Gen. Pinochet, 91, fighting for life (suffered heart attack, last rites given)

AP on Yahoo ^ | 12/3/06 | Eduardo Gallardo - ap

[NormsRevenge]

SANTIAGO, Chile - Gen. Augusto Pinochet, whose 17-year dictatorship carried out thousands of political killings, widespread torture and illegal jailings, clung to life in a Chilean hospital Sunday after suffering a heart attack and being administered last rites.

Just eight days earlier, the 91-year-old former strongman took full responsibility for the actions of his 1973-90 regime after long insisting any abuses were the fault of subordinates.

Pinochet underwent an emergency angioplasty to restore the flow of blood to his heart, and doctors described his condition as "serious but stable." They planned to perform bypass surgery later in the day, state television reported.

"We are now in the hands of God and of the doctors. My father is in very bad condition," Pinochet's younger son, Marco Antonio Pinochet, said at Gen. Luis Felipe Brieba Military Hospital.

Dr. Juan Ignacio Vergara, a member of the team attending the former leader, said the heart attack was "indeed life threatening," especially because of Pinochet's age.

Pinochet's health had been deteriorating for years. Doctors implanted a heart pacemaker in 1993 and he suffered from diabetes and arthritis. He also was diagnosed with mild dementia caused by several strokes.

The health problems helped Pinochet escape trial for the human rights abuses committed during his regime, with courts ruling out proceedings at least twice in recent years as victims of his rule pressed efforts to bring him to justice.

Last week, Pinochet was put under house arrest after being indicted in the executions of two bodyguards of Salvador Allende, the freely elected Marxist president who was toppled in a bloody 1973 coup led by Pinochet as commander of the Chilean military.

The heart attack came barely a week after Pinochet's 91st birthday on Nov. 25, an occasion he marked by issuing a statement for the first time taking full political — though not explicitly legal — responsibility for abuses committed by his regime.

"Today, near the end of my days, I want to say that I harbor no rancor against anybody, that I love my fatherland above all and that I take political responsibility for everything that was done which had no other goal than making Chile greater and avoiding its disintegration," the statement said.

Pinochet fell ill around 2 a.m. and was rushed to the military hospital accompanied by his wife, Lucia Hiriart.

He underwent an angioplasty, in which doctors introduce a catheter to a patient's blocked artery and inflate a small balloon to enlarge it, restoring blood flow to the heart. Doctors said the procedure was successful and Pinochet remained conscious in the intensive care unit.

Pinochet's younger son said his father had been "virtually rescued from death" with the angioplasty. But the former leader's spokesman, retired Gen. Guillermo Garin, also said last rites had been administered.

Pinochet's grown children and other relatives, former aides and retired military officers went to the hospital, as did Chile's army chief, Gen. Oscar Izurieta.

As news of the heart attack spread, some 50 Pinochet supporters, most of them women, gathered in front of the hospital, some holding his portrait.

"How could I not be desperate? He's like a father to me, and we all owe him so much," said Julieta Aguilar, standing outside holding a small bronze bust of Pinochet.

Ricardo Lagos Weber, spokesman for President Michelle Bachelet, said the government was closely following the situation.

Critics of Pinochet have often argued that his health problems were being exaggerated to help him avoid trial.

"Pinochet is used to becoming ill every time a court ruling is near," human rights lawyer Hiram Villagra told Radio Bio Bio after the heart attack was reported. "He is hospitalized every time he faces an indictment, that is why we have doubts this time, too."

The Santiago Court of appeals was scheduled to rule Monday on Pinochet's appeal of last week's indictment and the house arrest order.

The house arrest was the fifth such action taken against Pinochet on charges stemming from human rights violations during his dictatorship.

The indictment alleges kidnapping and homicide in connection with the deaths of two Allende bodyguards who were arrested the day of the coup, Sept. 11, 1973. Both were executed by firing squad four weeks later, the military regime announced at the time.

According to an independent commission appointed by the first civilian government after Pinochet's rule, 3,197 people were killed for political reasons during his regime and more than 1,000 of them were "disappeared" by burying them in secret graves or tossing them in the sea.

Pinochet faces two other indictments, one tied to allegations of rights abuses and one involving tax avoidance charges.

[Non-Sequitur]

Yeah, sure. Suspending habeas corpus was "Constitutional". Arresting newspapermen and closing newspapers was "Constitutional". Lincoln DESTROYED the Constitution to "save the Republic".

How many of those freedoms you accuse Lincoln of violating existed under Pinochet?

[eleni121]

Pinochet is a heroic figure in the long and difficult process for reforming the failed economic and social policies of Latin America and for stabilizing a nation on the brink of disaster at the hands of the international Communist party.

For you to suggest otherwise demonstrates a deeply flawed outlook on human affairs and freedom.

Long Live Pinonchet! We need more like him especially in Venezuela.

[Bonaparte]

A messy civil war? Who woulda thunk it? IMO, General Pinochet showed exceptional restraint, far more than I would have shown those communist insurrectionists.

[xsmommy]

does anyone KNOW who/what salvador allende was? are they aware he was another castro???

[Bonaparte]

Excellent post, Yardstick!

It's my firm belief that as the WOT continues, we will have to go much farther than Pinochet had to. If we don't, we will lose. Considering how many Americans are squeamish about fighting our enemy effectively, the outcome is far from certain. Our SCOTUS is already telling us that we can only interrogate the enemy in ways that have never worked and that we must accord him "rights" that he is not legally entitled to -- islamic terrorism's staunchest allies are in our media and the democratic party -- and worst of all, fully half our citizenry apparently believes that if you are attacked by an armed thug on a dark street, your response should be to call your lawyer and have him send a cease and desist letter to him. Luckily for Chile, Pinochet did not live in that kind of dreamland. As you can see from some of the responses on this thread, we are not so fortunate.

[Bon mots]

Perhaps a Pinochet is needed in Iraq. Some nations need strong men.

I've always said that Iraq needs an Ataturk.

Ataturk saved Turkey from being like - well - Iraq.

He forced the Turks to stop wearing the veil and headscarf - and to this day you will see fewer headscarves in Turkey than you do in London.

He made the men stop wearing the fez - religious muslim headgear.

He kicked out the Muslim caliph.

He massacred the Dervishes (Muslim religious nutjobs.)

He moved Turkey closer to the civilized west.

He changed the weekend from the Muslim Thursday/Friday to the Christian Saturday/Sunday.

He got rid of the Arabic alphabet and used Roman characters adjusted to the Turkish language that they use to this day.

Most important, was his secularization of Turkey.

To this day, he is a hero to Turks.

[PhillyRepublican]

No, I was being sarcastic.

[Bon mots]

I can't believe some of the posts I've read here... on a theoretically right wing forum!


Wormwood: Good. Die already.

OldFriend: Pinochet and Castro having a meet and greet in hell.

blitzgig: No tears for this scumbag. Chile would probably still be a hellish wasteland if Milton Friedman hadn't introduced ideas of freedom and capitalism to the country.

WestVirginaRebel: I'm ashamed we supported this thug. Good riddance.

Well, I guess you folks won't be wiping any tears off of your red Che Guevara tee shirts...

I can see that the left's constant pillorying of one of Latin America's great heroes has even infected the ideological thought of many on a conservative forum.

Many don't know the true story of the Allende government and where it was all headed - and very quickly.

The Socialist experiment was spiraling rapidly out of control and headed towards disaster. Allende was resorting to increasingly desperate measures as Chile went from a food exporter to an importer (after seizing many estates), and the Commies had stolen much industry from the wealthy. Capital was fleeing the country as were the monied and entrepreneurial classes.

Allende was preparing to call martial law and was unloading Soviet weapons in Valparaiso harbor.

Pinochet could not bear to watch the further disintegration of his country. As a staunch anti-Communist, he would not allow its seizure by a Soviet armed Allende. The people were demonstrating in the streets. There was open talk of revolution. Someone had to DO SOMETHING!

Pinochet had cojones. He acted. He was reviled for it to this day.

Many clueless leftist diptards even some people on this forum equate him with Socialist killers such as Mao (+30million killed), Stalin (25million murdered) and Hitler (12 million murdered).

Pinochet was a soldier, and responded to a violent movement (Communism) - which started at the ballot box but quickly descended to fighting in the streets as people began to feel the effects of their folly - the same place it always ends up.

The Rettig Commission established a list of the victims and could only come up with some 2095 names. Everyone pretty much agrees on this figure - except, of course - some of the hysterical left.

This was a small price to pay for the liberation of Chile from communist thugs.

We killed over a million in Vietnam and couldn't stop Communism. Nobody is calling JFK a Hitler or Stalin.

Over a million died in Korea - and we didn't give the commies the boot.

Pinochet sends 2000 violent leftist diptards, Commie thugs, and foreign Communist agitators and troublemakers to the boneyard and people are calling him a Hitler. Puhleeeease!

---

¡Vaya con dios General Pinochet!

¡Afronte combatiente contra el comunismo!

[Bon mots]

Oops. When I cite someone I ping them. You were left out by accident in my previous post

I also tried to ping WestVirginaRebel, but he/she appears to have been zotted.

[Terry-Action]

Wow, why so much hate on here for Gen. Pinochet? I mean, yeah, he was a bit of a dictator, but he was a good one. He was no Hitler or Stalin. He only killed you if you were a commie. A right-wing dictator was the only thing that could have stopped Chili from becoming a Communist country. More people like him are needed more than ever in South America now, with the rapid spread of leftists like Castro, Chavez, and the others who escape my name now. While I wouldn't necessarily want him to lead the US, the only way to stop the spread of leftism in SA are right-wing dictators like the good General.

[sangfroid]

IMO, General Pinochet showed exceptional restraint, far more than I would have shown those communist insurrectionists.

Yes, the restraint shown on those he only had tortured but not killed was truly admirable. And, I know he had all of his countrymen's interests primarily at heart. Not just his own personal lust for power. A true elightened despot. Furthermore, the freedom and prosperity he provided the citizens of Chile, during that time, must have been truly intoxicating.

[sangfroid]

Prehaps a Pinochet is needed in Iraq. Some nations need strong men.

Iraq had a "strongman" for many years. His name was Hussein. Remember him?

[Axlrose]

exactly, we need another saddam, or another 3 saddams one for each region.

we are not arrogant colonialists like the europeons, we are not nation builders. Install strongmen, and leave them to do what they do.

[sangfroid]

exactly, we need another saddam, or another 3 saddams one for each region.

Well, he's not dead yet... Maybe, we could let him out of jail, he could make a big comeback and then sort everyone out over there.

But, we really should run that one by the US troops that have been fighting there for three and a half years and see if they're up for it.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Unfortunately, there's a new generation to replace them. It's spreading up from the lower parts of the Americas like gangrene up a wounded leg.

[ReignOfError]

My understanding is that Pinochet was virtually asked by the Chilean parliament to oust Allende because they saw what was coming. Namely, that Allende would follow standard communist operating procedure and start fiddling with the constitution to guarantee permanent rule by his communist party.

We can speculate on what might have happened. What did happen was that a duly elected leader was overthrown and replaced by a dictator, and by the time he stepped down, thousands of people had been tortured and murdered, or had simply disappeared. We supported a lot of bad people during the Cold War because we thought the Communists would be worse. Pinochet is pretty much the worst of the bunch (and in a group that includes Taylor, Mobutu and Marcos, that's saying something).

I don't know all the ins and outs of Pinochet and Allende, but one very salient fact is that the Left hates Pinochet. That alone should tell you something

The left hates Hitler. Doesn't make him one of the good guys.

[ReignOfError]

If Pinochet's tactics are necessary to preserve your Constitutional Republic then you don't have one to begin with.

He destroyed the village in order to save it.

[ReignOfError]

Arguably, Pinochet ranks up there as one of the greatest (or the greatest) ruler of any county in the 20th century.

Boy, howdy, I'd love to see the rest of your top ten.

[ChicagoHebrew]

Boy, howdy, I'd love to see the rest of your top ten.

In no particular order:

1. Winston Churchill

2. Deng Xio Ping

3. Ronald Reagan

4. Margaret Thatcher

5. Kemal Ataturk

6. David Ben-Gurion

7. Nelson Mandela

8. Jiang Zemin

9. Harry Truman

[sangfroid]

Once apon a time...

"..Facing growing food shortages, the government of Salvador Allende placed Michelle Bachelet's father in charge of the Food Distribution Office. When Augusto Pinochet came to power in the September 11, 1973 coup, General Bachelet, refusing exile, was detained at the Air War Academy, under charges of treason. Following months of daily torture at Santiago's Public Prison, on March 12, 1974, he suffered a cardiac arrest that resulted in his death. On January 10, 1975, Bachelet and her mother were detained, and tortured, at Villa Grimaldi, a notorious secret detention center in Santiago. Some days later they were transferred to Cuatro Álamos ("Four Poplars") detention center, where they were held until the end of January. Later in 1975, due to sympathetic connections in the military, both were exiled to Australia, where Bachelet's older brother Alberto had moved in 1969."

"In May 1975, Bachelet left Australia and moved to East Germany, to an apartment assigned by the German Democratic Republic (GDR) government in Am Stern, Potsdam; her mother joined her a month later."

"In October 1976 she began working at a communal clinic in the Babelsberg neighborhood, as a preparation step to continue her medical studies at an East German university. During this period she met architect Jorge Dávalos, another Chilean exile, whom she married in 1977. In January 1978 she went to Leipzig to learn German at the Karl Marx University's Herder Institute (now the University of Leipzig)."

"She returned to Potsdam in September 1978, to continue her medical studies at the Humboldt University of Berlin for two years. Only five months after enrolling as a student, however, she obtained authorization to return to her country."

"Michelle Bachelet - a self-described agnostic - won the 2006 Chilean leadership election in a runoff, beating center-right millionaire businessman and former senator Sebastián Piñera, with 53.5% of the vote. A moderate Socialist, she campaigned on a platform of continuing Chile's free market policies, while increasing social benefits to help reduce the country's gap between rich and poor, one of the largest in the world. Her term was inaugurated on March 11, 2006."


The General must really enjoy the irony of that story.