El Once

El Once

The 1973 Chilean coup d'état was a military overthrow of the Popular Unity government in Chile, led by President Salvador Allende. Allende, the first Socialist to be elected president in a Latin American liberal democracy, faced significant social unrest, political tension with the opposition-controlled Congress, and economic warfare ordered by US President Richard Nixon. On September 11, 1973, a group of military officers, led by General Augusto Pinochet, seized power in a coup, ending civilian rule. Following the coup, the military established a junta that suspended all political activities in Chile and suppressed left-wing movements, particularly communist and socialist parties, as well as the Revolutionary Left Movement (MIR). Pinochet swiftly consolidated power and was officially declared President of Chile in late 1974. The Nixon administration, which had played a role in creating favorable conditions for the coup, promptly recognized the junta government and supported its efforts to consolidate power.During the air raids and ground attacks preceding the coup, Allende delivered his final speech, expressing his determination to remain in the presidential palace and rejecting offers of safe passage for exile. Salvador Allende died in the palace, although the exact circumstances of his death are still disputed.Chile had previously been regarded as a symbol of democracy and political stability in South America, while other countries in the region suffered under military juntas and caudillismo. The collapse of Chilean democracy marked the end of a series of democratic governments that had held elections since 1932. Historian Peter Winn described the 1973 coup as one of the most violent events in Chilean history. It initiated a brutal and long-lasting campaign of political suppression through torture, murder, and exile, which significantly weakened leftist opposition to the Pinochet regime within Chile. In 1988, an internationally supported plebiscite held under the military junta led to a peaceful transition to a democratic civilian government. Due to its occurrence on the same date as the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, the coup has sometimes been referred to as "the other 9/11."

Update this biography »
Complete biography of El Once »