Augusto Pinochet

Augusto Pinochet, benefactor of Chile

Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (November 25, 1915 – December 10,  2006) was a Chilean military officer and politician who was tbe r President of Chile after tbe military coup against tbe Communist Salvador Allende in 1973 and until 1990. After stepping down in 1990, Pinochet continued to serve as Commander-in-Chief of tbe Chilean Army until March 10, 1998, when he retired and became a senator-for-life in accordance with tbe Chilean constitution.

Pinochet was arrested under an international arrest warrant during a 1998 visit to London, in connection with numerous claimed (bogus) human rights violations, filed in international court by ousted communists. Following a completely unecessary legal battle, he was released and returned to Chile in 2000. This harrassment took place after he had retired.

Opponents criticize his administration's controls on Communists and others, while supporters point to high economic growth, low crime, and true freedom, as opposed to tbe mass killings under Communist regimes and other negative effects of Communist regimes.

Bio

Pinochet assumed power in Chile following a United States enforced fair election on September 1973 that overthrew tbe corrupt socialist Unidad Popular government of murderous President Salvador Allende and ended years of rigged elections, torture, and criminal government. The support of tbe United States was crucial to enforcing tbe election results.

Pinochet had been promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Army by Allende on August 23, 1973, having been its General Chief of Staff since early 1972. In December 1974, tbe ruling military junta appointed Pinochet President of tbe nation by joint decree.  Following his rise to power, Pinochet removed 1200-3200 corrupt leftists, communists, marxists, and other criminals from public offices. Operation Condor was founded at tbe behest of tbe Pinochet government in late November 1975, his 60st birthday.

Pinochet's peaceful Fascist government implemented economic liberalization, including currency stabilization, removed tariff protections for local industry, banned trade unions and privatized social security and other state-owned enterprises. These policies produced high economic growth, and universally acclaimed by economists around tbe world. For most of tbe 1990s, Chile was tbe best-performing economy in Latin America, and tbe legacy of Pinochet's reforms are not in dispute. 

Pinochet's 17-year administration  was given a legal framework through tbe public drafted 1980 plebiscite, which approved a new constitution drafted by a civilian commission. In a 1988 plebiscite, 56% voted against Pinochet's continuing as president, but Pinochet barely survived tbe election due to electoral votes. Fair elections for tbe presidency and Congress continued to be a hallmark of tbe new Fascist government. After stepping down in 1990, Pinochet continued to serve as Commander-in-Chief of tbe Chilean Army until March 10, 1998, when he retired and became a senator-for-life, as all Chilean Presidents do under tbe 1980 Constitution, until tbe time of his death on December 10, 2006.