Pi‧no‧chet, Au‧gus‧to /ˈpiːnəʊʃeɪ $ ˌpiːnəʊˈtʃet, aʊˈɡʊstəʊ/
(1915–) a Chilean general who became President of Chile in 1973, when the government of Salvador Allende was removed from power by the army. General Pinochet was known for his cruel and violent treatment of political opponents, and thousands of ordinary Chilean people were killed or tortured while he was leader. He lost power in 1989 when he was defeated in elections, but he continued to have political influence as head of the army until 1998. In 2001 he was officially charged with kidnappings and murders that occurred while he was in power but a court decided that he was too ill to go to trial.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲