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Chile Issues Arrest Warrants Against at Least 120 Pinochet Agents

by Barbara McPherson | September 5, 2009 at 09:30 am

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Chilean judge, Victor Montiglio, has issued arrest warrant against at least 120 Augusto Pinochet Agents for crimes committed in the 1970s. Chile, at that time had their democratically elected, socialist leaning government overthrown in a military coup that saw years of brutal repression.
The 1970s saw harsh military dictatorships in much of South America. The President of Chile, Salvador Allende, was assasinated during the government takeover and many people were killed or "disappeared". This particular action against the Augusto Pinochet agents is connected to campaigns to "disappear" those opposed to the military dictatorship, dubbed Operation Columbo and Operation Condor.

Operation Condor was a plan coordinated by the military governments of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay to eliminate "opponents" during the 1970s and 1980s. In the context of the Operation, widespread human rights abuses were committed, including killings and enforced disappearances.

Most of those responsible for the abuses have not yet been identified nor brought to justice.

This looks as if the government of Chile is holding people accountable for crimes against humanity committed thirty years ago. It was widely believed that the then US government had a large hand in the overthrow of the Allende government.

Brazil Played Role in US -- Backed Overthrow of Chile's Allende

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Amy Judd

at 09:40 on September 5th, 2009

Wow, I suppose it's about time.

Roy C

at 12:58 on September 5th, 2009

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, there were very few prosecutions of East German agents, spies and so on. Many ex-communists were allowed to form parties in the Warsaw Pact Eastern European countries and even got elected after renouncing communism.

The Pinochet coup occurred in the context of the Cold War, a time of great paranoia, much of it justified.

When Castro's regime falls in the next five years, are you all going to support prosecution of the Castro regime police, spies and all the rest?

We know Castro has been responsible for the death of tens of thousands of political dissidents, gays, and others.

So, what is good for the goose is good for the gander, si or no?