Grandson of Pinochet to leave Chile army (Golpista wannabe)

[Say_What]

Another Pinochet Golpista wannabe...

<clips>

SANTIAGO, Chile - The grandson of Gen. Augusto Pinochet will soon leave Chile's army after causing an uproar with his eulogy that denounced judges who had tried the late dictator, his father said Wednesday.

Capt. Augusto Pinochet Molina, 34, defended his grandfather's bloody 1973 coup at his funeral Tuesday and said judges who later sought to prosecute him were seeking "notoriety, not justice" — a comment that brought applause from mourners and censure from the president.

The reaction demonstrated yet again the deep divisions in Chile over the former military dictatorship.

President Michelle Bachelet — herself once imprisoned under the dictatorship — called the younger Pinochet's comments "an extremely serious offense" because it is an attack against a branch of government.

She said she expected the army to take "necessary measures" to punish Pinochet Molina, but his father, also named Augusto, said he was already planning to leave the army.

Pinochet Molina, an army engineer, was reported to be attending a family religious service for his grandfather at a residence southwest of Santiago on Wednesday and did not comment on the controversy.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061213/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/chile_pinochet


Augusto Pinochet Molina (L), grandson of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, stands near his father, Augusto Pinochet Hiriart (R) at his grandfather's funeral inside the Military College in Santiago, December 12, 2006. (Victor Ruiz Caballero/Reuters)


Chile's President Michelle Bachelet speaks at La Moneda Palace in Santiago, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2006. Bachelet said she expected the army will take the 'necessary measures' to punish Capt. Augusto Pinochet Molina, the soldier grandson of Gen. Augusto Pinochet, after a controversial unauthorized speech at his grandfather's funeral, Tuesday, which President Michelle Bachellet and the army called 'an extremely serious offense'. (AP Photo/Roberto Candia)

[Say_What]

1. Predictably, better coverage from the BBC: Row over Pinochet funeral speech

<clips>

The grandson of Chile's former military ruler Augusto Pinochet faces military discipline over an unapproved speech he gave at his grandfather's funeral.

Captain Augusto Pinochet Molina praised the general as a great world leader, criticising judges who charged him.

Army sources said the officer's remarks were a grave violation and that he could face dismissal.

Chilean Defence Minister Vivianne Blanlot, also at the funeral, said the remarks were "an insult to the state".

...Ms Blanlot - who was at the service as the lone representative of the government of President Michelle Bachelet - said later: "It is unacceptable for an active service member to make a public statement so politicised it amounts to an insult to the state.

"I trust that the army will take the appropriate action as befits such cases," she said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6175455.stm


Opponents of former Dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet throw a burning coffin effigy into the Mapocho River during celebrations in downtown Santiago, Chile after Pinochet's death, Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2006. Thousands of opponents rushed to the streets to celebrate the death of Pinochet, who ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990 after a military coup, and died Sunday from heart complications at the age of 91. (AP Photo/Marcelo Hernandez)


Opponents of former dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet pay tribute at a monument of former President Salvador Allende during celebrations in downtown Santiago, Chile after Pinochet's death, Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2006. Thousands of opponents rushed to the streets to celebrate the death of Dictator Pinochet, who ruled Chile after a military coup from 1973 to 1990, and died Sunday from heart complications at 91. (AP Photo/Jorge Salas)

[Eugene]

2. Updated BBC report - "Army sacks Pinochet grandson"

His family says he was leaving the army anyway.

Last Updated: Thursday, 14 December 2006, 02:16 GMT

Army discharges Pinochet grandson

The grandson of the former military ruler of Chile, General Augusto Pinochet -
who died on Sunday - has been discharged from the Chilean army.

Captain Augusto Pinochet Molina had given an unauthorised speech at his
grandfather's funeral on Tuesday.

He praised the general as a great world leader who saved Chile from Marxism.

-snip-

The commander of the Chilean army, Gen Oscar Izurieta, said Captain Pinochet
had committed a grave error, leaving no choice but to discharge him.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6175455.stm

[Say_What]

3. "an insult to the state".

to say the least.

It figures that Pinochet's family would say he was leaving anyway. This will just add to their idea that they're being *persecuted*. Four of five kids and the mother are all facing charges of fraud, embezzlement, and tax evasion. One of the daughters even tried to claim asylum in the US early this year after fleeing tax evasion in Chile to the tune of nearly 900,000 USD.


From the article:


...Chilean Defence Minister Vivianne Blanlot, who attended the funeral, said the remarks were "an insult to the state".

This was echoed by President Bachelet on Wednesday.

"This is a grave error and we are certain that the army will know what to do," she said, before Captain Pinochet's dismissal was announced.


Chilean Defense Minister Vivianne Blanlot (L) and Chilean Commander in Chief Oscar Izurieta arrive at the Military Academy in Santiago, to attend the funeral mass in homage of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. Pinochet, whose brutal Cold War military regime presided over mass torture and murder, received a full military funeral after the government denied him state honors.(AFP/Pablo Porciuncula)

[Say_What]

4. General Prats grandson spit on the glass covering Pinochet's face....

Prats was assassinated in Argentina by DINA during Operation Condor. Prats and his wife, Sofia Cuthbert, died in a massive car bomb explosion that blew them nine stories into the air. It was the first assassination carried outside of Chilean borders. Two years later DINA assassinated Orlando Letelier the same way in Washinton DC, despite the fact that Poppy Bush knew it was gonna happen.

<clips>

...In the only incident during the long night, a man spat on the glass covering Pinochet's face inside the casket, the army said. He was detained by military guards, but quickly released.

He was identified as Francisco Cuadrados Prats, a grandson of Gen. Carlos Prats, Pinochet's predecessor as army commander, who was assassinated in exile in Argentina in 1974.

Gen. Prats had opposed Pinochet's coup and his assassination was attributed to Pinochet's secret service by Argentine courts, which unsuccessfully sought Pinochet's extradition.

Cuadrados told TV Channel 13 he considers Pinochet responsible for his grandfather's death.

http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/53629.html


General Carlos Prats and Salvador Allende

[Judi Lynn]

5. Good for him! Hope that Francisco Cuadrados Prats got there before this genius,

arrived, wearing his favorite murderous U.S. right-wing puppet dictator funeral attending clothes:



With characteristic right-wing flair, the Pinochet grandson crashed the bloody, greedy idiot's funeral:

During the main ceremony on Tuesday, Pinochet Molina unexpectedly appeared at the speakers podium and said Pinochet "defeated Marxism, which attempted to impose its totalitarian model," gaining an ovation from mourners.

He also criticized judges who put the ailing general under indictment or house arrest several times for deaths and torture during his 1973-73 reign. Those judges, Capt. Pinochet said, "sought notoriety, not justice."

Bachelet said the officer was not scheduled to speak but "jumping over the line of command, broke into the ceremony."
(snip)

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/12/13/america/LA_GEN_Chile_Pinochet.php

Quite the striking family resemblance between the Pinochet grandson and his lovely aunt Lucía Pinochet.

[Say_What]

6. Augusto Pinochet Hiriart, father of Golpista wannabe and 1970 School of the Americas graduate

For your reading enjoyment.. quotes by and background information on Augusto Pinochet Hiriart, retired army captain who attended of the School of the Americas in 1970.

While Dictator Pinochet was not a graduate of the School of the Americas, his influence was held in high esteem. In 1991, visitors could view a note from Pinochet, and a ceremonial sword donated by him, on display in the office of the Commandant. :puke:

On Chile's refusal to allow a state funeral:

...La Hora publishes several post-funeral comments, including one from Pinochet's son Augusto Pinochet Hiriart who says "it is incomprehensible the government has been unwilling to render the proper honours".

"The Russians have sent their condolences. Most countries of the world have a special regard for my father."

On the arrest of his mother and brother Marco for tax fraud:

...Mrs Pinochet's eldest son, Augusto Pinochet Hiriart, said the arrest was a shock to the family and that lawyers would be contesting the allegations.

"They are going to kill her...because she's a had a heart problem for years, suffers from many illnesses, and she's over 80-years-old," he told local media.

Snippet of Pinochet-Hiriart's arrest in 2004

*1. CHILE: PINOCHET'S SON ARRESTED

...A retired army captain, Pinochet Hiriart has been linked to other
illegal activities in the past; the rest of his family is said to
keep him at a distance. But his arrest comes just as various
government agencies have opened investigations into his father's
finances and those of 39 relatives and associates and 29
companies, including Pinochet Ugarte's wife and his other
children. 8/1/04 from EFE]

La Nacion ran a lengthy article about Pinochet-Hiriart and suffered the consequences:

La Nación, the only state-owned newspaper, also has its problems; the newspaper now concentrates on covering sports events. La Nación was the protagonist of a major incident concerning freedom of expression during Chile's political transition in May 1993, at the beginning of the democratic government, when it published a long article about the case popularly known as "Pinocheques." The case involved bank documents discovered in 1991, revealing Army loans to Pinochet's son, Augusto Pinochet Hiriart.

The long newspaper article, complete with photographs of the documents, was considered hostile and an act of provocation. In a meeting of generals, held in the Armed Forces building that is located in front of the government's La Moneda palace, publication of the article was interpreted as harassment of the "Army and the person of its Commander-in-Chief." To demonstrate their anger, the generals closed off the building, encircling it with a group of 60 elite and well-equipped black beret soldiers.

From HRW article about the same investigation:

In the early 1990s, government auditors were investigating Pinochet's son, Augusto Pinochet Hiriart, in an approximately U.S.$3 million case of alleged corruption involving a military-run business, known in Chile as the "Pinocheques affair." To halt the investigation, as well as due to other grievances, in May 1993 Pinochet sent combat troops into the street, creating the most serious civil-military incident since the return to civilian rule.50 The Frei government called on the prosecutor's office to close the investigation in July 1995, citing national interest, and the case was subsequently closed.

When Pinochet was arrested in London in 1998:

Gen Pinochet's son, Augusto Pinochet Hiriart, said the arrest was a "transgression against international norms".

He addressed an angry crowd outside the British ambassador's residence in Santiago on Saturday.

Some of the 200-strong crowd threw eggs and stones at the building before moving on to protest at the Spanish embassy.


Augusto Pinochet Hiriart School of the Americas graduate and rabid, foaming at the mouth dog


Keerist, they outta lock this guy up


Chilean Army Captain Augusto Pinochet Molina is applauded by his father, Augusto, after delivering a speech at the funeral of his grandfather, ex-dictator General Augusto Pinochet, at the Military Academy in Santiago on Tuesday. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

[Judi Lynn]

7. My God! I've never seen anything like that face! So THAT'S what right-wingers look like

when they think they are so powerful no one can touch them.

I have NEVER seen a human being looking like that. Easy to see there's something at work in these people which normal people overcome almost instinctively as children.

They just don't think anyone can actually stop them, that only a show of their power (fangs) is all that's needed to get people scurrying for cover.

So Pinochet's son offers, "it is incomprehensible the government has been unwilling to render the proper honours".

Well, I've got your "proper honours" right here!

[Say_What]

10. COHA: A Divided Chile Contemplates Pinochet’s Passing

Excellent analysis by COHA:

<clips>

...Although more than 15 years have passed since Pinochet lost power in a renewal of democratic elections, a chasm still divides the Chilean populace. There is a high likelihood that those now swigging at champagne bottles and tossing confetti may have been one of the 28,000 dissidents who survived horrific sessions in the many torture chambers authorized by Pinochet, or know someone who was killed by the oppressive regime.

Although many wished for his death, the majority of anti-Pinochet activists would have preferred to see him stand trial for the murders of more than 3,000 Chilean dissidents, in addition to the more recent allegations of tax fraud and embezzlement of millions of dollars. Pinochet had been arrested in London in 1998, where he remained under house arrest until he was released in March 2000 on account of his deteriorating health. Upon his return to Santiago, Chilean courts worked feverishly to strip him of his immunity. This was achieved in May 2004, yet he was time and again deemed mentally unfit for prosecution, leaving many of his victims’ families frustrated and even more disheartened over whether he would ever see justice. Despite his enduring anti-democratic personality, there remains a steadfast group of Pinochet loyalists who were glad to see his release, as they still revered him for implementing the macroeconomic reforms which eventually raised the standards of living nationwide, and for eliminating the alleged Communist threat from their country.

Pinochet’s advent was no accident, for squarely at the center of the plot to remove Allende from power was the effort by the Christian Democratic (PDC) opposition to block any prospect for President Allende’s successful rule of the country. The PDC leadership, headed by ex-President Frei, was prepared to risk sacrificing the country’s democratic system in order to rid the nation of a loathed government. As it turned out, Allende proved to be an authentic democrat, while the PDC were sheer opportunists who were prepared to sell out their country to oust the new elected leader, presumably to be replaced by themselves. However, the cruel joke on the PDC was that the Chilean military viewed the democratic politicians with contempt. Furthermore, if the Christian Democrats were guilty in preparing the groundwork of Allende’s overthrow, it was the Nixon administration – mainly Secretary of State Henry Kissinger – who supplied the dagger to plunge into the back of Chilean democracy. Its complicity cannot be exaggerated.

Pinochet was the U.S.’s main tool in the 1973 overthrow of President Salvador Allende, a democratic socialist who many ultra-conservatives feared would bring communism to the region during the height of the Cold War. However, the involvement of the Nixon administration can be traced back even further. Even before Allende came into office, the U.S. Ambassador to Chile, Edward Korry, had spoken with then-Chilean President Eduardo Frei on methods of sabotaging the inauguration of Allende. Recently unclassified documents reveal that Kissinger had met with CIA operatives on Project “FUBELT,” with the purpose of staging a military coup against Allende. With the covert backing of Nixon and Kissinger, on September 11 Pinochet instructed the Chilean Navy to seize the port city of Valparaíso, and what followed was a series of bloody raids to capture, and in many cases eliminate, all Allende sympathizers. Even though Washington was aware of the thousands of human rights abuses being committed, it still supported Chile’s part in Operation Condor, a coalition of South American rightwing dictators who systematically sought out and killed anyone with Marxist or Communist ties by utilizing a sophisticated computer circuit to track dissidents throughout the Southern Cone.

http://www.coha.org/2006/12/11/a-divided-chile-contemplates-pinochet%e2%80%99s-passing/

[Judi Lynn]

8. Grandson of Pinochet discharged from army

UPDATED: 10:31, December 15, 2006
Grandson of Pinochet discharged from army

The soldier grandson of General Augusto Pinochet was discharged from the Chilean army after causing an uproar with a funeral speech denouncing judges who had tried the late dictator.

Army General Oscar Izurieta said Wednesday's announcement that Captain Augusto Pinochet Molina, 34, had been discharged was delayed 24 hours out of "respect to his family."
(snip/...)

http://english.people.com.cn/200612/15/eng20061215_332840.html

[Judi Lynn]

9. Thatcher always honoured Britain's debt to Pinochet (source:Telegraph)

Thatcher always honoured Britain's debt to Pinochet

By Robin Harris
Last Updated: 12:01am GMT 13/12/2006

No one except Margaret Thatcher would have risked sending the British fleet 8,000 miles into the South Atlantic to recapture the Falklands in 1982. And no one else would have risked her reputation to defend that of Augusto Pinochet, when he was arrested in Britain, 16 years later. She never made any secret of the fact that the two were connected. She felt that Britain had a debt of honour which she, at least, would repay, whatever the cost.

Mrs Thatcher had no direct personal dealings with Pinochet while she was in Downing Street, despite the cooperation detailed below. She first met him while on a speaking tour in March 1994 at a reception in Santiago in the British Embassy. They subsequently had no contact until, as a result of a chance meeting, he was invited with a friend to tea at her home on October 5, 1998. The discussion was friendly but not very substantial, partly because he spoke no English and partly because he was already in acute pain from his back – he later ill-advisedly decided on an operation in a London clinic.

When Pinochet was arrested there at midnight on October 16/17, Margaret Thatcher was under no obvious duty to stand by him. One cannot, after all, be held responsible for the past life of everyone with whom one shares a cup of tea. But she felt an overwhelming moral debt, because of the Falklands. Precisely what Chile had done was shrouded in secrecy. But Mrs Thatcher's own recollections were confirmed in detail by a memorandum of March 25, 1999 written for her use by General Fernando Matthei Aubel, the head of the Chilean air force in 1982. It has never been published.

Matthei reveals how, shortly after the Argentinian invasion, the Chilean air force was approached for help by London and a special envoy despatched for direct negotiations. Matthei reported immediately to Pinochet, who agreed to collaborate, but in complete secrecy – diplomatic channels and indeed the Foreign Ministries of both countries were bypassed.
(snip/...)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/12/13/do1305.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2006/12/13/ixopinion.html