President Ricardo Lagos was once in Jail

     Ambassador Raśl Estrada-Oyuela mentioned that he had visited Ricardo Lagos in jail. I asked Raśl to tell us the circumstances. He replied:
     "It was early September 1987 when the terrorist group Frente Patriotico Manuel Rodriguez attempted to kill Pinochet on his way back home after a long weekend. That night a number of democratic politicians were taken to jail for no reason whatsoever, and Lagos was among them. I was deputy chief of mission of the Argentine Embassy in Santiago, and I had very friendly relations with most Chilean politicians on both sides, including Patricio Alwyn, Eduardo Frei junior and Ricardo Lagos, to mention just the Presidents. My wife and Luisa Duran de Lagos (you would call her Mrs. Ricardo Lagos) were also friends. The Lagos spent some years in Buenos Aires, and their last daughter was born here.
     After the arrest Luisa called me very concerned because of her husband's situation. I found out where he was and, with Buenos Aires consent, visited Ricardo Lagos twice a week during his detention. He was finally freed with no charges made against him. That is the story.

Ronald Hilton - 5/26/00