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Pinochet museum aims to improve former Chile dictator's image

Visitors to the four-room museum in the Chilean capital, Santiago, will be able to see the general’s uniform, sabres, books and knives – even his collection of toy soldiers.

Guided visits for groups of 12 will start on Monday and more than 150 people have already registered to visit.

Gen Pinochet’s widow, Lucia Hiriart, said the inauguration showed that “little by little justice is being done” for her husband.

Gen Pinochet led a military junta that overthrew elected Marxist President Salvador Allende in 1973 and launched a brutal campaign to root out Leftists.

An official report said that 3,197 suspected Leftists were killed for political reasons before he left power in 1990. Many seemingly vanished – believed to have been kidnapped, tortured and killed – leaving relatives no word on their fate.

Attempts in Chile and abroad to prosecute Gen Pinochet for human rights abuses continued until his death two years ago, at 91.

Read entire article at Telegraph (UK)