Week 2 EOC: Pinochet in Advertising

General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte was an infamous ruler that has been described as a “the brutal dictator who repressed and reshaped Chile for nearly two decades and became a notorious symbol of human right abuse and corruption.”. He was the head of Chile’s military who overtook the socialist government of Chile in September 11, 1973. Even during the period in which he ruled resulted in economic growth for the country, more than 3,200 people were executed or had disappeared. Thousands more were arrested, tortured, or exiled from Chile. In 1982, Chile began to experience an economic crisis, and the amount of protests against the Dictator began to increase. It was true that the leader had manage to increase the economic growth overall, but this only affected the 40% of the country. The remaining 60% had no advantage from the Dictator's rule. After attempting to stop the groups, Pinochet failed to weaken them. Leaders from these groups established a list of demands for the government in the mid-1983. On May 11, the first major protest was a success that police responded violently. 600 people were arrest and several protestors were killed. Yet people become more aware of how Chileans have had enough of the dictatorship and wanted change.

Finally in 1987, General Pinochet made an announcement nation-wide that there would be a nation vote for his continuation as President. In the end of the vote, he lost with 55% voting no and 43% voting yes. He stepped down as ruled in 1990, after spending eight year terms as president. After losing in the election many wondered what would become of the man that caused the country so much suffering and loss. They wanted justice for the horrible things he did but, “ through intimidation and legal obstacles, General Pinochet sought to ensure his own immunity from accountability and in fact was never brought to trial”. Yet years later, he was arrested in Britain and returned to Chile. He fought the legal charges of human rights violations and corruption that were placed against him. Throughout the last years of his life he lived in seclusion, cursed and mocked at by his former military colleagues and many people. He had earned more disfavors when people discovered that he secretly held about 28 million dollars in secret bank accounts abroad. He may not have gone through trial but, “the humiliation Pinochet has gone through is probably a better outcome than any trial could have achieved”. In the end He died on December 10, 2006 after a cute heart attack at Military Hospital of Santiago at the age of 91.

Sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/11/world/americas/11pinochet.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/461158/Augusto-Pinochet

http://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/chileans-overthrow-pinochet-regime-1983-1988