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| Allende | Pinochet |
Chile is a unique country in Latin America. Until the coup in 1973, Chile boasted the oldest and most stable democracy in Latin America. Allende, was the only socialist president in the world to be elected in free democratic elections. Unfortunately, Chile also is close to unique for the brutality exhibited by the Pinochet regime, ranking only second from the top in that area.
In 1970 Salvador Allende was elected President and he nationalized many big industries. In 1973 when Pinochet came to power through a coup, he privatized the industries. And with this action Chile was well on its way to becoming more like every other Latin American country. However, Pinochet, in 1990 peacefully transferred power to Aylwin who was elected by the people. Pinochet continues to set new precedents with his recent arrest in Great Britain and the issue of amnesty.
The purpose of this site is to provide you with informative links on Allende and Pinochet in the hopes of providing a better understanding of these two men and the revolutions they lead.