Changes

[[File:Augusto Pinochet 1995.jpg|200px|thumbnail|Pinochet in 1995 as Commander in Chief.]]

[[File:Augusto Pinochet 1995.jpg|200px|thumbnail|Pinochet in 1995 as Commander in Chief.]]

As the highest authority of the military branch, the former general complied with the presidential hierarchy. However, during Patricio Aylwin's term of office, the Army expressed its dissatisfaction on two key occasions: the "liaison exercise" in December 1990 and the "boinazo" in May 1993. The first case, treated as a routine military maneuver, was actually an expression of the Army's rejection of the possible request for Pinochet's resignation by the Minister of Defense, Patricio Rojas. This possible request would have been motivated by the judicial investigations of officers and by attacks by parliamentarians on the commander in chief and the institution. The "boinazo" consisted of a reinforcement of the guard of the Armed Forces building by a special group of commandos, carried out during a meeting of the Corps of Generals that lasted eight hours. The cause was similar to that of the previous episode. Given the lack of communication between the Executive and the Army, they sought to avoid what the military branch considered to be a campaign against them.

As the highest authority of the military branch, the former general complied with the presidential hierarchy. However, during Patricio Aylwin's term of office, the Army expressed its dissatisfaction on two key occasions: the "liaison exercise" in December 1990 and the "''boinazo''" in May 1993. The first case, treated as a routine military maneuver, was actually an expression of the Army's rejection of the possible request for Pinochet's resignation by the Minister of Defense, Patricio Rojas. This possible request would have been motivated by the judicial investigations of officers and by attacks by parliamentarians on the commander in chief and the institution.

 

On May 28, 1993, the headline "Pinochet's son's checks case reopened" appeared on "La Nación" Newspaper. The case for which Augusto Pinochet Hiriart, son of General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, was being investigated after receiving a payment of 971 million pesos (three million dollars) from the Army, following the sale of the armaments factory "Valmoval", which was part of the Army. But a Chamber of Deputes investigative commission examined every detail of that sale and concluded that the transaction had been convenient for the Army. The involvement of a relative so close to the Commander-in-Chief, was a lack of delicacy, but there was no evidence of malice or fiscal damage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blogdehermogenes.blogspot.com/2019/02/de-poncio-pilatos-pinochet.html|title=De Poncio Pilatos a Pinochet|language=es|date=February 24, 2019|publisher=[[Hermógenes Pérez de Arce]]'s blog}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Historia de la Revolución Militar Chilena 1973 - 1990|author=[[Hermógenes Pérez de Arce]]|publisher=Editorial El Roble|date=2019|url=https://blogdehermogenes.blogspot.com/2018/05/historia-de-la-revolucion-militar_21.html}}</ref>

 

After the press release, the building of the Armed Forces - a few steps away from [[La Moneda]] - was surrounded by soldiers with war uniforms, painted faces and black berets, this is known as the "''boinazo''".

 

The "''boinazo''" consisted of a reinforcement of the guard of the Armed Forces building by a special group of commandos, carried out during a meeting of the Corps of Generals that lasted eight hours. The cause was similar to that of the previous episode. Given the lack of communication between the Executive and the Army, they sought to avoid what the military branch considered to be a campaign against them.

Pinochet embarked the Army on a modernization process known as the "Alcazar Plan", which was governed by the concept of "consolidating a professional, technified, flexible and powerful Army".

Pinochet embarked the Army on a modernization process known as the "Alcazar Plan", which was governed by the concept of "consolidating a professional, technified, flexible and powerful Army".