Jara was arrested by the Chilean military shortly after the 11 September 1973 coup led by Augusto Pinochet, which overthrew Allende. He was tortured during interrogations and ultimately shot dead, and his body was thrown out on the street of a shantytown in Santiago.Jara, Joan. Víctor: An Unfinished Song, 249-250 The contrast between the themes of his songs—which focused on love, peace, and social justice—and his murder transformed Jara into a "potent symbol of struggle for human rights and justice" for those killed during the Pinochet regime. His prominent role as an admirer and propagandist for Che Guevara and Allende's government, in which he served as a cultural ambassador through the late 1960s and until 1973, made him a target.
Jara was arrested by the Chilean military shortly after the 11 September 1973 coup led by Augusto Pinochet which overthrew Allende He was tortured during interrogations and ultimately shot dead and his body was thrown out on the street of a shantytown in SantiagoJara Joan Víctor An Unfinished Song 249-250 The contrast between the themes of his songs—which focused on love peace and social justice—and his murder transformed Jara into a "potent symbol of struggle for human rights and justice" for those killed during the Pinochet regime His prominent role as an admirer and propagandist for Che Guevara and Allende's government in which he served as a cultural ambassador through the late 1960s and until 1973 made him a target