Backed by the United States, which opposed Allende's socialist politics, the Chilean military staged a coup d'état on 11 September 1973, resulting in the death of Allende and the installation of Augusto Pinochet as dictator. At the moment of the coup, Jara was on his way to the Technical University (today the Universidad de Santiago). That night, he slept at the university along with other teachers and students, and sang to raise morale.