Chile marks 50 years since US-backed coup that ushered in brutal military dictatorship
- The 1973 coup ushered in nearly two decades of military rule that saw thousands killed
- Pinochet’s dictatorship, which ended in 1990, continues to divide Chilean society to this day
The president of Chile issued a fervent defence of democracy on Monday, the 50th anniversary of the coup led by General Augusto Pinochet that ushered in a brutal military dictatorship for almost two decades.
The anniversary of the US-backed coup was a vivid reminder of the continuing divisions over the legacy of Pinochet, who died without ever being convicted for the crimes against humanity committed during his 17-year reign.
The problems of democracy must be addressed through more democracy, President Gabriel Boric said at the La Moneda presidential palace, which was bombed by warplanes at the start of the coup half a century ago.
“A coup d’etat or the violation of the human rights of those who think differently is never justifiable,” Boric said in his address to a nation where a significant number of people, according to numerous polls, believe the 1973 coup was justified, and that Pinochet, who died in 2006, was a good leader who helped to modernize the country.
The military regime led by Pinochet violated human rights and brutally persecuted opponents, imprisoning and torturing thousands who were opposed to the regime.