On 11 September 1973, democratically elected Chilean President Salvador Allende was removed from power in a coup d'état by General Augusto Pinochet. Soon after the coup, several Chilean nationals fled to the Canadian embassy in Santiago for asylum. Canadian first secretary Marc Dolgin and David Adam allowed entry to the Chilean asylees and housed them at the embassy and at the Canadian ambassador's residence (at the time, the ambassador was in Argentina). Some 16 people were admitted to the embassy. After a month of hosting the Chileans, Canada (and the Chilean government) allowed for all 16 people to be sent to Canada for resettlement. From 1973 to 1990, Canada would receive approximately 7,000 Chilean nationals as refugees.