Former Head of Chilean Secret Police Sentenced

On Thursday (April 17, 2008), ex-General Manuel Contreras was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the disappearance of dissident Marcelo Salinas in 1974. Salinas has not been heard from since and like many who "disappeared" at the time is presumed dead. Contreras, 78, who served under dictator Augusto Pinochet in the 1970's and 1980's, has already been convicted on several other charges stemming from his time as head of the DINA, Chile's Secret Police. Contreras was one of the leading architects of Operation Condor, which was a joint effort by the governments of Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia to share information and resources in the fight against communist rebels in the 1970's and 1980's. Like Argentina, Chile is finally coming to terms with the atrocities committed by its government during the bleak years of military dictatorship.