Piero De Masi (June 6, 1937 – October 13, 2021) was an Italian ambassador, known for his contribution in saving hundreds of Chileans fleeing the violence that followed the 1973 Pinochet coup.
[1][2] In 1973, during the Pinochet coup, De Masi was Chargé d'Affaires at the Italian Embassy in Santiago.
Immediately after the coup, some people (including families with children) started seeking refuge at the embassy.
De Masi was forced to use his own money to buy numerous mattresses,[4] to offer a bed to the many guests, who were numbering more than 50 per room.
Thanks to De Masi's efforts, hundreds of opponents of the Chilean regime escaped death and could leave for exile in Italy.