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Marches, parties, signs, flags, remembrance for the dead and disappeared, people actually drinking champagne in the streets, celebrating, stunned at the death of former dictator Pinochet, who has been under house arrest for years after many trials. Rather than read some dry articles that try to be "balanced" I would like to link to some very emotional photos:
- champagne
- from newcamaron
- from mela
- from eduardo
- from boomboombike
- A whole set by Eduardo
Rosa Jiménez Cano of Nuevo Periodismo says:
Pinochet ha muerto. Me alegra tener un mundo más limpio: un dictador menos.
Pinochet has died. I'm happy that the world is cleaner: one dictator less.
Zanna Orieta of Periodista Digital, in her post "Obituario con hurras" (Obituary with cheers) quotes the whole of the great poet Mario Benedetti's poem of that name. (Here is an excerpt, in my rough translation)
We're going to celebrate
come on everybody
the innocent
the damned
those who scream in the night
those who dream by day
those whose bodies suffer
those who harbor ghosts
those who walk around barefoot
those who curse and burn
....
come on everybody
the old bastard has died
his black soul has gone
the thief
the pig
it's gone forever
hurrah
everyone should come
we're going to celebrate...
Reactions are mixed, as far as I can tell, varying between "good", "I hope he burns in hell", and "Damn, he did not suffer enough before he died". On Rosa J.C.'s post, a commenter, Jon, says simply, "Es la primera vez que me alegro tanto de la muerte de una persona." (It's the first time that I've been so happy that a person has died.) I don't like feeling vengeful that way, but right now, I am with Jon, and with Benedetti in his bitter powerful poem and in the strange feeling of relief, and hope that Pinochet's death helps bring a small amount of closure or peace to the people whose suffering he caused.
Of course, a lot of other people were also responsible. But insofar as I believe responsibility and power come from the top (and I don't completely believe this) I feel a little bit of that fierce gladness that he's dead.
He will be cremated and buried without the state honors usually observed at an ex-President's funeral. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet (who was jailed and tortured during Pinochet's rule) has refused to attend the funeral.
Tags: pinochet, muertepinochet, chile
Contributing Editor Liz Henry also blogs at Composite and Badgermama.
