Augusto Pinochet

Biography

Augusto Pinochet was a Chilean general and politician who ruled the country from 1973 to 1990 as a military dictator. He seized power in a coup in 1973 and established his dictatorship, which lasted until he stepped down in 1990 to pave the way for democratic elections. As head of state, thousands were tortured or executed under his rule, making him the longest-serving head of state in Chile's history.