Pinochet Accepts Responsibility for Military Atrocities in His ReignFormer Chilean military leader Augusto Pinochet has accepted the responsibility for the excesses of the army during his 17-year reign, a video shows.In the video sent to his sympathizers on Friday night and carrying a brief message of his, Pinochet said that as the former state president, he was "accountable over the actions" undertaken by the armed forces. But in the message made public at a dinner for his 85th birthday where he did not show up, he added that "propaganda has turned more clever and more prepared to attack us on a permanent way." In his first message since he returned to Chile after a long stay in London, he also talked about the conditions under which he lived in the British capital. "During 503 days I was a prisoner, with a guard always on sight, " he said, adding that he experienced a great deal of suffering and ailments there. In the video, Pinochet looked weary, unable to speak well and walking with a stick. Pinochet apologized for not being able to attend his birthday dinner, explaining that he had not recovered yet from pneumonia since early November. Pinochet is facing charges in Chile for violations of human rights committed during his reign. |
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