As President of Chile (1970–73), he was the first avowed Marxist to win a Latin American presidency in a free election. Having bid for the office unsuccessfully on two previous occasions (1958 and 1964), Allende’s 1970 victory was brought about by a coalition of leftist parties. During his brief tenure he set the country on a socialist path, incurring the antipathy of the Chilean military establishment. Under General Pinochet, a military coup (which enjoyed some indirect support from the USA) overthrew him in 1973. Allende died during the fighting, probably by suicide; he was given a state funeral in 1990.