Sir, - Luke Holland reports (World News, July 19th) on a interview given by the former Chilean president, General Augusto Pinochet. The interview, given to the Sunday Telegraph and Chile`s El Mercurio, both long supporters of Pinochet, was an obvious public relations exercise which allowed the General to play out the role of the old soldier. He described himself as "the only political prisoner in England". In the same week retired Chilean Army Col Olagier Benavente Bustos stated that Antonio Palomo Contreras, "Pinochet's favourite helicopter pilot," spoke to him on several occasions of piloting a helicopter with "disappeared" aboard who were then dumped either in the ocean or high in the Andes mountains. Benavente's testimony comes in the wake of five indictments earlier this month of army officers responsible for the atrocities committed by the so-called "Caravan of Death" which operated in the first two months after the September 11th military coup.
The Caravan, led by Gen Arellano Stark is accused of illegally expediting war trial processes in northern Chile resulting in the summary execution of 72 individuals. Gen Stark has confirmed that the Caravan journeyed to northern cities on direct orders from Pinochet, where 72 prisoners were shot after having been sentenced to short prison terms. Judge Juan Guzman, who is heading a series of lawsuits brought against Pinochet in Chile, has in his possession the handwritten order given by Pinochet to Stark which called for a quick resolution of the trials. England`s "only political prisoner", however, retains control of the military courts in Chile. - Yours, etc., John T. Kavanagh,
Braemor Road, Dublin 14.