Pinochet Replaces 9 Cabinet Members in 1st Shake-Up Since Plebiscite Loss

President Augusto Pinochet, in a shake-up prompted by his defeat in this month’s presidential plebiscite, replaced nine of his 16 Cabinet members on Friday, including his powerful interior minister.

In a surprise announcement 15 minutes before a scheduled swearing-in ceremony for the new ministers, a government spokesman said that Interior Minister Sergio Fernandez was among those being replaced. The political opposition had called for his ouster.

All 16 government ministers handed in their resignations Thursday to allow Pinochet to adjust policy following the Oct. 5 defeat of a referendum that would have extended his rule to 1997.

The new Cabinet is Pinochet’s 40th since he seized power in a bloody 1973 coup that toppled the elected leftist government of President Salvador Allende and ended a long tradition of democratic rule. Allende, a Marxist, died in the coup.

In addition to Fernandez, Pinochet also accepted the resignations of Foreign Minister Ricardo Garcia Rodriguez and Secretary General of the Government Orlando Poblete.

Pinochet was said to be furious with some Cabinet members, including Fernandez and Poblete, accusing them of “tricking” him into believing he would win the referendum.