamous "Cuban Packages Scandal" that precipitated the coup, large quantities of weapons were sent from Castro's Cuba to arm pro-Allende terrorists in Chile.<ref>https://www.nationalreview.com/articles/219461/pinochet-history-nro-symposium</ref> Kissinger privately told Nixon that Allende might declare martial law.<ref>http://nixontapeaudio.org/chile/517-004.pdf</ref>  

US intelligence reports implicated Allende in the assassination of several opponents,<ref>http://nixontapeaudio.org/chile/517-004.pdf</ref> while [[KGB]] files smuggled out of Russia by Vasily Mitrokhin indicate that Allende received funds from the Soviet Union.<ref>https://www.nationalreview.com/articles/219461/pinochet-history-nro-symposium</ref> Allende was formally condemned by Chile's parliament for systematically destroying democracy in Chile.<ref>“Declaration of the Breakdown of Chile’s Democracy,” Resolution of the Chamber of Deputies, Chile, August 22, 1973.</ref> The Chilean Chamber of Deputies Resolution of August 22, 1973, accused Allende of support of armed groups, torture, illegal arrests, muzzling the press, confiscating private property, and not allowing people to leave the country. In the infamous "Cuban Packages Scandal" that precipitated the coup, large quantities of weapons were sent from Castro's Cuba to arm pro-Allende terrorists in Chile.<ref>https://www.nationalreview.com/articles/219461/pinochet-history-nro-symposium</ref> Kissinger privately told Nixon that Allende might declare martial law.<ref>http://nixontapeaudio.org/chile/517-004.pdf</ref>  

By 1973, as a result of covert US aid to Chilean dissidents and financing of pro-democracy protestors, US intelligence indicated Allende would likely lose the next Chilean election if it was held.<ref>http://archive.frontpagemag.com/Printable.aspx?ArtId=15648</ref>  According to ''The Wall Street Journal,'' faced with illegal seizures of farms and factories, of defiance of judicial orders, unchecked street violence and death threats against the judges themselves, the Supreme Court warned on May 26, 1973, in a unanimous and unprecedented message, that Chile faced "a peremptory or imminent breakdown of legality."<ref>https://web-beta.archive.org/web/20040108221609/http://lyd.org/noticias/violencia/what_really.html</ref>  Volodia Teitelboim, the chief ideologue of the Communist Party in Chile, declared that if civil war came, "it probably would signify immense loss of human lives, between half a million and one million."<ref>https://web-beta.archive.org/web/20040108221609/http://lyd.org/noticias/violencia/what_really.html</ref>  On September 11, 1973, Allende committed suicide during a military coup launched by Pinochet, who became President.  

By 1973, as a result of covert US aid to Chilean dissidents and financing of pro-democracy protesters, US intelligence indicated Allende would likely lose the next Chilean election if it was held.<ref>http://archive.frontpagemag.com/Printable.aspx?ArtId=15648</ref>  According to ''The Wall Street Journal,'' faced with illegal seizures of farms and factories, of defiance of judicial orders, unchecked street violence and death threats against the judges themselves, the Supreme Court warned on May 26, 1973, in a unanimous and unprecedented message, that Chile faced "a peremptory or imminent breakdown of legality."<ref>https://web-beta.archive.org/web/20040108221609/http://lyd.org/noticias/violencia/what_really.html</ref>  Volodia Teitelboim, the chief ideologue of the Communist Party in Chile, declared that if civil war came, "it probably would signify immense loss of human lives, between half a million and one million."<ref>https://web-beta.archive.org/web/20040108221609/http://lyd.org/noticias/violencia/what_really.html</ref>  On September 11, 1973, Allende committed suicide during a military coup launched by Pinochet, who became President.  

General Pinochet headed a [[Augusto Pinochet regime (Chile, 1973–90)|military government for 17 years (1973-1990)]] which suppressed [[communist]] revolutionaries in Chile. In the Pinochet's military government, [[Jaime Guzmán]] drafted a new Constitution (1980), which was approved in a referendum, that established a gradual and legal path for the return to full democracy and introduced a new binomial electoral system that was also made by Guzmán. The constitution introduced an amnesty law for all military officials, and Pinochet granted himself the title of senator for life (''Senador vitalicio'') that would be enacted once he left the post of Commander in Chief of the Chilean Armed Forces.   

General Pinochet headed a [[Augusto Pinochet regime (Chile, 1973–90)|military government for 17 years (1973-1990)]] which suppressed [[communist]] revolutionaries in Chile. In the Pinochet's military government, [[Jaime Guzmán]] drafted a new Constitution (1980), which was approved in a referendum, that established a gradual and legal path for the return to full democracy and introduced a new binomial electoral system that was also made by Guzmán. The constitution introduced an amnesty law for all military officials, and Pinochet granted himself the title of senator for life (''Senador vitalicio'') that would be enacted once he left the post of Commander in Chief of the Chilean Armed Forces.   

General Pinochet instituted free market reforms in Chile in the 1970s that resulted in lower [[inflation]] and an economic boom. During this period, he held a [[plebiscite]] on his rule and 75% of the people affirmed their support for his emergency government.   

General Pinochet instituted free market reforms in Chile in the 1970s that resulted in lower [[inflation]] and an economic boom. During this period, he held a [[plebiscite]] on his rule and 75% of the people affirmed their support for his emergency government.   

During his time in power, including the 1973 coup, at least 1,200 people were killed or vanished in the military crackdown on [[Left Wing Terrorism in Chile]]. The most common estimate is that 3,000 were killed,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6167237.stm BBC profile]</ref>while other estimates go as high as 10,000. Of the confirmed 2,774 Marxist guerrillas and left-wing radicals killed or missing in the 17 years of the Chilean military government, 1,522 died or disappeared between 11 September and 31 December 1973.<ref>[http://www.lahistoriaparalela.com.ar/2008/01/16/la-verdad-olvidada-del-terrorismo-en-chile/ La verdad olvidada del terrorismo en Chile]</ref>In addition, over a quarter million Chileans were arrested. Universities were purged of terrorist sympathizers, Marxist books were burned, and rival political parties banned.  Thousands of members of the Socialist Party of Chile and the Communist Party of Chile fled the country out of fear of the [[secret police]], which allegedly tortured citizens.<ref>Augusto Pinochet Biography http://www.moreorless.au.com/killers/pinochet.html</ref>

During his time in power, including the 1973 coup, at least 1,200 people were killed or vanished in the military crackdown on [[Left Wing Terrorism in Chile]]. The most common estimate is that 3,000 were killed,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.u999999k/2/hi/americas/6167237.stm BBC profile]</ref>while other estimates go as high as 10,000. Of the confirmed 2,774 Marxist guerrillas and left-wing radicals killed or missing in the 17 years of the Chilean military government, 1,522 died or disappeared between 11 September and 31 December 1973.<ref>[http://www.lahistoriaparalela.com.ar/2008/01/16/la-verdad-olvidada-del-terrorismo-en-chile/ La verdad olvidada del terrorismo en Chile]</ref>In addition, over a quarter million Chileans were arrested. Universities were purged of terrorist sympathizers, Marxist books were burned, and rival political parties banned.  Thousands of members of the Socialist Party of Chile and the Communist Party of Chile fled the country out of fear of the [[secret police]], which allegedly tortured citizens.<ref>Augusto Pinochet Biography http://www.moreorless.au.com/killers/pinochet.html</ref>

A new Constitution was adopted in Chile in 1980, which authorized General Pinochet to serve as president for another eight-year term, to be followed by a plebiscite on his presidency.

A new Constitution was adopted in Chile in 1980, which authorized General Pinochet to serve as president for another eight-year term, to be followed by a plebiscite on his presidency.