VARIOUS: Allende's daughter says Pinochet should have stood trial, latest reax

The daughter of Chile's late President Salvador Allende, who was ousted by Augusto Pinochet, said on Monday (December 11) she was comforted by the fact the former dictator died pursued by the courts, even though he was never sentenced. After meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in Madrid, Allende said the legal process against Pinochet should continue. Salvador Allende, a Socialist, shot himself during the military coup led by Pinochet, who went on to head a bloody 1973-1990 dictatorship in which more than 3,000 people were killed or disappeared and another 28,000 tortured. Isabel Allende, a cousin of the well-known novelist of the same name, went into exile in Mexico after the coup but is now a member of Chile's parliament for the Socialist Party, which once again governs the country. Allende said the dictator's death would not change her country as he had long ago lost his political power. But she said Pinochet had left Chile with "an open wound" that would only be healed when he was condemned by the country's justice system. The dictator's opponents claim his personal fortune, estimated at $30 million USD, is made up of stolen public funds. "Chile's courts must stop Pinochet's family inheriting his wealth and make sure it is returned to the state," Allende said. "It's obviously embezzled money, I know of no military commander or chief that can save $30 million USD," she said. Pinochet, who polarised Chile during his 1973-1990 dictatorship and spent his old age fighting human rights, fraud and corruption charges, died on Sunday (December 10). He suffered a heart attack a week ago and, just when he appeared to be recovering, his health suddenly deteriorated, doctors said. Spain, is home to many exiles from Pinochet's 1973-1990 dictatorship, and on Madrid's streets many were disappointed the former dictator did not go to trial. "It is a shame that they didn't finish the trial. I'd like the process to continue for that man to properly respond to justice. That would be a good way to bring justice to those who died because of him," said Pepe, a resident of Madrid. In France, Interior Minister and candidate for presidential elections next year, Nicolas Sarkozy, said on Monday that it was a shame Pinochet did not face charges against humanity in a court of law before his death. "General Pinochet is a dictator. Chile suffered very much from his politics and it is a pity that justice wasn't served. He should have faced the charges he was responsible for," Sarkozy told reporters at a news conference in Paris. Many on the streets of French capital shared Sarkozy's views. "I am happy. He was a dictator. Everybody should be happy about the death of a dictator," said Carolina, a resident of Paris. In Chile's capital Santiago, thousands of Chileans, some praying and many in tears, filed past Pinochet's coffin on Monday as his family criticised the government for denying the former dictator a state funeral.

ITN Source | December 12, 2006

Tags:. .wound. .wasnt. .disappeared. .comforted. .spanish