50 Years Later: Reflecting on Pinochet's Coup and the Legacy of Democracy

September 11, 2023, marks the 50th anniversary of the U.S.-backed coup in Chile that brought General Augusto Pinochet to power and led to 17 years of brutal military rule. The coup ended a century and a half of constitutional government in Chile and resulted in widespread repression, including murder, torture, and other human rights violations. Pinochet suspended the constitution, dissolved Congress, banned opposition parties, and censored the media. Thousands of Chileans were arrested, tortured, killed, or forced into exile. Despite evading criminal prosecution, Pinochet's dictatorship ended in 1990 with the election of Patricio Aylwin as president.