Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet narrowly escaped an assassination attempt, executed by the leftist Manuel Rodríguez Patriotic Front (FPMR) in Santiago. The FPMR, a Marxist guerrilla organization, targeted Pinochet to undermine his authoritarian regime, which had been in power since the military coup of 1973 that ousted President Salvador Allende. On that day, as Pinochet was leaving a military parade, his convoy was ambushed. A bomb exploded and gunfire ensued, leading to a chaotic scene with multiple casualties. Although Pinochet emerged unscathed, five of his bodyguards were killed in the attack, signaling both the determination of the opposition and the vulnerabilities of the dictator’s security.This assassination attempt was part of a series of violent confrontations that took place during the 1980s, as leftist rebels increasingly challenged Pinochet’s repressive rule. The FPMR's tactics aimed to instigate fear and provoke international attention toward the human rights violations prevalent in Chile, where dissent was brutally suppressed. Although the assassination attempt did not succeed, it was a clear indicator of the escalating tensions in Chile and the growing dissatisfaction among certain sectors of the population regarding Pinochet’s government, which was characterized by widespread oppression, violence, and torture against political opponents. The aftermath led to increased security measures for Pinochet but also spurred further organized efforts against his regime in the following years.