Pinochet loses immunity
The week's news at a glance.
Santiago, Chile
Chile’s Supreme Court last week stripped former dictator Augusto Pinochet of immunity from prosecution for human rights abuses committed during his 17-year rule. Prosecutors can now investigate whether to charge him for the deaths of 19 Chileans in the 1970s during Operation Condor, a joint crackdown on dissidents by South American dictators. The court removed Pinochet’s immunity once before, in 2001, but the retired general’s lawyers successfully argued that he suffered from dementia and was unfit to stand trial. The court reconsidered after Pinochet, 88, gave a lucid December interview to a Miami television station. “Nobody is above the law,” government spokesman Francisco Vidal said.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to 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.
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Codeword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
Crossword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff