Born on November 25, 1915, in Valparaíso, Chile, Augusto Pinochet is of mixed ancestral heritage, with a French ancestor and Basque roots.
He attended the Military Academy of Chile, graduating in 1936 as a second lieutenant, after which he studied military geography for four years.
Augusto Pinochet became supreme commander of the Chilean military just weeks before the coup that overthrew President Salvador Allende on September 11, 1973, marking the beginning of Pinochet’s dictatorship.
During the regime that lasted from 1973 until 1990, it is estimated that between 1,200 and 3,200 people were executed without a fair or legal trial, the executions being part of a systematic campaign to eliminate political dissent that also included forced disappearances. In addition to the executions, tens of thousands of others were tortured or imprisoned for political reasons. Torture was a common practice used by the authorities to obtain information or to discourage opposition activity. Victims were often subjected to inhumane methods, including severe beatings, electrocutions, and other forms of physical and psychological abuse.
The brutal repression of the Pinochet regime had a profound impact on Chilean society. Many families were destroyed by the disappearance of their members, and fear set in among the population, with the regime creating a climate of continuous terror.
After the 1973 coup, Chile faced a severe economic crisis. The socialist government of Salvador Allende had been ousted and the economy was marked by high inflation, unemployment and instability. Pinochet believed that state intervention in the economy was the root cause of economic problems and decided to adopt radical measures to transform the Chilean economy. Thus, the government of Augusto Pinochet implemented a set of radical economic reforms known as “neoliberalism”, significantly influenced by a group of economists called the “Chicago Boys”, trained at the University of Chicago, who promoted policies based on free market principles , deregulation and privatization.
Reforms advocated by the Chicago Boys included reducing regulations on business and trade and allowing greater economic freedom – privatization of state-owned enterprises, including the mining and energy industries, trade liberalization by lowering tariffs to stimulate imports and international competition, cutting public spending – which led to a decrease in social assistance programs.
In the 1970s, these reforms led to significant economic growth. Chile’s GDP has grown steadily and the country has become better integrated into the global economy. Foreign direct investment also increased, and Chilean exports (especially copper) expanded. However, economic growth has not been evenly distributed. Neoliberal reforms have led to a greater concentration of wealth among a small part of the population. Income inequality has widened considerably, and Chile’s poorest citizens have not benefited proportionately from economic growth.
Therefore, in the early 1980s, Chile faced a severe recession caused in part by the external debt crisis affecting many Latin American countries. Although neoliberal reforms initially seemed to work well, excessive exposure to international markets and a lack of economic diversification led to the collapse of the Chilean financial system between 1982-1983. The unemployment rate rose dramatically, and many small and medium-sized businesses went bankrupt.
The impact of these policies is still felt in Chilean society today. Although Chile is often praised as an economic model in Latin America due to its relative macroeconomic stability and long-term GDP growth, persistent inequalities continue to cause social and political tensions.
In 1980, Pinochet introduced a new constitution that legitimized his rule and established an eight-year presidential term, with a plebiscite scheduled for 1988 to decide whether he would continue in power. In a plebiscite held in October 1988, approximately 56% of voters rejected the extension of Pinochet’s presidency, leading to democratic elections and his departure from power in March 1990.
In 1998, while visiting London, Pinochet was arrested on an international warrant issued by Spain for human rights abuses during his rule. This marked an important moment in international law regarding the liability of dictators.
During his time in power, Pinochet amassed a considerable fortune through various means, including secret offshore bank accounts and real estate investments, with estimates suggesting that he may have amassed at least $28 million in ill-gotten gains.
Augusto Pinochet died on December 10, 2006, at the age of 91. His health deteriorated suddenly after he suffered a stroke a week before he died. On the morning of December 3, Pinochet suffered a heart attack and pulmonary edema, which led to his admission to a hospital in Santiago. Although his condition had initially improved after heart bypass surgery, his condition changed and rapidly worsened. During his lifetime, Pinochet had serious problems, including diabetes and arthritis, and had also been diagnosed with a mild form of insanity as a result of repeated strokes. Pinochet was under house arrest at the time of his death, facing multiple charges of torture and enforced disappearance of political opponents. However, he could not stand trial due to poor health.
Pinochet’s legacy remains deeply controversial within Chilean society. While some credit him with stabilizing the economy and encouraging growth that laid the foundation for future prosperity, others remember him primarily for brutal repression and human rights abuses.
Augusto Pinochet was married to Lucía Hiriart, who had a significant impact on her husband’s political and military career, being considered an influential figure within Pinochet’s authoritarian regime. Lucía is said to have convinced Pinochet to participate in the 1973 coup that ousted President Salvador Allende from power. During Pinochet’s dictatorship, Lucía Hiriart exercised considerable power in the presidential palace La Moneda. She was involved in philanthropic activities, but was also accused of corruption and tax fraud. He led organizations such as CEMA Chile (Centro de Madres Chile), which dealt with the problems of Chilean mothers, but which was investigated for using funds for personal purposes. Hiriart has been the subject of several investigations related to tax evasion and corruption, including allegations that he stashed millions of dollars in foreign bank accounts. Over the years, she and her children have been embroiled in tax fraud scandals linked to the wealth amassed by the Pinochet family. Although Pinochet and Hiriart would eventually have five children together and become the most powerful couple in Chile, writes Rodrigo Acuña in his article published in nacla.org, Hiriart initially had difficulties in the marriage. “At one time she suffered from depression due to the hardships of motherhood and the fact that her husband’s income did not meet her perceived material needs. According to Chilean journalist Alejandra Matus, in her book Doña Lucía: La biografía no autorizada, Hiriart’s house was abandoned because it was always dirty, and unwashed and soaked cloth diapers accumulated in the bathroom tub, flooding the house with an unbearable smell that Lucía had become immune”.
In 2005, fifteen years after Pinochet’s fall from power, more than $21 million was discovered in 125 accounts at Riggs Bank in Washington, under a number of pseudonyms used by her children. In the same year, the ex-wife of the Chilean dictator was sued by the Internal Revenue Service of Chile for tax evasion of more than 2.5 million dollars, being arrested along with her son, Marco Antonio. Two years later, in 2007, along with all of Pinochet’s children and 17 other people, including two generals, one of Pinochet’s former lawyers and his secretary, Hiriart was arrested in connection with the Riggs case on charges of embezzlement funds and use of false passports. In October of the same year, the Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the general’s widow and 14 other defendants, while in November the Supreme Court ratified the sentence.
When Hiriart’s charity ended operations in 2019, it handed over 108 properties worth 7.6 billion pesos to the state.
Lucía Hiriart died on December 16, 2021, aged 98. in Santiago, Chile.
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Source: www.descopera.ro
