[GoGophers]

He then instituted free market reform and voluntarily stepped down and held free elections.

He stepped down seventeen years later after his government murdered thousands of dissidents and he suffered a crushing defeat in a referendum.

I am sorry but a tyrant (left or right) is still a tyrant.

[TaxRelief]

Both Franco and Pinochet used the same technique: They routed out civil dissenters that were remnants of the previous regime, and had them executed, usually after a trial, usually for treason and/or violent crimes. Treason is punishable by death in most countries, and so is murder. Criminally interfering foreigners were also executed.

Franco's people and Pinochet's people both saw their leaders as interim, benevolent dictators. They were tough on crime and focused on rebuilding their countries economically. They had few restrictions on religion.

Pinochet and Franco are both painted as bad guys by the main stream media. That fact, in and of itself, should be enough to make one want to do a little more research.

[Clemenza]

Yeah, after a Marxist seized power with 31% of the vote and proceeded to nationalize the economy, supress dissent and invite Cuban terrorists to train in Chile.