Argentina strips Chilean dictator Alberto Pinochet of state awards

In connection with the 50th anniversary of the military coup in Chile, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez signed a decree depriving the former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and his heirs of state awards. This decision was officially announced by the presidential spokesman Gabriela Serruti.

According to the decree, Pinochet and his successors are no longer allowed to use the two main awards – the Order of May and the Order of the Liberator of San Martin, which were previously presented to them as a sign of recognition and gratitude from the Argentine state.

Presidential spokeswoman Gabriela Serruti said in a statement that Pinochet does not deserve the gratitude of the Argentine nation. She emphasized that his policies led to the enslavement and deterioration of human conditions, and his actions were in clear contradiction with the values ​​and principles of Argentina.

The coup d’etat in Chile was carried out on September 11, 1973 by the army and the carabinieri corps. As a result of the coup, the government of the left-wing coalition Popular Unity was overthrown, and President Salvador Allende committed suicide.

After coming to power, Pinochet ruled the country for 17 years, transferring power to a civilian government only in 1990. Official statistics indicate that during the years of his reign, almost 3.2 thousand people were killed for political reasons, more than 1.2 thousand disappeared without a trace, and about 28 thousand people were tortured. A criminal case was initiated against Pinochet himself, but he passed away in 2006 without waiting for the trial.