US warned Chile dictator over plebiscite

The Associated Press, Saturday, February 23, 2013, 9:52am (PST)

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Newly declassified U.S. documents indicate that Chilean dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet planned to use violence to annul the referendum that ended his brutal regime.

The formerly secret documents posted by the independent U.S. National Security Archive on Friday showed U.S. officials warning Chilean leaders against violence if Pinochet tried to use force to stay in power if people voted against eight more years of his rule.

They also show U.S. officials and agencies backed the anti-Pinochet campaign portrayed in the Oscar-nominated film "No," even though the U.S. government also had tried to undermine the socialist government Pinochet had overthrown.

The documents also portray Pinochet as furious after the vote results, saying he pleaded with his generals to let him use extraordinary powers to crush dissent.