MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Pinochet “I assume the political responsibility ”

Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet celebrated his 91st birthday yesterday with a mea culpa, taking “political responsibility” for acts committed following his 1973 military coup.

In a letter read by his wife, Lucía Hiriart, from the doorstep of his upscale Santiago home, Pinochet said loyalty to his country had motivated all his actions.

"I assume the political responsibility for all of the works carried out with no other motive than to make Chile a great place and prevent its disintegration," he said in the letter.

Pinochet, who has not spoken publicly in a long time, had previously blamed what he called ??excesses'' on subordinates. Yesterday, he did not specify what he had known about, authorized or ordered.

Pinochet did not accompany his wife to the porch of his home while she read the letter, but could be seen behind her. Later, he stood from a chair just inside the house to wave to a band of mariachi musicians who came to serenade him with his favourite song, the Mexican ballad El Rey (The King).

"Today, close to the end of my days, I want to make clear that I hold no rancour toward anybody, that I love my country above all else," Pinochet said in the letter.

Pinochet said in the statement that the military was forced to act against Allende's government because the social and political convulsions at the time were threatening the country.

In a clear reference to the scores of trials of military officers for the human rights abuses, Pinochet sent ??a message of support to my comrades in arms, many of whom are imprisoned, suffering persecution and revenge.'' ??It's not fair to demand punishment for those who prevented the continuation and worsening of the worst political and economic crisis than one can remember,'' the statement added. ??I repeat: I assume full political responsibility for what happened.''

The legal noose is tightening around Pinochet and recently he was under house arrest briefly for crimes including torture, murder and kidnapping during his regime.

Around 3,000 people were killed or "disappeared" during the former general's rule and some 28,000 were tortured after he overthrew Marxist president Salvador Allende and came to power. Thousands of Chileans left the country and went into exile.

Most recently an appeals court stripped Pinochet of immunity ? a privilege of former presidents ? to face charges relating to the kidnap and disappearance of a Spanish priest in 1974 who was arrested by agents of Chile's DINA, the dictatorship's most oppressive police unit.

Pinochet defended the coup and the military regime yesterday, saying it left ??a vigorous, modern, admired country.''

??I am absolutely certain that tomorrow, once the political passions and resentments are ended, history will judge our work objectively and will recognize that we put Chile on top of the nations in our continent.''