FORMER DICTATOR PINOCHET 'ruled with iron fist, died a pariah.'

dpa German Press AgencyPublished: Sunday December 10, 2006

By Rodrigo Ruiz Tovar, Santiago- Few names in Chile spark such dramatically contrasting reactions as that of General Augusto Pinochet, who led a violent putsch in 1973 and ruled the country with an iron fist for almost 17 years.

Pinochet died aged 91 in a Santiago hospital Sunday, one week after suffering a heart attack. In his final years, Pinochet was surrounded by a swirl of legal activity as he was accused of gross human rights violations during his brutal 1973-90 dictatorship.

More than 300 criminal cases were investigated, but only a few led to indictments, and he never stood trial. >>>cont

LinkHere