The Labour government had withdrawn its ambassador from Chile in protest at human rights abuses, in particular the case of Sheila Cassidy, a doctor imprisoned and tortured by the Chileans. But business continued apparently as normal. The ambassador did not return until 1980, when the Conservatives were back in power. The letter in reply to Mr Kinnock, however, simply said that the US had no knowledge of their whereabouts. The US had every available reason to know about the repression and murder that was going on in Chile, but its support never flagged.
Severe repression is planned.
General Pinochet, now 83, is under house arrest near London awaiting extradition hearings to decide if he will be sent to face trial in Spain for human rights abuses.