MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

New reconciliation attempt in Chile.

Chilean president Ricardo Lagos admitted that contrary to his Argentine counterpart Nestor Kirchner he has no plans to propose the repeal of the current Amnesty Law.

In a long interview with the Brazilian press, President Lagos who this week begun an official visit to Brazil said that in spite of protests from Chilean human rights organizations regarding his initiative on the issue, "I don't have the political strength to propose the elimination of the Amnesty Law".

"And even if I had sufficient votes in Congress and managed to repeal the law, what would the legal effects be?, none", indicated President Lagos.

Last week Mr. Lagos made public an official initiative to help reconciliation and heal the country's tragic legacy of killings, torture and disappearances going back to the regime of former General Pinochet who took power in a bloody military coup almost thirty years ago, September 11, 1973 until 1990.

Some of the key points of the proposal that will have to be approved by Congress, contemplate compensations for people who were tortured under the Pinochet regime, and commuted or reduced sentences for those Armed Forces or Police officers who only followed orders when they carried out human rights abuses.

"There's a clear distinction between those responsible for the creation of the abuse system and those who followed orders", explained President Lagos.

When asked about Argentine president Nestor Kirchner's decision to request Congress to repeal legislation that pardoned the military, Mr. Lagos replied that "it depends on how the Judiciary branch of each country operates".

"In Chile, most of the disappeared cases were claimed before the Judiciary even under Pinochet regime. In other countries, this only happened after the end of the military regime", said president Lagos.

Last week the Argentine Lower House repealed two bills from the eighties that exempted the military accused of human rights abuse. The Senate still has to consider the initiative and if finally approved will also involve the Argentine Supreme Court.

In Chile until now compensation has only been paid to the families of people who were killed during the regime, which ran from 1973 to 1990.

"Many people who have information are still sunk in a cruel and persistent silence", said President Lagos who admits his proposal does not bring a definitive solution to the suffering of many Chileans, but it is a step forward.

Pensions granted to some of the victims or their families, now averaging 400 US dollars a month, with President Lagos proposal would be increased 50% and extended to more people, including the relatives of soldiers killed in clashes with leftist guerrillas or terrorist attacks.

Chile's population is still deeply divided between those who blame Pinochet for human rights abuses and those who praise him for the foundations of the current economic stability.

A public opinion poll following President Lagos announcement last week indicated that 73% of those interviewed considered the proposal "good"; 15% "bad" and 12% did not reply. Another 72% described it as an "advance" and 21% as a "step back". However 55% said that the proposal was "realistic" and 40%, the contrary, and specifically regarding the human rights issue, 63% said it would contribute to find a solution, while 34% stated the opposite.

However if spite of the importance of the issue and the fact the proposals were aired on national television only 53% of Chileans admitted to have seen or heard President Lagos message.

Chile's Finance Ministry believes the additional compensations will cost the Treasury 30 million US dollars annually.