• TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      This article Guardian article, on top of just being an allegation in a book, doesn’t accuse Powell of doing what Skwawkbox says he did.

      Literally all it says is that the press chief of the 1999 Chilean government (i.e. 10 years and 2 governments after Pinochet stepped down) had meetings with Powell. That’s it. Seems normal to me. I imagine the UK government would be chatting to Chile if they arrested David Cameron tomorrow.

      Frei and his government, by the way, was anti-Pinochet. During his presidency, he indicted and arrested Pinochet.

      I don’t know how you could read that and think it’s a confirmation that Powell negotiated release for Pinochet.

      • flamingos-cant@feddit.ukM
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        5 days ago

        It absolutely argues that:

        Frei argued to Blair that neither government would benefit if Pinochet were to die in England and that he could be tried in Chilean courts. […] Blair undertook to do what he could within the law provided the exchanges between the two leaders were kept secret. The authors claim that Blair suggested setting up a ‘back channel’, with two people appointed to liaise between the leaders’ private offices.