The Times marks an announcement in Chile that those who had been tortured during the Pinochet years are to receive some recompense by printing a series of horrific quotes.
First those who suffered in Chile:
“They made me strip, but left the blindfold on. Then they tied my ankles to my wrists and in that position I was hung on a pole supported on what I think were wardrobes. I hung, head down, and they hit me repeatedly on the ears and applied electric rods to my breasts and vagina.”
Woman held in January 1974 at the secret police headquarters in Santiago
“They undressed me, leaving only a hood over my head. They lay me on a stretcher with my hands tied and my legs forced open. I felt a sharp burning pain there and I heard men laughing.”
Under-age girl held at Tejas Verdes military base
“They lined us up on a runway and told us to bend and put our heads on the scorching tarmac. Whoever dared to pick up their head was kicked in the ribs. This was all day, with no water or food, for weeks.”
Man held at El Bosque airbase, Santiago, 1973
“They sat me on a chair and beat me 15 times over the head. I felt a numbness all over and then I lost feeling in my right leg.”
Man held in 1973 by the 14th Army Regiment
Then those who thought the suffering was in Wentworth, Surrey:
“This is a Government which reckons ageing spies who betrayed our country to Soviet communism should escape prosecution, yet obsessively pursues the frail 83-year-old Pinochet, who stopped the communists taking Chile”
Baroness Thatcher, while visiting Pinochet when he was under house arrest
“I do hope that our Government will pay attention to the personal aspects of this and . . . be compassionate . . . There are factors that led them to take the action they have done, and, of course, I am sure they will pay attention to Baroness Thatcher as, of course, we all do.”
George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury at the time
