Augusto Jose Ramon Pinochet Ugarte (1915-2006) - Chilean statesman and military figure, captain general. He came to power as a result of a military coup in 1973, which overthrew the socialist government of President Salvador Allende.

Pinochet was president and dictator of Chile from 1974-1990. Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Chile (1973-1998).

Augusto Pinochet was born on November 25, 1915 in the Chilean city of Valparaiso. His father, Augusto Pinochet Vera, worked at the port customs, and his mother, Avelina Ugarte Martinez, was raising 6 children.

As a child, Pinochet studied at the school at the Seminary of St. Raphael, attended the Catholic Institute of Marista and the parish school in Valparaiso. After that, the young man continued to receive education at the infantry school, which he graduated in 1937.

During the period of life 1948-1951. Augusto studied at the Higher Military Academy. In addition to carrying out the main service, he was also engaged in teaching activities in army educational institutions.

In 1956, Pinochet was sent to the Ecuadorian capital to create a military academy. He stayed in Ecuador for about 3 years, after which he returned home. The man confidently moved up the career ladder, as a result of which he was entrusted with leading an entire division.

Later, Augusto was entrusted with the position of deputy director of the Military Academy of Santiago, where he taught students geography and geopolitics. Soon he was awarded the rank of brigadier general and appointment to the post of quartermaster of the province of Tarapaca.

In the early 70s, Pinochet already led the garrison of the capital's army, and after the resignation of Carlos Prats, he led the country's army. An interesting fact is that Prats resigned due to the persecution of military personnel, which was organized by Augusto himself.

At that time, Chile was swallowed up by riots, which were gaining momentum every day. As a result, at the end of 1973, a military coup took place in the state, in which Pinochet played one of the key roles.

Through the use of infantry, artillery and aircraft, the rebels fired on the presidential residence. Prior to this, the military said that the current government does not comply with the Constitution and is leading the country into the abyss. It is curious that those officers who refused to support the coup d'état were sentenced to death.

After the successful overthrow of the government and the suicide of Allende, a military junta was formed, consisting of Admiral José Merino and three generals - Gustavo Li Guzman, Cesar Mendoza and Augusto Pinochet, representing the army.

Until December 17, 1974, the four ruled Chile, after which the board was transferred to Pinochet, who, violating the agreement on priority, became the sole head of state.

Taking power into his own hands, Augusto gradually eliminated all his opponents. Some were simply dismissed, while others died under mysterious circumstances. As a result, Pinochet actually became an authoritarian ruler, endowed with broad powers.

The man personally adopted or repealed laws, and also chose the judges he liked. From that moment, the parliament and the parties ceased to play any role in the government of the country.

Augusto Pinochet announced the introduction of martial law in the country, and also said that the main enemy of the Chileans are the Communists. This led to massive repression. In Chile, secret torture centers were created, and several concentration camps for political prisoners were also built.

Thousands of people died during the purges. The first executions took place right at the National Stadium in Santiago. It is worth noting that, by order of Pinochet, not only communists and oppositionists were destroyed, but also high-ranking figures.

Interestingly, the same General Carlos Prats became the first victim. In the fall of 1974, he and his wife were blown up in their car in the capital of Argentina. After that, the Chilean intelligence officers continued to liquidate the fugitive officials in various countries, including the United States.

The country's economy has taken a course towards the transition to market relations. At this time of biography, Pinochet was calling for Chile to be made into a state of proprietors, not proletarians. One of his famous phrases is as follows: "We must take care of the rich so that they give more."

The reforms led to the fact that the pension system was reorganized from a distribution system into a funded one. Health care and education have passed into private hands. Plants and factories ended up in private hands, leading to business expansion and large-scale speculation.

Ultimately, Chile became one of the poorest countries where social inequality flourished. In 1978, the UN condemned Pinochet's actions by issuing a corresponding resolution.

As a result, the dictator decided to hold a referendum, during which he won 75% of the popular vote. Thus, Augusto showed the world community that he has great support from his compatriots. However, many experts said that the referendum data was falsified.

Later, a new Constitution was developed in Chile, where, among other things, the presidential term began to be 8 years, with the possibility of re-election. All this caused even greater indignation among the president's compatriots.

In the summer of 1986, a general strike took place across the country, and in the fall of that year, an attempt was made on Pinochet, which turned out to be unsuccessful.

Faced with growing resistance, the dictator legalized political parties and allowed the holding of presidential elections.

To such a decision, Augusto was in some way prompted by a meeting with Pope John Paul II, who called him to democracy. Wanting to attract voters, he announced a rise in pensions and wages for employees, called on entrepreneurs to reduce prices for essential products, and also promised land shares to the peasants.

However, these and other "benefits" failed to bribe the Chileans. As a result, in October 1988, Augusto Pinochet was removed from the presidency. At the same time, 8 ministers lost their posts, as a result of which a serious purge was carried out in the state apparatus.

During speeches on radio and TV, the dictator regarded the results of the vote as "the mistake of the Chileans", but said that he respected their will.

In early 1990, Patricio Ailvin Asocar became the new president. At the same time, Pinochet remained the commander-in-chief of the army until 1998. In the same year, he was first detained while in the London clinic, and a year later he was deprived of the immunity of the legislator and called to account for numerous crimes.

After 16 months of house arrest, Augusto was deported from England to Chile, where a criminal case was opened against the ex-president. He was accused of mass murder, kidnapping, corruption and drug trafficking. However, the defendant died before the start of the trial.