Friday, January 28, 2011

Chile to investigate the truth behind Allende's death


Thirty-seven years after his death, Chile will probe the cause of President Salvador Allende's demise through a special judge, according to a report by the BBC.
The former leader who was then 65, was found dead on 11 September 1973 in La Moneda presidential residence by soldiers during the US-supported coup that ushered the rise of Gen. Augusto Pinochet to power.
The probe will seek to uncover if Allende committed suicide or was killed by soldiers.
According to official autopsy reports, which where accepted by his family and confirmed by his doctor, the Marxist-style leader committed suicide with the use of a rifle given by his friend, Cuban President Fidel Castro.
However, speculations whether he was killed by the military arose.
During Pinochet's 1973-1990 dictatorship, 3,979 were reported to have been tortured and killed.
Among the 726 complaints of alleged human rights abuses of Pinochet was Allende's case that was forwarded to a special judge in Santiago on Wednesday.
Prosecutor Beatriz Pedrals said that the courts will probe what has not been investigated before.
Allende was the first democratically-elected Marxist leader of Chile.
His leadership polarized the country and was frowned by the US who aided a coup d'etat to overthrow him.
Meanwhile, Pinochet, 91, died in 2006 of heart attack while being investigated for human rights violations and corruption.
Details of this story in this link.
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