Lucia Hiriart, widow of Chilean dictator Pinochet, dies at 99 | Obituaries Issues

Hiriart aroused much interest among the Chilean people because of the influence he had on Pinochet, who ruled for 17 years.

Lucia Hiriart, widow of a dictator of Chile Augusto Pinochet, died at the age of 99, his family said.

His death Thursday came three days to a polarized presidential rehearsal in Chile where one of the two nominees protected the inheritance of Pinochet’s military rule.

Hiriart strongly rebuked him among the people of Chile because of the influence he had on Pinochet and the opportunity to find his family. His site set the stage for a controversial debate, in which he was asked a number of criminal questions.

“At the age of 99, I was living with relatives and loved ones, and my dear grandmother died. She leaves a big mark in our hearts, “her granddaughter, who goes with Karina Pinochet on Twitter, wrote on a social media page.

“He gave his life for the service of the people of Chile and the history is known to appreciate his great work and service to our beloved country. Rest in peace.”

Pinochet, commanding officer, toppled democratically elected people left government in the 1973 bloodbath. During his 17-year reign, more than 3,000 people were killed or missing and thousands were persecuted.

During the dictatorship in 1970s and 1980s, Chile also established a number of market-oriented markets, which contributed to growth over the years as well encouraged inequality.

In the story of journalist Alejandra Matus, Hiriart is portrayed as a brave man who often criticized her husband. The couple were married from 1943 to 2006, when Pinochet died.

The people of Chile will vote for a new president Sunday between the forward Gabriel Boric and the right-hand man Jose Antonio Kast, who had already defended Pinochet’s legacy and that a dictator would vote for him if he were alive.

“Lucia Hiriart remained unpunished, despite the great pain and division that plagued our country,” Boric wrote on Twitter after his death. He called for “greater respect” for the victims of the atrocities and for the people of Chile to work for “justice and dignity”.

Kast has not commented on Hiriart’s death on social media.

Lucia Newman of Al Jazeera, presenting a report from the Kast rally in Santiago headquarters on Thursday, the last day of the pre-election demonstration, said the race was imminent and “every vote will be counted” on Sunday.

For many Chileans, Kast – a passionate and staunch Catholic who opposes abortion and abortion. same-sex marriage – represents the past, Newman said.

But he is also a law and order agent, “and this is something that most Chileans aspire to after two years of age. social unrest“, he said.” That is why so many people have turned to him during this time of polarization. “