Augusto Pinochet

Definition

Augusto Pinochet was a Chilean army general who led a coup d'état that overthrew Salvador Allende's socialist government in Chile in 1973. He ruled Chile as a dictator until 1990.

Related terms

Coup d'État: A sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government.

Dictatorship: A form of government where one person or party has absolute power, without effective constitutional limitations.

Salvador Allende: The first Marxist to become president of a Latin American country through open elections; he was overthrown by Pinochet's military coup in 1973.