Talks set to ease Pinochet rift

Ties have improved since the general's return to Chile

By James Reynolds in Santiago

Chile and Spain have moved a step closer to restoring a relationship that was damaged by the arrest of the former Chilean dictator, Augusto Pinochet.

Chile's Deputy Foreign Minister, Heraldo Munoz, is due in Madrid on Tuesday for a visit which is being seen as the start of a normalisation of ties following General Pinochet's return to Chile in March.

In October 1998, the general was arrested in London at the request of Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon, who sought unsuccessfully to put the former military ruler on trial in Spain for human rights abuses.

Normally in Chile, a visit to Europe by the country's deputy foreign minister would pass almost unnoticed.

But Heraldo Munoz's trip to Spain has been reported on the front pages of newspapers here.

It is seen as an important sign by the Chileans that relations with Spain - a key diplomatic and trading partner - are now getting back to normal.

Protests

Diplomatic relations between the two countries were severely tested during the 500 days of General Pinochet's arrest.

The Chilean Government objected to what it saw as Spanish interference in its internal affairs.

At one stage, Chile's ambassador to Spain was withdrawn.

The opposition here called for all ties to be broken, and in Santiago, there were regular protests outside the Spanish embassy organised by groups of Pinochet supporters.

But now, General Pinochet is back in Chile, and both governments are keen to revive their close ties.

One Spanish Government official described the Pinochet arrest as a short-lived accident in a history of long-term good relations between the two countries.