Piñera pardons Pinochet-era human rights abusers

[kaoras]

https://www.explica.co/two-prisoners-pardoned-for-human-rights-in-dictatorship/

Raúl Rojas Nieto, 84, an army colonel who was sentenced to 7 years in prison for his participation in the « Joint Command », and the commander of the Chilean Air Force Víctor Mattig, 81, sentenced to 5 years and one day for torture, they received a pardon from Piñera, the only one with such powers in the country.

Lawyer Raúl Meza, who represents several of those convicted of crimes during the dictatorship, celebrated the decision, according to statements to Radio Bio Bio.

Meza added that he expects Piñera « to fulfill his commitments in his presidential campaign towards the military family and hopefully many more presidential pardons will come. »

[CumbrianLefty]

Horrible person pardons horrible people shocker.

[Never Made it to Graceland]

Awful. Military worship is always a gateway to fascism.

[Estrella]

Oh well. I always thought that he was one of the relatively sane right-wingers, but then the protests have shown otherwise. Yeah, yeah, 'humanitarian grounds' - where were these humanitarian grounds when these officers were torturing people?

Is this (at least partly) motivated by a desire to placate UDI after the whole pension funds fracas?

[kaoras]

Oh well. I always thought that he was one of the relatively sane right-wingers, but then the protests have shown otherwise. Yeah, yeah, 'humanitarian grounds' - where were these humanitarian grounds when these officers were torturing people?

Is this (at least partly) motivated by a desire to placate UDI after the whole pension funds fracas?

Yes, yes it is. Given Piñera standing has sunk so much, he is trying to "rally the right" by taking hardline positions, like the recent cabinet reshuffle with the fire-breathing Pinochetist Victor Perez as Interior and Security Minister 

[MaxQue]

Too bad the street gave up after tepid promises.

[kaoras]

The street never really gave up until COVID. Even now some limited protest have reignited, but Chile got hit pretty hard by Coronavirus.