Chile: Aylwin's Game Plantelier
Aylwin sees tbe Letelier case as the greatest obstacle to close ties io Washington. Hewo-part strategy he hopes will be acceptable to the US without alienating the Chilean military:
The government has also launched an investigation inside the Foreign Ministryelated case that charges officials of the Pinochet government with forging passports forylwin intends to put that case, recently reopenedilitary court,ivilian judge.
Although the judge could bring murder charges against former intelligence chief Contrcras, who has been indicted in the US for the murder, Aylwin is said to opposeove for now and has ruled out his extradition to the US. fearing Contrcras would implicate Pinochet. Aylwin nevertheless hopes Washington will see his good-faith efforts within the limits of Chilean political reality as evidence of intent to resolve the case and will lift sanctions soon.
Special Analysis
Seeking To Defuse Human Rights Issue
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Aylwin, im the first major test of hisaving problems balancing demands to redress past human rights abuses with the need to avoid confrontation with the military.
After weeks of consultations, Aylwin last week establishedto investigate abuses of the Pinochet era. includingofeople, and to determine thevictims' families; itimi^n| witnesses orin futurehopes ibe"
narrow mandate of themilitary
personnel to the most egregious cases. Aylwin has said publicly that, once the truth is known, he will consider pardons.)
appease far-left groups demanding quick action. Aylwin pardonedolitical prisoners on assuming office in March. He also has introduced legislation to dismantle the repressive kgal structure of the Pinochei regime, f"
developments in the case of ihc murder in Washington of former Chilean Ambassador to the US Letelier6 may complicate Aylwin's efTons. The case implicates many of the same Pinochet regime officials responsible for abuses in Chile. Revelations in the Chilean pressoman who claims she was involved in ihe plot have provoked calls from across ihe political spectrumull investigation.
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