The President Who Survived Pinochet But Not the Clinic

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:00]The most beloved president in Chilean history was murdered by the dictator who once needed his support. It's 1982, Santiago, Chile. Eduardo Frei Montalva >> [music] >> enters a private clinic for routine stomach surgery. For 18 years, he's been Chile's moral compass. His revolution in liberty lifted millions from poverty, >> [music] >> built schools across the nation, and proved democracy could work without violence. When Pinochet seized power in 1973, Frei survived because he opposed the communist president. The general needed his credibility. But now Frei leads the opposition, calling for democratic restoration. His voice carries weight that terrifies the regime. The surgery goes smoothly, but complications follow. His condition worsens mysteriously. Doctors can't explain the sudden decline. On January 20th, Chile's greatest democrat [music] dies in agony. For decades, the death stays suspicious, but unproven. Then forensic experts find traces of toxic mustard gas and thallium in his remains.

[00:00:56]In 2019, six people are convicted of murder, including Pinochet's agents. The president who survived a coup by supporting it was Eduardo Frei Montalva.