Pinochet Dies After Heart Attack
This is one death I will certainly not mourn. He was one of the truly evil men of the 20th century and my only regret over his death is that he was never formally convicted for his crimes again the people of Chile. Ironically, he died on Human Rights Day.
According to the above-linked Washington Post story, the Iron Lady herself, Margaret Thatcher was “greatly saddened” by his death. May she and fellow war criminal Henry Kissinger be next to go the way of the Dodo.
The current president of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, was imprisoned and mistreated during pinochet’s dictatorship and recently said it would be “a violation of my conscience” to attend a state funeral for him, according to the Post. He will apparently receive military honors, but no state funeral.
By way of a little bit of history, my father was the attorney for Chile’s socialist president Salvador Allende who was overthrown by Pinochet in a military coup on September 11th, 1973, taking his own life, rather than be captured and most assuredly, tortured. As a result of that and other personal connections, Chile and the suffering of its people has been in my heart and soul for as long as I can remember. I can only hope Pinochet’s death can help finally heal the wounds caused by his horrific regime.