In the early 1970s, the world was divided due to the ideological Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States. Supporters were constantly seeking ways to expand their spheres of influence. In 1969, US President Nixon was concerned about the spread of communism in South America, which was seen as America's backyard. In Chile, the upcoming elections had the socialist Allende as the leading candidate. The President was quite uncomfortable with this situation and instructed the CIA to do everything in their power to prevent the will of the Chilean people from being reflected in the polls. However, this plan did not succeed. Allende swept aside his two rivals and became the Prime Minister. Those at the White House were furious.
After the elections, the United States initiated an operation to economically destabilize Chile. Prime Minister Salvador Allende had nationalized the copper companies under US control and implemented land and labor reforms, but by 1973, inflation had risen. CIA-backed strikes had begun in the country. Using a term familiar from the coup literature in Turkey, conditions were maturing. The US feared that with Allende in power, Latin America, along with Cuba to the north and Chile to the south, would become a "red sandwich."
Who is Augusto Pinochet
A counterpart to our September 12 coup happened in Chile, led by General Pinochet. Augusto Pinochet (1915-2006) was born as the son of a customs officer, somewhat reminiscent of Hitler. His mother and later his wife supported his decision to become a soldier. Young Pinochet quickly rose through the ranks in the Chilean army. Although he despised communists, he had joined the army in 1950 during the rule of Salvador Allende, Latin America's first Marxist leader. This historical similarity brings to mind the Egyptian coup. Just as Sisi, empowered by Morsi, did not delay in overthrowing Morsi, Pinochet would not hesitate to stage a coup against the superior who paved the way for him.
The biggest mistake Allende made was appointing Pinochet (or Pinoche) as Chief of the General Staff in June 1973, whom he believed to be reliable. Then came September 11, 1973, a date etched into the minds of the Chilean people. On that day, Pinochet, through a coup, overthrew the democratically elected government of Allende and Prime Minister Allende died during the coup. Some believe he committed suicide, while others believe he was killed by soldiers. From that day on, a military junta regime took control in Chile, and General Pinochet began to rule the country. The US could now breathe a sigh of relief; Chile was safe.
In the early years of the Chilean coup, around 130,000 Chilean citizens were arrested. It is claimed in various books by the author of "The Empire of Wolves," Grange, that France sent military personnel to Chile to provide training in torture techniques to the Pinochet regime because Chilean security forces were deemed insufficient in their torture methods.
Chile During the Pinochet Era
The coup leader Pinochet put an end to nationalization in industry. He returned companies and lands to their former owners. Although he had no understanding of economics himself, the US sent a group of young economists, later known as the "Chicago Boys," to implement free trade policies from the US. With the economic model imposed by this team, Chile became the most stable economy in the region. Of course, American support played a significant role in this.
General Pinochet believed he was chosen by God. He continued to see himself as a soldier rather than a politician, often walking around in uniform. In the 1970s, especially as the economy improved and stability returned, many Chileans did not hesitate to rally behind the general. He applied a policy of an iron fist to his people, and with the brutality of the secret police and the overwhelming power of the military regime, Pinochet maintained his rule. Nevertheless, despite this, he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in 1986.
In 1988, General Pinochet was very confident in his country and planned to take the people to a referendum, aiming to somehow gain their confidence, thanks to the economic situation he had created with American aid and the military regime's additions. But he was shocked; he lost the referendum. He himself paved the way for civilian rule, burying his pain inside. In 1990, he left the presidency, but continued to serve as Chief of the General Staff. He couldn't let go of power. Pinochet finally stepped down from the General Staff in 1998. The suffering of the Chilean people did not end; this time they declared him a senator for life. He did all sorts of acrobatics to escape the clutches of justice. According to the government report prepared based on the testimony of 30,000 people for the Chilean coup and its aftermath, the junta regime killed 3,197 people, subjected 29,000 people to torture, and the number of missing persons was unknown.
The End of the Dictator
The world had changed, and by the early 2000s, the US had withdrawn its support from former allies and dictators, starting to hold them accountable. In a way, they were now using their old weapons and then handing them over. When Pinochet (pronounced Pinoche) was placed under house arrest during a visit to the UK in 1998, to be extradited to Spain, he was shocked. His old friends were betraying him. The Spaniards were after the dictator general, with the reason that he had killed their own citizens, and they were officially asking for his extradition to Spain. Pinochet, citing health concerns, played for time, and after two years, he escaped the hands of the Spaniards. In March 2000, the British sent Pinochet back to his country, citing health problems. Just as he returned, Ricardo Lacoste, Chile's first socialist president after Allende, took office after being sworn in. The new president, who was determined to settle the accounts of the past, began to prosecute Pinochet. It was a symbolic trial, just like the trial of Kenan Evren in our country. However, unlike Evren, he was constantly placed under house arrest and was required to report to the police station every day, just like common criminals. Nevertheless, Pinochet could not escape the fifth house arrest imposed by the judicial authorities in connection with the ongoing investigation, as he was considered to have played a first-degree role in the killings of two of Allende's guards. On December 10, 2006, at the age of 91, news of his death in the hospital where he was receiving treatment led thousands of Chileans to take to the streets, celebrating Pinochet's death by dancing and honking their horns.
According to his will, his ashes were cremated and handed over to his family, and a tomb was not built due to the possibility of attacks. Chilean military authorities did not allow Pinochet's ashes to be placed in a military area.
General Pinochet ruled the country with an iron fist from the coup in 1970 until 1990, subjecting tens of thousands to torture and causing many deaths. Over a hundred bank accounts in various names were discovered to belong to Pinochet. It later emerged that he had smuggled millions of dollars abroad. Especially, the discovery of millions of dollars in a series of banks, including the Lyrics Bank in Washington, where among them, was the icing on the cake. In a bank in Hong Kong, 10 tons of gold under the name Dictator Pinochet were revealed.
"If I'm not moving, not even a leaf can stir in my country" are among the most striking words of Augusto Pinochet.
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