Why did many Chileans leave the country after 1973?

Following the military coup d’état on September 11, 1973, which overthrew the democratically elected government of President Salvador Allende, hundreds of thousands of Chileans fled the country for political reasons to live in exile.1

The departure of these citizens was driven by the repressive actions of the new military junta led by Gen. Augusto Pinochet. The regime sought to eliminate political opposition by outlawing left-wing parties and systematically suppressing dissent. Under Pinochet’s rule, the government engaged in widespread human rights abuses, including the arbitrary arrest, torture, and disappearance of students, social activists, and political opponents.23

These conditions created a climate of fear and persecution, forcing many to seek safety abroad. For many years, the military government prohibited these exiles from returning to Chile, a restriction that was only gradually eased through protests and political pressure during the 1980s before being fully lifted in the early 1990s.14