Augusto Pinochet
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General Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (November 25, 1915 - December 10, 2006) was leader of the military government that ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990. He became leader after he overthrew Salvador Allende, a socialist president.
About 3,000 Chilean people died because of Pinochet's rule and many other people were tortured.
Pinochet introduced many neoliberal free market policies.
Many people say Pinochet's coup and rule were supported by the United States.
In 1990 he lost power, but he made himself senator, in order to keep from being arrested. He was forced to leave the senate in 2002, but he once again was not arrested, this time because it was said he suffered from dementia. In May 2004 judges said that was not true. On December 13 he was placed under house arrest, after Dr. Martin Cordero, Chile's top neurologist, examined Pinochet and was convinced that Pinochet was actually lying about his dementia. This went against the judgements of two other doctors, but the judge in charge of the case decided in favour of Dr. Cordero. Key evidence in this case was the fact that Pinochet had made statements to Cuban reporters which clearly contradicted his claims of dementia, recollecting his years in power.
He died from heart failure on December 10, 2006, having had a heart attack a week earlier.