Pretty hopeful sign for Chile, I think. I wonder what prompted it?
Chile army admits rights abuses
Gen Cheyre had already said the army would never abuse again
The Chilean army has for the first time accepted responsibility for human rights violations carried out during military rule by Gen Augusto Pinochet.
The admission is a reversal of the army's previous position, which held that abuses of 1973-1990 were excesses carried out by individual officers.
In a statement, army commander Gen Juan Emilio Cheyre said the decision was "difficult but irreversible".
President Ricardo Lagos called it a "historic step" towards national unity.
In his statement, published in the Chilean newspaper La Tercera, Gen Cheyre said the army accepted physical and moral responsibility for "punishable and morally unacceptable acts of the past".
Under Gen Pinochet's rule more than 30,000 Chilean leftists were tortured, assassinated or simply disappeared.
At least 3,000 are accepted to have died.
'No ethical justification'
Gen Cheyre rejected oft-repeated theories that the effect of the Cold War on Chilean domestic politics in some way excused the army's actions during the military rule.
With this step, the army consolidates its integration to today's democratic Chile.
Ricardo Lagos, Chilean President
The Pinochet case: Timeline
Gen Pinochet took power in a 1973 coup, ousting the democratically-elected socialist President Salvador Allende, who was killed.
"Was that political scenario an excuse for the human rights violations that occurred in Chile? My answer is one and clear: no," Gen Cheyre said.
Current Chilean President Ricardo Lagos, visiting Brazil, described his "satisfaction and pride" that the Chilean army had made it clear that human rights abuses "cannot have an ethical justification for anybody".
"With this step, the army consolidates its integration to today's democratic Chile," he added.
The army admission comes ahead of a government commission report, due next week, that is expected to expose torture as an instrument of military policy during Gen Pinochet's rule.
The report will include testimony from up to 30,000 political prisoners tortured by Chile's army and secret police.
Gen Pinochet faces a number of prosecutions for alleged human rights abuses in the Chilean courts but is yet to appear in court amid concerns over his health.
Re: Army in Chile admits abuses during Pinochet's rule.
Remind me which superpower supported him back then in the 70s.
0 Replies
dlowan
1
Reply
Tue 9 Nov, 2004 05:59 am
Rhetorical, I assume?
0 Replies
Aris
1
Reply
Tue 9 Nov, 2004 06:11 am
Yep
0 Replies
Aris
1
Reply
Tue 9 Nov, 2004 06:15 am
I wasn't trying to be a smartass to you personally, dlowan, just being a smartass in general about Pinochet and who had a hand in all those human rights violations your article was mentioning
0 Replies
dlowan
1
Reply
Tue 9 Nov, 2004 03:10 pm
Oh, I know.
I just double check these things, cos sometimes folk really don't know - it was also a sort of laugh at your post.
0 Replies
panzade
1
Reply
Tue 9 Nov, 2004 03:13 pm
Now , if the Argentine army did the same...
0 Replies
Aris
1
Reply
Tue 9 Nov, 2004 04:20 pm
So, dlowan, why do you think the Chilean army admitted this now? I'm honestly asking for your opinion because I had not heard of this development. Expound on it please, after all you did post the article
0 Replies
dlowan
1
Reply
Tue 9 Nov, 2004 06:41 pm
I have no idea - maybe Fbaezer might come along?
perhaps the new Chilean army wishes to acknowledge its past freely and frankly as part of building a strong democracy with integrity?
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace