Pinochet's arrest

The arrest of the former Chilean dictator, General Augusto Pinochet, shows great daring and appeals to one's imagination. For many people, hearing the news have must summoned up contrasting emotions of disbelief and joy.

There are enough reasons to summon Pinochet before the judge. The fact that he has blood on his hands is beyond all doubt. On Dec. 11, 1973, the army general used brute force to end Chile's long democratic tradition. A period of fierce terror followed his coup against the elected President Salvador Allende Gossens. More than 100,000 opponents were jailed and tortured. More than 3,000 Chileans were murdered; around 1,200 people have disappeared without a trace. Despite this, the expectation -- until this weekend -- was that the now 82-year-old Pinochet would die a free man.

But the main question is whether British police and Spanish judges should take over the tasks of the Chilean state. Pinochet's crimes were predominantly committed against Chileans. It is, therefore, up to the Chilean state and people, and not third parties, to decide whether or not to prosecute the former dictator.

-- De Volkskrant, Amsterdam