Powell's Comments Re: Chile '73

[Drake Tungsten]

Pinochet was bad, but he wasn't that bad. Commies really need to find a new boogeyman.

[Bereta_Eder]

How many people died because of Pinochet's brutality? And how many were tortured?

Anyone has the numbers?

[Chilean Presidentâ„¢]

3.000 deads... don't know the number of tortured but most of the 3.000 deads were tortured.

[Ned]

Does anyone know the reason for Pinochet rounding up and killing the Communists rather than just banning the Communist party? Was there an ongoing war after Allende died?

[Chilean Presidentâ„¢]

Well the communist party suffered a constitutional bann. And the others gets a 'momentary aim of activities' that actually last until 1988.

On the first months after the coup, left-wing armed groups (MAPU, GAP and others without name) iniciate terrorists activities throughout Chile, so that was the on going war that the military faced. That 'war' end pretty soon.
In the 80's, after the economic crisis of 1982 a new terrorist group appear; FPMR. That group made the biggest and more dared attacks to the military. Also I must said that they were acting against the new neo liberal economy that they said it was making people poorest. Besides doing violent terrorist actions they do some 'good things' for the poorest people that haven't enought money to buy food. The steal trucks with food that went to the supermarkets and then they give the food in the poorest zones of the cities.
In 1986 the FPMR attacked the presidential caravan given a reason for the pursuiting of the members of that group.

[Dr. Nick]

Does anyone know the reason for Pinochet rounding up and killing the Communists rather than just banning the Communist party?

Because after they were banned, they wouldn't stay down. Give me my civil and political liberties or give me death, aye aye?

[Ned]

Ah, so that was it. The communists went gorrilla.

Still, it does not excuse the use of torture. That puts Pinochet down at the same level as the communisits.

[Az]

guerilla.

( yes, I want to spell it gorilla,too . )