12/12/2006

Death of a dictator

Journalists, historians and foreign policy experts are sorting out the legacy of former Chilean dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet, who died Sunday. Pinochet came to power in 1973 as part of a right-wing military coup that overthrew the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende. Pinochet ruled Chile until 1990, and his regime was responsible for the murder and torture of thousands of political opponents.

Silvia Borzutzky, teaching professor of social and decision sciences at Carnegie Mellon, has written extensively about Chilean economic development and social security policies, and is available to discuss with reporters Pinochet's death and his continuing influence on Chilean society. Borzutzky's most recent book is "After Pinochet: The Chilean Road to Democracy and Market," which she co-edited with Lois Hecht Oppenheim.

You can email Borzutzky at sb6n@andrew.cmu.edu or you may contact me at jpotts@andrew.cmu.edu.

Jonathan Potts