Pinochet dies at 91

Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet died today at a Santiago hospital. Pinochet took power in 1973 after leading a coup which brought down the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende. What followed was years of systematic human rights abuses and the murder of thousands of civilians who opposed Pinochet's rule. These murders were carried out by death squads known as the "Caravans of Death." Victims of the death squads were buried in mass graves and to this day, many Chileans remain as "desaparecidos," or "disappeared."

Pinochet was never prosecuted for any of his actions because of his poor health. He did, however, remain under indictment due to the efforts of his political opponents and the relatives of those killed under his regime. His health had been on the decline since the early 1990s but worsened after a heart attack last week.