Chilean military dictatorship

The Chilean military dictatorship lasted from 1973 to 1990, when the military, led by General Augusto Pinochet, overthrew the democratically elected Marxist president Salvador Allende. The regime suspended constitutional rights, dissolved Congress, and suppressed political opposition through censorship and violence, resulting in thousands of deaths, disappearances, and human rights violations. It implemented free-market reforms and maintained power through authoritarian control. The dictatorship ended in 1990 when Chile returned to civilian rule, but its legacy remains complex, involving debates over justice, reconciliation, and economic policies.