Word: pinochets
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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First, General Pinochet refused to undergo medical tests to determine his fitness to stand trial; now he's agreed to be tested. Why did he change his mind...
...Apparently, he was convinced to do so. The commander in chief of the army visited Pinochet over the weekend and allegedly convinced him to submit to the medical tests so that all of this would be over soon. Because these medical tests are a good way out for Pinochet - most Chileans believe that the doctors will find him unfit to stand trial, and that'll be the end of it. Judge Guzman, the investigating judge, has also made it easier for Pinochet to back down by rescheduling the tests over four days, and providing a larger gap between those tests...
...right. But at this point, there's a consensus that nobody wants a crisis over the Pinochet issue. That consensus has been built around letting the law take its course, which is why Pinochet's lawyers are doing their best to use the law to keep Pinochet out of court...
...medically and psychologically unfit to stand trial. And that'll be it for this case. But then there'll be appeals, and more cases brought against him. It's going to go on and on. But it's not going to seem as crucial as it does now. Pinochet's legal team will hope to convince the doctors only once that he's unfit for trial, and use that finding to fight off any further prosecutions. That may be why they're trying to delay the process as long as possible, to make sure he's never touched...
...certainly important and politically significant, but it's been going on for so long that it's become ever-present. Just as Japan is always aware of the possibility of an earthquake, so is Chile always aware of the conflict over putting Pinochet on trial. For the average Chilean, the issues are important, but they're nothing new. It's been like this for the last two years. In fact, there was a lot more tension when Pinochet was being held in Britain, because then you really didn't know what would happen. Here everyone knows that Pinochet is unlikely...