Is it me or did the world just improve a tiny, little bit?dpa German Press Agency:
Few names in Chile spark such dramatically contrasting reactions as that of General Augusto Pinochet, who led a violent putsch in 1973 and ruled the country with an iron fist for almost 17 years. Pinochet died aged 91 in a Santiago hospital Sunday, one week after suffering a heart attack.
In his final years, Pinochet was surrounded by a swirl of legal activity as he was accused of gross human rights violations during his brutal 1973-90 dictatorship. More than 300 criminal cases were investigated, but only a few led to indictments, and he never stood trial.
Despite the blood on his hands, a large and vocal constituency of Chileans continued to support Pinochet long after he relinquished power, believing that the elderly general's actions had restored stability and prosperity in Chile.
But Pinochet's image - as a tough but honest leader - was shattered by the discovery of millions of dollars stashed in dozens of secret foreign accounts. The revelations left him a pariah, scorned by a majority of Chileans who suspected him of corruption.
Survivor of Pinochet's rule, Carmen Vivanco Mena, who's husband, son, brother, sister-in-law and nephew were 'disappeared' by Pinochet's regime:
I have lived alone since they disappeared: my family is the Association of Relatives of Disappeared Detainees.
It is tragic what has happened to me: not to know what happened to them, where they were taken to, at what moment while they were being tortured they would have needed a hand from their family. Nevertheless, my pain keeps me going, ready to fight in order that the same thing never happens to others.
I would like those responsible for so much suffering to go through just 15 days of what I have had to live through for years and years. These have been 12 years of suffering and I would like those responsible to go to jail for what they have done, because if not other governments will come along tomorrow and the drama will be repeated.
The terrible thing is not having the bodies, not being able to go to the cemetery to plant flowers. When someone dies in a confrontation, one cries, one suffers, but the body is there: we are just left with this open wound.
When I am alone in the house, I turn on the radio because they used to like listening to football. I make certain meals and think, ' my husband liked this dish so much'. It is painful being alone, but I have a great determination to discover the truth: it is a constant struggle in order that no one else will have to go through what we have been through ...
What happens to me and I think the same thing happens to my other friends at the association - I leave work, I get on a bus an14 November 2001d I see my son's face. My pain is great and permanent ... They were people, human beings ... when they took my husband and son away, they were in the workshop in my own home. So how can I find peace? We spend every day thinking of ways to find out about our relatives. It is a pain we feel everyday ...
I think I'm right, the world did just get a little, tiny bit better.
Tags: news | politics | obits | Chile | human rights | Augusto Pinochet
