Sunday, December 10, 2006

CHILE'S GEN PINOCHET DIES AT 91.

Gen Pinochet celebrated his 91st birthday last month. Chile's former military leader Augusto Pinochet has died, the Santiago hospital treating him after an earlier heart attack has announced.
The hospital said the condition of the 91-year-old general had suddenly worsened, AP news agency said.
Gen Pinochet was in power from 1973-90, during which time more than 3,000 people were killed or "disappeared".
He is accused of dozens of human rights violations but has never faced trial because of poor health.
"He died surrounded by his family," the hospital's Dr Juan Ignacio Vergara told reporters.
He said more details would be made available later, Reuters news agency reported.
Gen Pinochet suffered a heart attack a week ago. He underwent medical procedures and received the last rites from a Catholic priest.
But in the days afterwards his condition had been thought to be improving.
The BBC's Daniel Schweimler in Buenos Aires said about 150 Gen Pinochet supporters had been keeping a vigil outside his hospital for since he was taken ill.
"I believe they will be joined now by other supporters as news of his death spreads," our correspondent said.
"There has been no immediate reaction from his opponents as yet, but I'm sure they feel very cheated that they have not been able to bring him to court to face the various charges being made against him."
Earlier in November, Gen Pinochet was placed under house arrest over the abduction of two people in 1973.
The charges related to the Caravan of Death - a military operation to remove opponents of his rule.
Our correspondent said that despite his human rights record, many Chileans loved him and said he saved the country from Marxism.
But even many loyal supporters abandoned him after it became clear in 2004 that he had stolen about $27m in secret offshore bank accounts that were under investigation at the time of his death, our correspondent says.
BBC NEWS REPORT.

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