Danilo Bartulin, Chilean politician and doctor, gained prominence for his close association with Salvador Allende. Salvador Allende, former president of Chile, tragically died during the military coup led by Augusto Pinochet in 1973. Danilo Bartulin witnessed the events at the presidential residence of La Moneda when it was attacked by the air force and the army. . Remarkably, Bartulin survived both the explosive assault and the subsequent gunfire.
How old is Dr. Salvador Allende?
During those fateful hours, Danilo Bartulín was at Salvador Allende’s side. He watched Allende’s final national speech and his unwavering decision to remain in the palace until the end. Tragically, he also witnessed Allende’s death, which has been reported as a suicide. Danilo Bartulin’s journey begins in Chile, where he was born. He studied medicine at the University of Chile and specialized in neurology and psychiatry. It was during this time that he became closely associated with Salvador Allende, a prominent figure who led the Popular Unity coalition to victory in the 1970 presidential election.
Bartulin’s dedication to Allende’s vision was evident when he was appointed director of the National Health Service, working diligently to implement Allende’s health and social policies. He also accompanied Allende on diplomatic missions, including an important visit to Cuba in 1972. On the fateful day of September 11, 1973, Danilo Bartulin was in La Moneda, shoulder to shoulder with Salvador Allende, while the air force and the army, under the command of General Augusto Pinochet, he launched a devastating assault. In the midst of the turmoil, Bartulín listened to Allende’s moving final national speech and witnessed his determined decision to remain in the palace until the end. Tragically, Bartulin also witnessed the lifeless body of Allende, who allegedly took his own life with a firearm provided by Fidel Castro.
Despite surviving the chaos, Bartulin’s ordeal continued as authorities arrested him and subjected him to torture. His confinement took him through multiple detention centers, including the National Stadium, where he attempted to help other detainees who were injured or in poor health. He was subsequently exiled and found refuge in Spain, where he openly opposed the human rights violations perpetrated by the Pinochet regime. In Spain he continued practicing medicine, specializing in brain injury rehabilitation as a neurologist and psychiatrist. He played a fundamental role in the establishment of the Spanish Neurorehabilitation Society. Throughout his life, Danilo Bartulin was the author of numerous books and essays, based on his experiences in Chile and his medical experience. He also actively contributed to documentaries and interviews that shed light on the life and legacy of Salvador Allende. Víctor Jara, an iconic Chilean singer-songwriter and political activist, suffered a tragic fate at the hands of Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship in 1973.
Danilo Bartulin and Víctor Jara shared a terrible experience when they were both arrested and taken to the Chile Stadium. Inside the stadium, they endured torture and were forcibly separated from other detainees, spending their final hours in a state of fear and isolation. During this dark period, Danilo was at Víctor Jara’s side. His tormentors reportedly cruelly mocked the singer, mocking his attempts to sing and play his songs. Surprisingly, despite the unbearable torture, Víctor Jara managed to sing a part of the Popular Unity party’s anthem. Tragically, his challenge came to a brutal and violent end: he was beaten mercilessly and finally shot with a machine gun. The lifeless bodies of Víctor Jara and five other people were discovered outside the walls of the Metropolitan Cemetery in the early hours of September 16.
Categories: Biography
Source: vtt.edu.vn