Caribbean Latin America minutes
Pinochet death revealed divide in Chile
By Associated Press
Dec 21, 2006, 09:07

SANTIAGO, Chile - The recent death of former Chilean dictator Gen.Augusto Pinochet exposed long-standing political divisions among Chileans, but has had no major effect on the country, President Michelle Bachelet said Wednesday.

Bachelet told foreign correspondents that Pinochet hadn't been "a relevant political figure," but that he "caused divisions among Chileans in the past and continued to cause them until his death."

Pinochet, who ruled Chile from 1973-1990, died Dec. 10 at age 91.

His death led to three days of noisy celebrations by his opponents and grieving demonstrations by tens of thousands of followers. The two groups clashed sporadically.

The president also defended her decision to deny Pinochet a state funeral normally granted to former presidents. Bachelet instead relegated the former army commander to his military past by ordering flags flown at half-staff only at military barracks.

"He was indeed a commander of the army, appointed by a democratically elected president," Bachelet said, referring to Salvador Allende, the Marxist president who appointed Pinochet army chief on Aug. 23, 1973. Pinochet toppled him in a coup 19 days later.

Bachelet added that a public funeral would almost certainly have triggered "a strong social confrontation which we decided to avoid."