Pinochet remains a strongly divisive figure in Chilean public opinion
Chilean Executive spokesperson Andrés Chadwick asserted the government’s impartiality toward Sunday’s screening of “Pinochet,” a documentary on Chile’s former dictator, amid calls from human rights organizations and local and national politicians for President Sebastian Piñera to intervene.
“In our country, and in democracies, there is the legitimate right to express oneself,” Chadwick said. “We as government, neither favour, collaborate, participate nor take part in this type of homage”.
Senate President Camilo Escalona from the opposition Socialist Party (PS) denounced the administration’s stance.
“The government cannot keep quiet,” Sen. Escalona said. “It is true that, from a formal point of view, the law does not authorize the cancellation of the event. But it appears to me that a condemnation from the public authorities is a moral obligation”.
In response to public scrutiny, President of the Union of Retired Officials of the National Defence (UNOFAR) Adm. Jorge Llorente, defended Pinochet.
“He is by far the best president Chile has had,” Llorente said in an interview with the ORBE Agency.
When asked about the opposition to the event from human rights groups and government officials, Llorente answered: “It must be because they're very scared.”
“Pinochet’s image has been defamed, and they have tried to destroy his image,” he said. “But I will reiterate, he was the best president in Chile and he is the one who made Chile go from being a mediocre country to the jewel of America.”
Professor Alberto Coddou of the Centre for Human Rights at Universidad de Diego Portales and José Miguel Vivanco, director of the Human Rights Watch Americas, said that the event should not be cancelled.
“Stopping the event would be going back in time,” Coddou told The Santiago Times.
“Our main worry is that it could represent a denial of what happened during Pinochet's regime, such as the proven violation of human rights. Forbidding the movie screening, which is in fact a documentary and not a direct homage to Pinochet, would also make his supporters into victims and this would be the worst thing to do.”
In Chile, there is no law that prohibits inciting hate, and some consider banning the screening a violation of free speech.
“If a sector of the country feels inspired by this man, and want to re-vindicate his image, I feel like it is their right,” Vivanco told Radio ADN. “The freedom of expression and national and international standards protect the rights of this group of Chileans.”
“That sector of Chileans that are inspired by dictatorships, brutality and even corruption have the right to pay this type of homage, and the state has the obligation to take the necessary measures to guarantee the exercise of that right.” he added.
Movimiento 11 de Septiembre, the event’s organizer, told The Santiago Times that the event is merely a documentary screening, “not a homage.” About 4,000 people are expected to view the film at Teatro Caupilcán at 11:00 am on Sunday.
The documentary, “Pinochet,” by director Ignacio Zegers received the prize “Hispania de Oro” at the International Festival of Great Hispanoamerican Film (FIGCH) last March.
By Sumy Sadurni -The Santiago Times
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19 comments Feed
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For those who don't like Pinochet, rather than banning pro-Pinochet video like some Chilean activists want, why not just make anti-Pinochet video?
To prohibit the screening of a documentary film on Pinochet would be an infringement of the human right to free expression.
There is no doubt that Pinochet was a dictator and his regime was a cruel one, but he was the inventor of the modern economic state of Chile.
I think it is hard for non Chileans to understand the breadth of feeling about this person.
I agree with poster (1) on this one.
More focus should be put on Mr. Pinochet monies.
Justice has, until now, unearthed about ~30.000.000 U$S.
Thirty totally undeclared, unexplained and previously unknown million dollars.
Mister Pinochet was many things, all-right. Between others…………… , a common thief.
Most people do not understand that Pinochet was an accidental figure in Chilean history. In fact he almost didn't figure in it at all. I'll explain.....
Firstly (full disclosure) my own position: It is clear and simple. I am a conservative constitutionalist.
All soldiers in the Chilean army swear an oath to the flag, irrespective of rank, to abide by the laws of the Republic.
Pinochet and his cohorts are technically traitors. But wait there's more.
Socialist Allende was elected president on 4/sep/1970 by the slimmest of margins (36.2 percent to 34.9), a minority government. He had no mandate, but was safe from a coup because of Chile's solid constitutional military hierarchy. R. Schneider was the commander in chief. A loyal and conservative hero. Unfortunately on Oct 22, 70 general R. Viaux and Gen Valenzuela two traitors on the CIA's payroll were paid to assassinate him. Enter General Carlos Prats. He is promoted to cmder in chief and later minister of defence, he's a solid constitutionalist. Allende is safe for the next 3 yrs. During this time the economy and the social fabric of Chile catastrophically deteriorated. Gen Prats faced mounting pressure to restore order, but refused as it was not his job to do so, he became a hated man. One day(27.Jun.73) in traffic on his way to the office he was confronted by a heckler, there was much abuse from the other car, Prats demanded an apology but none came. He got out his service pistol and fired some shots into the car, unhurt the driver turned out to be a short haired woman alexandrina Cox. Allende didn't accept his resignation. Two days later the 1st coup attempt. Enter Pinochet, Prats and him put down the mutiny quickly and Pinochet is eager to shoot the traitors He's a good guy.
Two months later after demonstrations outside his house, Prats resigns and Allende promotes Pinochet. BIG MISTAKE, 18 days later he carries out the Sep 11 coup, Allende is dead and so is my favorite singer Victor Jara.
Saludos.
Another good take on this is “The Sovereign State”' by the late Anthony Sampson. It gives a very good background to the rise of Pinochet and his cronies. Of course the coup was given the OK by Dr Kissinger and President Nixon. There is also some information about the part played by ITT in the whole affair.
For movie goers I suggest you try to get hold of the film “Missing” with Cissy Spacek and Jack Lemon. This deals with the disappearance and murder of an American journalist, John Hormon, who stumbled upon the truth behind the coup.
But do not forget that the Cubans were strolling around Santiago before the coup. Perhaps there would have been another Cuba on the South American mainland had it not been for Pinochet and his pals.
Pinochet did many cruel things but he also left the country with good government.
Correct me if I am wrong.
For the first two years 1973 - 1975 Pinochet's gov muddled around trying to find a path forward. In fact things were the same or worse than under the Socialist Allende in terms of unemployment, inflation etc.
It was only when he decided to hire the Chicago boys and let them work their magic that things began to change.
First the bitter medicine....Wholesale sell off of inefficient state enterprises, economic liberalization, balancing the state finances etc. the immediate result from this rebooting of the Chilean economy was very hard for the majority of the population. People living bellow the poverty line lifted to almost 50% and the GDP contracted severely. It was tough love indeed.
So the seeds were sown and after a tough decade going cold turkey Chile began to reap the rewards by the later part of the 80's.
The rest is history, we now have a solid foundation and have built an open competitive economy. We did the hard yards now the rest of the path to development won't be as arduous.
In conclusion, Pinochet was clueless and an economic illiterate, but he knew when to get out of the way to let experts run the things he knew nothing about, and that's all he ever needed to do.
As for the doco about him, well it's a free country and if you want to make a doco about him or anyone else for that matter, be it Che, fidel, Peron or Allende, I couldn't give a shit. I'll watch it because I'm curious, not because of any love I have for the old geezer. I still deeply believe that his coup detat was the most unnecessary thing that could have happened. Allende was NEVER EVER going to win the 1976 elections. 3000 people died because they held different political beliefs...fucking sad, now the commies are as much a part of the capitalist system as anyone else. What a waste.
Cheers.
While Fujimori was justly incarcerated for his crimes, I think that one reason his daughter Keiko did as well as she did in 2011 run-off election against Ollanta Humala was that many Peruvians regard Alberto Fujimori as being an effective president in stabilizing the Peruvian economy and capturing the Shining Path leader Abimael Guzmán.
In mid 1973 the country was in complete disarray. Armed gangs attacked large farms and split them into small subsistence farming units, which did not produce the food needed in urban Chile. Food was very scarce in Santiago and other urban areas. People in the countryside sent or brought food to their relatives in the towns.
Pinochet was a very ambiguos character. One can say he did the right thing the wrong way.
Had he not been hellbent on torturing and butchering his opponents, but instead had sent them in internal exile on a well guarded island, provided with housing, food and clothes on par with the average Chileno, he would have been a national hero today.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGtCeyu9hxQ
“” The Sovereign State ITT “” ? book ...i have it ... but full of distraction.
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& 5 ..... & 7
How old are you ?
Reference:
Galvarino Apablaza:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvarino_Apablaza
Argentine Anticommunist Alliance: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_Anticommunist_Alliance
ITT was pro facist under its founder if I can remember correctly
Chile is not more clean country than Argentina !
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& 13
I am not certain of that S.Allende killed by the Chilean Army/CIA....
I doubt S.Allende and his team was backed by a Fraction of Argentine Peronists.
Should we believe Wikipedia, Pinochet supporters or the article below?
“Both police and court cases are resolved, and both Galvarino Apablaza was established that did not participate”
“Ambas causas están policial y judicialmente resueltas, y en ambas quedó establecido que Galvarino Apablaza no tuvo participación”
revista-zoom.com.ar/articulo245.html
CFK is refusing the extradition requests precisely because his wife is a high ranking member of the CFK admin. Shame on her. This scumbag (yes this at least is proven ) has to face the charges. If he beats the rap then deport him back to Argentina. Simple.
CFK is a hypocrite of the first order. The Argentine government has had no hesitation in arresting former members of the military junta, trying them and then jailing them (if found guilty of human rights abuses).
On the other hand why does she adopt this attitude to it Galvarino Apablaza? I read what you have written. Her day will also come. The writing is on the wall. What goes around comes around - Karma!
Reference: goo.gl/PVng0
Civilians asked on the streets for the military to take over the power to stop this almost civil war....After the 1973 coup and up to the return to the whole democracy the guerrilleros have continued commiting assaults and murders, even of a Senator on 1991, when Mr. Aylwyn was at the Office, by a gang leaded by Galvarino Apablaza. Most of the died from 1973 on were extremist not nurses'childrn and a lot of military personnel working to keep the country in peace. Allende was a coward that killed himself to avoid to face his responsability for his acts that meant the destruction of a whole country and it inhabitants......Almost 40 years later the Allende followers keep showing their intolerance to the others to think different and express it as today we have seen on TV news....That's the real truth.... Viva Chile...
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