Chile: Old soldiers ready to tell secrets of coup Chile: Old soldiers ready to tell secrets of coup

Nov 1, 8:41 AM EST
Chile: Old soldiers ready to tell secrets of coup
By EVA VERGARA and MICHAEL WARREN
Associated Press Writers

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) -- Hundreds of former military draftees are making a provocative offer to Chile's government: They will reveal details of crimes committed by Gen. Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship - but only if their safety is guaranteed.

The draftees fear that if they reveal where the bodies are buried, they will face prosecution by the courts or retaliation by the superiors who ordered them decades ago to torture and kill political prisoners.

The information they once promised to carry to their graves has become both a heavy psychological burden and a bargaining chip. By offering confessions, the former draftees hope to improve their chances of securing benefits from pensions to psychological treatment.

"We were executors and witnesses of many brutalities and now we're willing to talk about them for our own personal redemption," said former soldier Fernando Mellado, who is organizing a Sunday gathering of draftees outside Chile's presidential palace.

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