Chilean President Releases Information on Pinochet Case

Chilean President Ricardo Lagos advised the public Friday that 130 of 200 missing persons opposing the military regime of ex-Chilean President Augusto Pinochet were killed and thrown into the sea, lakes or rivers by military forces.

In a message broadcast in all electronic media, Lagos said he has received reports from the armed forces, churches and moral entities, on the whereabouts of disappeared individuals during the Pinochet military dictatorship.

Lagos also said a few victims among these 200 cases included the husband of Gladys Marin, current leader of the Communist Party of Chile; and the fathers of Vivian Diaz, president of the Association of Relatives of Detained-Disappeared Individuals, and Lawyer Pamela Pereira.

On evaluating the reports, Lagos said records of the 200 cases, should they be confirmed, will represent an important advance in the quest for the truth regarding many of the victims.

"I want to recognize the strength and courage of our armed institutions" in the present moment, he said. "Strength and courage that deserves my recognition and that of the country."

Of course, it does not change what has happened, he said, but shows the disapproval of such crimes, and the absolute determination not to let it happen again in our country.

President Lagos said to face the facts is painful, nevertheless, "Chile cannot look to the future without clearing up doubts from the past."

Besides extending his thanks to those who provided information, Lagos also called for more people to come forward and tell the truth instead of keeping silent. He said he did not give up hope that "these people talk and relieve the pain of many."

Lagos termed the recent new information as "insufficient." He said it is necessary to know what happened to another 600 disappeared people. In this case, he demanded to "keep on advancing towards the path of truth."

He called on people to continue to provide information to the courts of justice, to the Office of Repairs and to moral institutions participating in the process.

Shortly before his state of the union address, Lagos promised family groups of victims that he will provide them with more information about victims later this week.

According to sources, a commission headed by social assistant Maria Luisa Sepulveda will be in charge of delivering information about victims to their relatives.






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