Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte was a Chilean military officer and politician who dominated Chilean politics as a military dictator from 1973 to 1990. His rise to power marked a pivotal and controversial chapter in the nation’s history. Initially serving as the leader of the Military Junta of Chile from 1973 to 1981, he was declared President of the Republic by the junta in 1974, consolidating his role as Chile's de facto head of state. With the approval of a new constitution in 1981, his presidency was formalized, making him the de jure leader of the country until 1990.


Pinochet’s military career set the stage for his rise to power. After steadily climbing the ranks of the Chilean Army, he achieved the position of General Chief of Staff in 1972. In an unexpected turn, President Salvador Allende, leader of the democratically elected left-wing Unidad Popular government, appointed Pinochet as Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Army on August 23, 1973, just weeks before his eventual ouster. This appointment would prove consequential as Pinochet played a central role in the coup that toppled Allende's government on September 11, 1973. Supported by the United States, the coup ended civilian rule in Chile and marked the beginning of Pinochet’s authoritarian regime.