The widow of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, Lucia Hiriart, died Thursday, December 16, her family announced, confirming information from local media. She passed away at the age of 98, at home, where she lived with all her children and grandchildren.
In a brief statement to the press, his youngest son, Marco Antonio Pinochet, said: “We are very sorry to announce the death of our dear mother, Lucia Hiriart de Pinochet”. The “Funerals will be held in private”, he added. General Pinochet ruled Chile between September 1973 and March 1990, leaving behind more than 3,200 dead and missing.
Immediately after local media news of Lucia Hiriart’s death, motorists honked their horns in celebration. Hundreds of people also gathered in Place d’Italie in central Santiago.
“Is the old woman dead?” “
On Twitter, the parody account “Is the old woman dead?” “, followed by 54,000 people, gave daily news of the state of health of Lucia Hiriart. Today he only published one ” Yes “, which has been shared by over 23,000 accounts. Mme Hiriart Rodriguez, considered the strong woman of the military regime, had visited the military hospital in Santiago on several occasions in recent months.
Augusto Pinochet, who died in 2006 of a heart attack at the age of 91, managed to escape justice, which prosecuted him for human rights violations under his regime and for embezzlement of public funds. “I think Lucia’s departure is an important event, which marks the end of an era when there were more lights than shadows. A stage in history whose lessons must be passed on to future generations ”, said right-wing Senator Iván Moreira.
This death comes three days before the second round of the presidential election, which pits Gabriel Boric, on the left, and José Antonio Kast, on the far right, who claims the legacy of the Pinochet dictatorship. Mr Boric said, in a message posted on Twitter: “Lucia Hiriart dies with impunity despite the deep pain and division she has caused our country. My thoughts are with the victims of the dictatorship, of which she was a part. “ Mr. Kast said, for his part: “I just want to offer my condolences to the family and still regret the death of a person, I don’t want to make it a political event. “