Week 2 EOC: Pinochet

General Augusto Pinochet

General Augusto Pinochet, a former Chilean Dictator, rein Chile for about 17 years. Pinochet was appointed Chief and Commander of the Chile army by Salvador Allende, a former socialist leader, Chile’s president at the time. Salvador Allende was found dead in presidential palace in Santiago. There’s debate on that it was suicide or planned murder. This bloody moment ultimately brought him to power. His actions were ironically supported by the United States government. The U.S.A supported Pinochet because they feared Chile will become another communist country. Pinochet gains power in September 11, 1973. In Washington Post written by Monte Reel and J.Y. Smith it states, “Pinochet served until 1990 leaving a legacy of abuse that took successive governments’ years to catalogue. According to a government report that included testimony from more than 30,000 people, his government killed at least 3,197 people and tortured about 29,000. Two- thirds of the cases listed in the report happened in 1973.”

          He was replaced by Patricio Alwyn on March 5, 1990. The people of Chile voted to remove him from office, 55% voted no. Even though Pinochet step downs from presidency in 1990 he remains commander in chief of the army until 1998. “The U.S. Congress financed $2 million worth of media consultants, poll judges and a parallel vote count to ensure somewhat fair election” , yourdictionary.com. It was a huge stepping stone to get the Chile’s minority to vote at all. There was a campaign called the “No” campaign. This ads were positive high energetic to tell Chile that by voting no there was happiness at the end of the rainbow. “In the movie, the slogan the No campaign dreamt up -- La alegría ya viene ("Joy is coming") -- is ripped straight from the actual commercials the campaign ran. “ , Olga Khazan, The Atlantic.

Augusto Pinochet

Pinochet dies from a heart attack never being serve for his crimes.

Resources:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/10/AR2006121000302.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/11/world/americas/11pinochet.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/03/4-things-the-movie-no-left-out-about-real-life-chile/274491/