Perhaps the worst TV newscast of this I watch is that of Chile. Others, such as Spanish TV, leave the sports section until the end, when it can be turned off. Not so Chilean TV. For days the newscast has opened with long mob scenes of joyful demonstrations by the supporters if the Colo Colo soccer team, terminating yesterday in gross acts of vandalism. At the end of the program comes news of the Pinochet case, which has world wide implications. In Cambodia, the Pol Pot murderers made their peace with the government. There were exchanges of smiles, handshakes, and assurances given that they would not be handed over to an international court. The Pinochet case has had an impact in Cambodia.

Chile has a high educational level, so why is its TV so idiotic? Possibly sports are given top billing to distract attention from the serious problems caused by the collapse of copper prices and the shortage of electricity. This economic crisis has been compounded by the Pinochet crisis.

The U.S. magazine Insight is very conservative, but it runs some extremely well documented stories, which suggest that it has intelligence sources. "Reds Grab for Chile's Pinochet" (12/7/98) is one. It coincides with one in the London Sunday Times and the Spanish El Mundo. The article contains one mistake (the meeting of Ibero-American presidents took place in Porto, Portugal, not Spain), but otherwise the documentation seems solid. The left generally is pushing the Pinochet case, while rejecting accusations against leftist dictators like Castro. The Spanish Izquierda Unida (united left, the ex-communists) pushed the Pinochet case, and thwarted the desire of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and Latin American leaders to exclude Castro from the Porto meeting.

Ronald Hilton - 12/29/98