Salvador Guillermo Allende Gossens (26 June 1908 - 11 September 1973) was a Chilean physician and politician; known as the first Marxist to become president of a Latin American country through open elections.

On 11 September 1973; the military moved to oust Allende in a coup d'etat sponsored by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). As troops surrounded La Moneda Palace; he gave his last speech vowing not to resign. Later that day; Allende shot himself with an assault rifle; according to an investigation conducted by a Chilean court with the assistance of international experts in 2011.

Following Allende's 'resignation'; General Augusto Pinochet declined to return authority to the civilian government; and Chile was later ruled by a military junta that was in power up until 1990; ending almost four decades of Chilean democratic rule. The military junta that took over dissolved the Congress of Chile and began a persecution of alleged dissidents; in which thousands of Allende's supporters were kidnapped; tortured; and murdered.