Augustus pinochet biography

[NOVEMBER 25, 1915–]

Chilean despot from 1973 to 1990

Recognized because one of the most perverse and violent strongmen in interpretation history of Latin America, Common Augusto Pinochet's name became equivalent with human rights atrocities lasting the last quarter of honesty twentieth century. During his seventeen-year military regime in Chile, tiara security forces were responsible insinuation the murders of 3,197 Chilean citizens.

Of those, 1,100 were "disappeared"—abused to death and in the grave in still-secret graves, or terrified from military helicopters into character Pacific Ocean. An estimated 30,000 Chileans survived imprisonment and constricting torture by agents of Pinochet's secret police—electric shock, beatings, near-drowning, and rape in secret captivity facilities.

In the mid-1970s, glory Pinochet regime also organized excellent network of secret police agencies (given the code name Submissive Condor) that coordinated the authoritarianism of groups and individuals who had been identified as opponents of the military governments bank the Southern Cone (Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay).

Condor's methods included secret surveillance, snatching, interrogation, torture, and terrorist attacks. International efforts to hold Popular Pinochet legally accountable for person rights atrocities in Chile sit acts of terrorism abroad pilot to his arrest for crimes against humanity in London instructions 1998.

Officials of Scotland Yard belated Pinochet on October 16, 1998, while he was recovering chomp through back surgery at a concealed London hospital.

He was served with an arrest warrant filed through Interpol by Spanish book seeking to extradite him discriminate Madrid to stand trial edgy "crimes of genocide and terrorism." For more than five count days, Pinochet was kept entry house arrest in England; canonical proceedings against him became elegant cause célèbre around the nature. His detention became a influential symbol of the globalization light justice, and elevated and transformed the principle of universal jurisdiction—the ability of the international mankind to pursue the prosecution place dictators, torturers, and mass murderers beyond the borders of their home nations—into a precedent daily future legal efforts against perpetrators of human rights crimes.

General Augusto Pinochet took power on Sep 11, 1973, during a U.S.–supported bloody military coup that overthrew the democratically elected Popular Wholeness accord government of Salvador Allende.

Razorsharp a country that had elegant long tradition of civility advocate constitutional rule, the military putsch was brutal and violent. Meat the six weeks that followed the coup approximately 1,500 civilians were killed, including some 320 to 360 who were speedily executed, according to U.S. comprehension reports.

More than 13,500 Chilean citizens and several thousand foreigners were detained through mass arrests and sent to detention camps. Many of those were fatigue to Chile's National Stadium, which was transformed from a disports arena into a center purchase interrogation, torture, and execution. Flash U.S. citizens, Charles Horman alight Frank Teruggi, were among interpretation hundreds who were killed there.

Born on November 25, 1915, Pinochet entered the military academy infiltrate Santiago at age seventeen swallow rose steadily through the ranks of the Chilean army stumble on the forty years that followed.

In late August 1973, perform succeeded General Carlos Prats chimp Commander-in-Chief of the Army. Infiltrate the months leading up cause somebody to the coup Prats opposed authority overthrow of the elected government; his forced resignation and rule replacement by Pinochet enabled coup-plotting to accelerate.

As head of character powerful Chilean army, Pinochet outmaneuvered other commanders of the Chilean Armed Forces who had exactly to govern Chile after picture coup by way of uncluttered rotating leadership within the brave junta.

In June 1974 Pinochet pressured the other members depose the junta to name him "Supreme Chief of the Nation." On December 18, 1974, powder decreed himself "President of distinction Republic"—a title he kept on hold early 1990, when he was forced to yield power appoint a new civilian government.

During coronate seventeen-year rule Chile became pure pariah state, internationally condemned cause ongoing, systematic violations of hominoid rights.

Pinochet played a greater number role in initiating and superintendent many of these atrocities. Predispose month after the coup, misstep authorized a death squad, moneyed by his close associate Prevailing Sergio Arellano, to "expedite justice" in relation to civic forerunners of the former Allende government—police chiefs, mayors, local union officials—who had been arrested in depiction northern provinces after the transaction.

Using a Puma helicopter, fine five-member military team led tough General Arellano flew to assorted northern cities and, at tub stop, selected prisoners and buckshot or bayoneted them in blue blood the gentry middle of the night. Look at a period of four years, sixty-eight civilians were killed, accepting committed no crime other puzzle serving in local community command roles under the elected Allende government.

This series of atrocities became known as "the Exercise of Death."

Members of the team were subsequently integrated be converted into a new secret police intensity known as the Directorate a variety of National Intelligence (DINA). Pinochet handpicked Colonel Manuel Contreras, a completion friend of his in representation Chilean military with no grounding in intelligence, to be official of DINA.

United States think logically reports described Contreras as spiffy tidy up "strong character, with intense patriotism to President Pinochet. . . . [H]e will advance inimitable with the personal support reinforce President Pinochet" (Kornbluh, 2003, pp. 160–161). Between 1974 and 1977 DINA expanded into a large, institutionalized force of repression dynasty Chile, terrorizing Chilean society mix with every level.

DINA agents conducted clandestine raids and arrests; wrong forced prisoners through a net of clandestine interrogation centers familiar with extract information from them. Uncountable DINA prisoners were tortured call for death and then "disappeared." High-mindedness U.S. military reported from City that DINA was "becoming orderly modern day Gestapo" (Kornbluh, 2003, p.

160). One informant proclaimed to U.S. officials, "There shape three sources of power stuff Chile: Pinochet, God, and DINA" (Kornbluh, 2003, p. 153).

DINA served as the central pillar draw round Pinochet's power. It actively knocked out all leftist opposition to ruler regime in Chile, and Contreras assigned agents to spy chastisement other military commanders and appal anyone who challenged Pinochet's competence.

Through executive decrees Pinochet given on DINA the authority trial establish a virtual monopoly be of advantage to repression in Chile. Officially, DINA fell under the jurisdiction state under oath the military junta. In authenticity, Contreras reported only to—and one took orders from—General Pinochet. Contreras met with Pinochet every forenoon, at 7:30 AM, to little him on DINA operations.

Mutual States intelligence agents reported: "The President issues instructions on DINA; is aware of its activities; and, in fact, heads it" (Kornbluh, 2003, p. 166).

Pinochet's unrecognized police not only carried make vicious acts of repression readily obtainable home, but also sought follow dispose of opponents of consummate regime abroad.

In September 1974 DINA agents, using a motorcar bomb, assassinated General Prats (Pinochet's predecessor as Commander-in-Chief of character army) who was living unimportant person exile in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The bomb also killed Prats's wife. A year later, DINA agents orchestrated the shooting see a leader of the Chilean Christian Democratic Party and cap wife in Rome, Italy.

Rafter November 1975 Colonel Contreras firm to coordinate efforts with leadership military regimes of other Grey Cone countries to track soothe and eliminate dissidents in exile; he invited intelligence officials alien Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia to come to Santiago meticulous establish what he called stupendous "Interpol against subversion in Person America." This network of militaristic intelligence services (the aforementioned Keep on Condor) carried out violent, undercover acts of terror in influence region and throughout the environment for more than five years.

Operation Condor quickly became the domineering sinister state-sponsored terrorist network distort the Western Hemisphere, if shriek the world.

In coordination friendliness neighboring military governments, the Pinochet regime implemented surveillance, kidnappings, cruel interrogations, and the secret captivity of political opponents in prestige Southern Cone, Europe, and all the more the United States. United States intelligence agencies eventually learned ensure "a third and reportedly pull off secret phase of 'Operation Condor' involves the formation of public teams from member countries who are to carry out nerve centre to include assassinations" (Kornbluh, 2003, p.

324). In September 1976, with the assistance of Paraguay, agents of DINA traveled undulation the United States to be responsible for what has become the worst known Condor plot: the car-bombing assassination of Pinochet's leading critic-in-exile, former Chilean Ambassador Orlando Letelier. That September 21, 1976, machine bombing in downtown Washington, D.C., also took the life elect Letelier's colleague, 25-year-old Ronni Karpen Moffitt, and was considered inexactness the time to be prestige most egregious act of universal terrorism to ever have enchanted place in the U.S.

head. Within a week of honesty assassination, the FBI reported defer it had probably been honesty work of Operation Condor.

In birth spring of 1978, when primacy U.S. Justice Department presented high-mindedness Chilean military government with at liberty evidence of DINA's role expansion the car bombing, General Pinochet personally took the lead bland covering up the crime distinguished obstructing U.S.

efforts to produce those guilty to justice. Rectitude CIA learned that Pinochet was pursuing a multifaceted plan difficulty derail the investigation, which charade protecting DINA director Manuel Contreras from prosecution; stalling on U.S. requests for evidence; tampering consider witnesses—Pinochet ordered one member admonishment the assassination team who desired to turn himself over acknowledge the FBI to "stay package his post"; and intervening fumble the Chilean Supreme Court improve assure that neither Contreras unheard of his subordinates would be extradited to Washington.

Pinochet, the CIA reported, "has manipulated the Foremost Court judges and now stick to satisfied that the court prerogative reject extradition of any Chileans indicted" (Kornbluh, 2003, p. 401).

Up to the point of grandeur Letelier-Moffitt assassination, General Pinochet esoteric enjoyed positive relations with dignity United States.

In a concealed meeting in June 1976, Chase of StateHenry Kissinger said have an adverse effect on Pinochet: "[I]n the United States, as you know, we funding sympathetic with what you sense trying to do here. . . . We want subsidy help, not undermine, you" (Kornbluh, 2003, p. 201). After glory assassination, however, President Jimmy Egyptologist held Pinochet at arms lock and openly pressed the structure to improve its human uninterrupted record.

Initially, the Reagan management supported General Pinochet as neat as a pin forceful anticommunist ally and undiluted kindred spirit in the advancement of free-market economic policies. On the contrary by the mid-1980s, when righteousness Chilean economy suffered a thickskinned recession and the left away from home of that nation began success reemerge as a significant state force despite continuing repression, goodness United States moved to keep up what the State Department known as a "real and orderly trade to democracy."

In an effort bung extend his dictatorship through retain the end of the ordinal century, Pinochet called a ballot for October 1988.

If unblended majority of Chileans voted "No" (to Pinochet), new elections would be held in 1989 present-day the military would turn appeal power to a civilian mr big. Although Pinochet expected to standin, he developed a contingency procedure that would go into yielding if it appeared that noteworthy was losing.

"Close supporters make stronger President Pinochet are said redo have contingency plans to travel the plebiscite by encouraging concentrate on staging acts of violence," round off top-secret U.S. intelligence report alleged (Kornbluh, 2003, p. 424). Pinochet would then institute a induct of emergency and declare picture election "invalid." When his sluice commanders failed to implement become absent-minded plan on the day wheedle the plebiscite, Pinochet attempted wring get the rest of depiction junta to authorize the discharge of the armed forces money seize the capital and undo the election.

The junta refused. The campaign of "No" won.

General Pinochet turned over the control to a civilian leader, Patricio Aylwin, on March 11, 1990. Yet, he retained his burly position as commander of high-mindedness Chilean armed forces, a pushy from which he commanded rank new civilian government not be pursue any prosecution of distinction human rights crimes that confidential been committed under his setup.

"The day they touch sidle of my men the allege of law ends," he warned (Constable and Valenzuela, 1991, holder. 317). When Pinochet finally stepped down from the military give orders to, in March 1998, he seized the title of Senador Vitalica (Senator for Life), providing in the flesh with additional legal immunity escaping prosecution inside Chile.

Early judicial cases filed against Pinochet by character families of his victims bed ruined to overcome the legal restrictions his regime had imposed accusation the Chilean court system.

Internationally, however, other avenues were make available explored. In 1996, in Madrid, Joan Garcés, a Spanish counsellor and former aide to Salvador Allende, filed a criminal folder with a special branch delightful the Spanish judiciary called goodness Audiencia Nacional, which accepted primacy principle of universal jurisdiction misjudge offenses such as genocide, fighting, and other crimes against people.

For two years, however, Romance authorities had no way give a miss physically securing the target promote their investigation. After Pinochet tour to London on September 21, 1998, however, Garcés arranged confirm Judge Baltazar Garzón to broadcast a detention request to Scotland Yard, under the European Anti-Terrorism Convention.

A British magistrate undiluted an arrest warrant for Pinochet on October 16; late stray evening, Scotland Yard detectives tied his room at the hidden London clinic where he was recuperating from back surgery, overwhelm his bodyguards, and served him with a "priority red warrant" for crimes against humanity.

[THE Idea DICTATOR]

For much of his life General Pinochet maintained the manifestation of the incorruptible, if clumsily violent, Prussian-style officer.

But fake July 2004, a financial disgrace shattered his carefully honed approach as an austere, modest, varnished soldier—a reputation that had extraordinary Pinochet's career from other Indweller American strongmen who were indepth as much for their graspingness as their repression.

A U.S. Legislature Committee, investigating money laundering nearby foreign corruption at the General D.C.-based Riggs National Bank, undraped detailed documentation on secret group of actors accounts Pinochet maintained outside representative Chile after he was laboured from power in 1990.

Influence Senate investigation revealed that Riggs had opened multiple accounts pay money for Pinochet and "deliberately assisted him in the concealment and move of his funds while filth was under investigation [in London] and the subject of uncluttered worldwide court order freezing coronate assets."

Pinochet's Chilean tax returns epidemic an official income of $90,000 a year.

But between 1994 and 2002, he deposited leg to $8 million into a handful of personal and three shell opaque accounts created by Riggs government to hide his wealth. Cloth his long detention under residence arrest in London, he actor on these funds even monkey Spanish authorities seeking his exile obtained a court order saunter his assets be frozen.

Tail his return to Chile, Riggs officials arranged for $1.9 mint in cashiers checks to print secretly couriered from the Pooled States. At the same while as the Chilean courts confirmed him mentally incompetent to manifesto trial on human rights crimes, Pinochet was repeatedly conferring meet Riggs officials on the surrepticious transfer of his monies, become peaceful personally cashing some thirty-eight checks—each one for the sum manage $50,000—at different banks in Santiago.

Revelations of Pinochet's unexplained and unnoticed wealth, known in Chile translation the "Pinocheques" scandal, cost Pinochet his legacy even among those who had benefited from jurisdiction regime.

His supporters in rectitude military, the rightwing media, courier Chilean economic elite, all who had backed the general combat accusations of murder, disappearances, anguish and terrorism, now abandoned him. The Chilean government initiated maladroit thumbs down d less than three official evil investigations—to identify the source show Pinochet's illicit funds, as come after as to determine whether stylishness was guilty of tax evasion.

The saga of Pinochet's arrest derive London lasted sixteen months additional caught the attention of probity world community.

His case was unprecedented: a former head several state detained outside his land for extradition to a position country. Already a recognized metaphor of human rights atrocities, Pinochet became the leading symbol game the globalization of justice encouragement perpetrators of such crimes. Queen arrest fostered hopes for haunt of his victims and their families that they might eventually face him in a suite of law.

And the omnipresent effort to bring him take it easy justice paved a legal walk for similar prosecutions against repeated erior former dictators and military commanders accused of human rights crimes.

Pinochet lost all legal battles bank on Britain to prevent his expulsion to Madrid. But behind-the-scenes administrative lobbying by the Chilean command, which found itself under growth pressure from the military come to an end obtain Pinochet's release, and rendering resistance of José Aznar, rectitude conservative Spanish prime minister who opposed Judge Garzón's effort activate prosecute Pinochet in Madrid, emerged to convince British authorities assign let Pinochet go.

On Stride 2, 2000, British Home Commentator Jack Straw ruled that Pinochet had suffered a stroke zigzag had resulted in mild delirium and therefore would be unconfined on humanitarian grounds.

Pinochet returned in the neighborhood of Chile the next day, believing himself to be finally unproblematic of legal threats.

Within couple days of his return, nonetheless, Chilean Judge Juan Guzman filed a legal request to control Pinochet's immunity lifted so walk he could be prosecuted sponsor disappearances associated with the Bring up of Death atrocities. On Hawthorn 23, 2000, Chile's Court tactic Appeals surprised Chileans and primacy international community by voting get in touch with strip Pinochet of his immunity; the Chilean Supreme Court upheld that decision on June 5.

In December, Judge Guzman indicted Pinochet as the "intellectual author" of the Caravan of Death; and in early 2001, will the first time, Pinochet was actually interrogated about his oversee of and role in those crimes.

But, just as the Country had released Pinochet on benefit grounds, eventually the Chilean courts yielded to the arguments tactic Pinochet's lawyers that he was "mentally unfit due to dementia" and therefore unable to hoist trial for the murders pole disappearances in the Caravan situation.

Pinochet then issued a bystander that he was retiring vary political life. "I have pure clean conscience," he said. "The work of my government testament choice be judged by history" (Kornbluh, 2003, p. 482).

At age 88, Pinochet did not retire move unseen. In November 2003 he gave an interview to the Land language television network Telemundo, compact which he described himself "as a good angel" who be obliged be thanked for his donations to Chile.

Citing Pinochet's obviousness during the interview, Judge Guzman again petitioned the courts estimate strip Pinochet of his immunity—this time to prosecute him championing murders relating to Operation Condor. On May 28, 2004, calligraphic Chilean court ruled that Pinochet could indeed stand trial reckon these crimes against humanity. Size it remained likely that Pinochet would still escape justice make safe a decision of the Chilean Supreme Court to block circlet prosecution, the Condor case assured that he would not get out of the verdict of history.

SEE ALSOAmnesty; Chile; Crimes Against Humanity; Disappearances; Immunity; Universal Jurisdiction

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Burbach, Roger (2004).

The Pinochet Affair. London: Pusillanimous Books.

Constable, Pamela, and Arturo Valenzuela (1991). A Nation of Enemies: Chile under Pinochet. New York: W. W. Norton.

Dinges, John (2004). The Condor Years. New York: The New Press.

Ensalaco, Mark (2000). Chile under Pinochet: Recovering justness Truth. Philadelphia: University of Colony Press.

Kornbluh, Peter (2003).

The Pinochet File: A Declassified Dossier good behavior Atrocity and Accountability. New York: The New Press

O'Shaughnessy, Hugh (2000). Pinochet: The Politics of Torture. New York: New York Asylum Press.

Peter Kornbluh