Pinochet and Amnesty Law

Re “Uncertainties in Pinochet Case,” editorial, Oct. 20: Many have accused Britain and Spain of ignoring Chile’s legal sovereignty by not paying attention to its amnesty law. Passed in 1978 by Augusto Pinochet’s military regime, Chile’s amnesty law covers almost all human rights violations and disappearances prior to that date. While your Oct. 18 article mentioned the amnesty, neither that article nor the editorial noted the irony that Pinochet and other conservatives are holding this law up as if it were some objective law passed by a democratic society and embodying the wishes of the citizenry.

The amnesty law was passed during the height of the dictatorship by Pinochet to protect himself from prosecution for massive human rights abuses--prosecution which he knew could only take place under precisely the conditions of democracy which currently exist. The Brits and Spaniards should pay no attention to this sham amnesty.

TRACY FITZSIMMONS

Director of Latin American Studies

University of Redlands

CHUCK CALL

Visiting Scholar, USC

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William Buckley (Commentary, Oct. 21), never entirely lucid and now in his dotage, appears to have gone off the (right) end. In his defense of Pinochet and apparently of Franco, has he become America’s spokesman for fascism?

CHARLES THORNBACK

Ventura

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From reading Buckley’s article, two things are clear: He is in favor of overthrowing by force a popularly elected government and installing a military dictatorship and of resorting to murder to keep that dictatorship and its sponsors in power.

ANTON PETER MARANTZ

Encino