Pinochet reacts to scandal

Press, 5 August 1985, Page 6

Pinochet reacts to scandal

NZPA-Reuter Santiago The Chilean President, General Augusto Pinochet, has replaced the head of the para-military police force to try to contain a scandal over police' involvement in the murders of three communists.

General Rodolfo Stange, aged 59, deputy police chief, was appointed commander and was sworn in as a member of Chile’s ruling junta. He replaced General Cesar Mendoza, aged 66, a loyal companion of General Pinochet for almost 12 years since the coup that brought the military to power. Mendoza resigned on Saturday after a judge ruled that 14 policemen were implicated in the murders of the leader of the teachers’ union, Manuel Guerrero, a human rights worker, Jose Manuel Parada, and an ar-

tist, Santiago Nattino, whose bodies were found in a ditch.

His resignation took diplomats and politicians by surprise after the matter appeared to have been settled on Friday when the Government said the 14 policemen had been fired and General Stange and the third-ranked police general had offered to resign.

General Mendoza’s decision to quit apparently earned them a reprieve. General Stange said the courts were investigating the murders but he refused to echo General Mendoza’s denials of police involvement.

The speed with which General Stange was appointed and the tone of General Pinochet’s comments during his swearingin, shown live on television, showed the Chilean leader was determined to give the

impression of business as usual.

After clashes in the centre of Santiago on Saturday between riot police and demonstrators demanding justice and General Men-

doza’s resignation, General Pinochet’s speech was as uncompromising as ever. “Those who may try to take advantage of the moment in pursuit of their petty interests should understand clearly that we will not lack the determination or the energy to adopt the most drastic measures required to maintain order,” he said. Human rights campaigners have constantly accused the security forces of killing and torturing detainees, but only once before has a senior member of the Armed Forces been brought down by such charges. The head of Chile’s Intelligence service, General Manuel Contreras, was dismissed after the murder in Washington of a Leftwing exile, Orlando Letelier, in 1976.