UK: AUGUSTO PINOCHET MEETS LADY THATCHER

(26 Mar 1999) Spanish/Eng/Nat
The world has been given its first glimpse of General Pinochet since his arrest in Britain last October.
TV cameras were allowed into Pinochet's rented home outside London on Friday to film a meeting between the former Chilean dictator and one of his most fervent admirers - former British premier Margaret Thatcher.
Afterwards Thatcher demanded that the British government release Pinochet immediately and allow him to return to Chile.
An elderly, frail General Pinochet welcomed Lady Thatcher into his home.
This was the first time Pinochet had been filmed on television since his arrest in October 1998.
And if the Chilean ex-dictator looked a shadow of his former self, that is why the cameras were there.
Pinochet's aides wanted the world to see him as an old man who should be allowed to go home rather than be extradited to Spain.
Restricted to a rented nine-bedroom mansion on one of Britain's most exclusive private estates, Pinochet opened the meeting by apologising for his surroundings:
UPSOUND: (Spanish) "Welcome to my simple home. I am sorry that it is so simple. I am very grateful for all your love and support."
CAPTION: Augusto Pinochet, former Chilean dictator
UPSOUND: (English) "Thank you. I'm glad you are comfortable here. I know how much we owe to you because of your help during the Falklands campaign."
CAPTION: Lady Thatcher, former British prime minister
Afterwards Thatcher returned to her office in Central London full of praise for General Pinochet, saying there were three reasons why he should be released immediately.
The first was the support Pinochet gave Britain during the 1982 Falklands war with Argentina.
The second, she said, was that Pinochet had restored democracy to Chile.
The third, she added, was the ruling of Britain's highest court earlier this week, which drastically scaled down the number of offences on which he could be extradited.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"In the law lords' decision given last week, which you have heard, the overwhelming majority of cases - I think all of the cases save one - are inadmissible in our courts. So, if there is any resulting jurisdiction, it should be by the people of Chile and in the courts of Chile and not here. That's three very good points, gentlemen and ladies. Thank you very much."
SUPER CAPTION: Lady Thatcher, former British prime minister
Pinochet's spokesman said the former dictator was heartened to have received a visit from Lady Thatcher:
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"He was very buoyed up by it. He was obviously happy. He was smiling and laughing. He was in an extremely good mood, and the overall feeling is that the meeting was very successful, one in which he felt had the true support of a strong political leader."
SUPER CAPTION: Patrick Robertson, Pinochet spokesman
The televised meeting was clearly an attempt to sway British public opinion as the battle over Pinochet's fate enters a new phase.
The coming days and weeks will tell whether it's been a success.

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