Santiago, Chile
The Chilean army issued a surprise statement last week accepting responsibility for human rights violations during the dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet. By the government’s tally, 3,190 Chileans were killed for their politics and thousands more tortured or forced into exile under Pinochet, who led a 1973 coup and held power until 1990. Pinochet and subsequent military leaders blamed the atrocities on renegade officers who exceeded their orders as they policed leftist dissidents. The current army commander, Gen. Juan Emilio Cheyre, said it was time to admit the military’s guilt. President Ricardo Lagos called the move “a historic step” that would help integrate the army “into today’s democratic Chile.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Quiz of The Week: 15 – 21 NovemberQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week’s news?
-
Can the UK do more on climate change?Today's Big Question Labour has shown leadership in the face of fraying international consensus, but must show the public their green mission is ‘a net benefit, not a net cost’
-
The Week Unwrapped: Will US Catholics rebel against the Pope?Podcast Plus what are the ethics of freezing your late partner?
