DATE=10/18/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-240381
TITLE=CHILE / PINOCHET REACT (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=JONATHAN FRANKLIN
DATELINE=SANTIAGO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO: THE CHILEAN GOVERNMENT HAS DISPATCHED A PROMINENT DIPLOMAT
TO LONDON SUNDAY, IN AN EFFORT TO PERSUADE BRITISH AUTHORITIES TO
RELEASE FORMER DICTATOR, GENERAL AUGUSTO PINOCHET, FROM CUSTODY. 
AS JONATHAN FRANKLIN REPORTS FROM SANTIAGO, THE DETENTION OF THE 
RETIRED GENERAL HAS REVIVED OLD WOUNDS IN THE SOUTH AMERICAN 
NATION.  

TEXT: THE DETENTION OF FORMER CHILEAN DICTATOR AUGUSTO PINOCHET 
IN LONDON HAS SHOCKED HIS COUNTRYMEN IN SANTIAGO.  BOTH 
SUPPORTERS AND OPPONENTS OF THE RETIRED GENERAL REACTED WITH 
DISBELIEF AT THE NEWS THAT SCOTLAND YARD HAD PLACED THE 82 YEAR 
OLD STRONG MAN UNDER ARREST PENDING HIS POSSIBLE EXTRADITION TO 
SPAIN. THE CHARGES AGAINST GENERAL PINOCHET STEM FROM AN 
INVESTIGATION CARRIED OUT BY TWO SPANISH JUDGES INTO THE PRESUMED
MURDERS OF SPANISH CITIZENS DURING THE PINOCHET DICTATORSHIP.  AN
ESTIMATED FOUR THOUSAND PEOPLE WERE KILLED AFTER 1973, WHEN 
GENERAL PINOCHET LED A MILITARY JUNTA THAT OVERTHREW THE MARXIST 
GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT SALVADOR ALLENDE.  

NEWS OF THE DETENTION HAS ALREADY GENERATED STRONG REACTION.  ON 
SUNDAY, THOUSANDS OF PINOCHET SUPPORTERS MARCHED ON THE HOME OF 
THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR AND ALSO THE SPANISH EMBASSY -- WHERE THEY
PELTED THE BUILDING WITH EGGS, CLASHED WITH RIOT POLICE AND WERE 
REPEATEDLY DRENCHED BY WATER CANNONS.   ONE OF THE PROTESTORS, 
ILSE CAROZZI, TOLD THIS REPORTER -- THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING. 
THE REASON YOU SEE SO FEW PEOPLE IS THAT WE ARE THE WORKING 
CLASS, NOT LIKE THE MARXISTS AND DELINQUENTS.  YET MOST OF THE 
DEMONSTRATORS APPEARED TO BE RELATIVELY AFFLUENT, WITH SOME 
CARRYING CELL PHONES.  

AT THE SAME TIME, OPPONENTS OF GENERAL PINOCHET  MARCHED ON 
SANTIAGO'S CENTRAL CEMETERY TO HOLD A MEMORIAL SERVICE TO THE 
VICTIMS OF THE DICTATORSHIP.  THEIR VIEWS ON THE FORMER DICTATOR 
WERE SUMMED UP BY  20 YEAR OLD UNIVERSITY STUDENT RODRIGO ALVEAR,
WHO TOLD THIS REPORTER:   HE IS AN ASSASSIN, HE DESERVES PRISON.

MEANWHILE, THE CHILEAN GOVERNMENT HAS SENT A PROMINENT DIPLOMAT 
TO LONDON TO URGE BRITISH AUTHORITIES TO RELEASE THE FORMER 
DICTATOR.  THE ENVOY WILL ARGUE THAT GENERAL PINOCHET IS 
PROTECTED FROM ARREST BY DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY.  BUT BRITAIN HAS 
REJECTED THE CLAIM, SAYING HIS DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT DOES NOT 
SHIELD HIM FROM QUESTIONING BY A SPANISH JUDGE. (SIGNED) 

NEB/JF/WFR

18-Oct-98 10:49 PM EDT (0249 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.