SANTIAGO, Chile -- With Gen. Augusto Pinochet fighting extradition from Britain to Spain, Chileans appear to be accepting that their former dictator will not be coming home soon.
Most Chileans seem unaffected by the fate of the man who ruled their nation for 17 years, but politicians are seeking to soften the impact of his Oct. 16 arrest in London for genocide, terrorism and torture committed by his security forces during his 1973-90 rule.Right-wing leaders who for years recognized Pinochet as their undisputed leader are now talking of the need to reorganize their political strategies without him.
"He will only come back in a wooden box," pro-Pinochet Sen. Evelyn Matthei said on television with tears in her eyes.
Another rightist senator, Hernan Larrain, agreed and urged fellow rightists "to work hard to win" the presidential election in a year.
Joaquin Lavin, the front-runner for the right-wing nomination, said "the time has come to face things the way they are."
An opinion poll, taken Dec. 2 by the private organization Mori, found 71 percent of those polled believe Pinochet's case does not affect them. Mori said 1,300 people were surveyed, and the poll had a margin of error of 2.8 percent.
"These are people who have had enough, who simply do not want to be involved in any conflicts," said Marta Lagos, director of Mori. "Their concerns are economic ones, not Pinochet."
The massive, violent street demonstrations for and against Pinochet that erupted after his arrest have abated.
Oscar Godoy, a political scientist and university professor, agreed that "a vast majority of people do not think that the disappearance of Pinochet from the political scene will affect their lives."
Pinochet, 83, remains in police custody in Britain, fighting a request for extradition to Spain, where Judge Baltasar Garzon completed a 300-page criminal indictment on Thursday. Pinochet was arrested while recovering from back surgery in a London hospital.