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Lira was born in Burbank, California. His parents were Chilean: Gonzalo Lia Valdés and María Isabel López Hess. His mother is a direct descendant of José Miguel Carrera. He spent his childhood in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and Guayaquil, Ecuador. Lira graduated from Saint George's College, Santiago, in 1985, and from Dartmouth College in 1995, with a degree in history and philosophy.[14][15]
He held roles as a journalist, writer, and filmmaker, gaining experience in Hollywood. In 2010, he moved to Ukraine, where he married a local woman. He then settled in Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city, situated near the Russian border.[16][17]
Death
Gonzalo Lira died in January 2024. At the time of his death, he was imprisoned for allegedly violating his probation.[1][18][19][20]
In May 2023, he was arrested on charges of "production and dissemination of materials justifying Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine". Prominent figures such as tech mogul Elon Musk and Fox News host Tucker Carlson advocated for his release, drawing international attention to his case.[21][22][23] Gonzalo Lira Sr. communicated with the US embassy, and highlighted concerns about Gonzalo Lira's declining health during his Ukrainian imprisonment. Lira Sr. expressed dissatisfaction with the perceived lack of assistance from the US Embassy. Lira wrote a note about his health issues, including double pneumonia, pneumothorax, and severe edema. He said that he has been neglected, and that medical attention in prison had been delayed.[21][24][25]
Career
In October 1996, Lira made a deal with a publisher called G. P. Putnam's Sons to release his first book called Counterparts. The story is about a strong female FBI agent and her "counterpart," a CIA operative. In 1997, he released a Spanish novel called Tomáh Errázurih. In 1998, he directed a short action film called So Kinky. His second book, Acrobat, came out in 2002. In 2005, he filmed Secuestro in Chile, which did well in the box office during its opening weekend.[26][27][28] Between 2010 and 2013, Lira shared his ideas about economics and other topics on his blog. Sometimes, he reposted them on Business Insider and Naked Capitalism. He also contributed to a financial website called Zero Hedge. In that time, he contacted economist Steve Keen to work together on a project. However, Keen said that Lira made big promises and didn't deliver. This lead to issues with collaborators and employees.[29]
Starting in 2017, Lira was active on YouTube using the name Coach Red Pill (CRP). He shared content that was misogynist towards women and anti-feminist, attracting the attention of a group called incels. Lira's videos gave advice like "never date a woman in her thirties" and claimed that women only want money, a house, and kids. In one video, he suggested people in Western democracies move to a less developed country because of his concerns about COVID-19 vaccines. He posted many videos, gaining subscribers and views. In November 2021, Lira deleted most of his CRP content and started using his real name. He lived in Kharkiv and had a family with a Ukrainian woman, with whom he had one daughter.[30]
Criminal prosecution
Lira accused the Ukrainian government of torturing him. This claim was denied by the SBU. He tried to seek political asylum in Hungary on July 31 but was caught and arrested again. On August 2, 2023, the DDCK ruled for Lira to appear in court on August 22, 2023.[31]
On August 4, 2023, the DDCK granted the prosecutor's request to keep Lira in detention until October 2, 2023, without bail. They also decided to transfer the previously paid bail to the state. Lira explained his actions by citing violent acts and extortion against him in the detention center and expressed fear for his life.
On August 22, 2023, the Kharkiv Slobid District Prosecutor's Office filed charges against Lira for spreading materials justifying Russian aggression. On September 12, 2023, his detention was extended until November 11, 2023.[32]
Death
Lira died in custody on January 12, 2024.[33] Lira claimed to have been tortured by other inmates while imprisoned, although a Ukrainian military spokesman denied this and asserted that Lira had been in good health.[34]
Publications
Lira, Gonzalo (1997). Tomáh Errázurih (1 ed.). Santiago de Chile: Mondadori. ISBN 956-258-057-1. OCLC 38081261.
Lira, Gonzalo (1998). Counterparts. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 0-399-14312-2. OCLC 37300650.
Lira, Gonzalo (2002). Acrobat (1 ed.). New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-28694-5. OCLC 48515857.
