The military coup d’etat that convulsed Chile on September 11, 1973, and led to the suicide of then-President Salvador Allende was a dramatic interruption of institutional life in one of the world’s oldest and most stable democracies. In Pinochet: The Politics of Power, originally published in 1988, distinguished Chilean political scientist Genaro Arriagada examines the nearly 15-year reign of one of Latin America’s most enduring dictators, General Augusto Pinochet.

The international press had brought the Pinochet regime’s human rights violations, orthodox monetarist policies, and staggering international debt burden to the world’s attention. Far less was known about the internal workings of Pinochet’s politics. This book provided the first detailed account of Pinochet’s manipulation of the political machinery, press, and military in support of his reactionary rule. This book would have been especially timely in light of the upcoming 1988 Chilean presidential elections and will still be essential reading for anyone interested in Chilean politics and the history of this South American nation.