Spain is stripping deceased former Chilean leader Augusto Pinochet of a Spanish military honour bestowed on him more than 40 years ago by the country’s former dictator, Francisco Franco.
The Cabinet of Spain’s acting government announced on Tuesday that the Cross of Military Merit, an award for gallantry or merit granted to Pinochet in 1975, was being withdrawn.
The announcement came a day after the 50th anniversary of the US-backed coup led by Pinochet that installed a brutal military dictatorship in Chile. Pinochet, who died in 2006, was never put on trial for crimes against humanity committed during his 17-year rule.
Government spokesperson Isabel Rodríguez said the step represented Spain’s commitment to democratic values.
Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Monday that 50 years ago Chilean democracy was ‘the victim of a brutal attack that shook the world’.
Stripping Pinochet of the Spanish medal would ‘make amends for an historical injustice’, he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
El Gobierno retirará este martes la Gran Cruz del Mérito Militar al dictador chileno Augusto Pinochet https://t.co/a0OcGtlCI2
— RTVE (@rtve) September 12, 2023
Hace 50 años, la democracia chilena fue víctima de un ataque brutal que estremeció al mundo.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) September 11, 2023
Hoy, 11 de septiembre, es la hora de reparar una injusticia histórica.
El Consejo de Ministros retirará mañana la Gran Cruz al Mérito Militar al dictador Pinochet concedida en 1975.
🇪🇸 Tal como dice el Presidente Pedro @SanchezCastejon, España y Chile defienden la democracia desde una experiencia compartida. Gracias Presidente por sumarse a la conmemoración de los #50AñosDelGolpe. #DemocraciaSiempre, ese es nuestro camino! pic.twitter.com/N1Lv0UtaCV
— Gabriel Boric Font (@GabrielBoric) September 10, 2023
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