Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 12, 1990 TAG: 9003122759
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: VALPARAISO, CHILE LENGTH: Medium
However, Pinochet remains chief of the 60,000-member army, despite a request from Aylwin that he give up that powerful post.
Street celebrations of the partial return of democracy touched off scattered disturbances in downtown Santiago. Bands of leftist youths blocked streets with burning debris and clashed with police. More than 20 people were reported injured.
To thunderous applause and cheers, Aylwin put on the red, white and blue presidential sash in the inaugural ceremony in Valparaiso, a seaport city 70 miles northeast of Santiago.
"Chile returns to democracy without violence, without blood, without hate," he later told supporters in Santiago. "Chile returns by the road of peace."
Aylwin's first official act was to pardon all political prisoners under the Pinochet regime.
Pinochet shook the new president's hand at the inauguration and then quickly left the hall, where his entrance brought competing chants of "Pinochet! Pinochet!" and "Murderer! Murderer!" from the galleries.
Upon the 74-year-old Army general's arrival for the ceremony, a group of protesters tossed tomatoes, stones and other objects at Pinochet's open-top limousine and shouted insults.
The car, surrounded by military bodyguards, momentarily sped up. It bumped into a soldier on horseback, but no injuries were reported.
A military band saluted Pinochet as he left the ceremony, held in a half-finished congressional palace being built to house an elected senate and house of deputies, which also assumed power Sunday. Under Pinochet, a military junta had acted as the legislature.
Aylwin, a 71-year-old centrist politician, won elections in December. A Christian Democrat, he is backed by a coalition of 17 centrist and leftist parties.
He has vowed to restore respect for human rights and civil liberties and put more emphasis on social services for the poor. But he plans no major changes in Pinochet's largely successful free-market economic program.
Sunday evening, Aylwin stood on the balcony of the presidential palace in Santiago and urged Chileans to put aside differences and unite behind democracy.
Hundreds of thousands of jubilant Chileans lined the route into Santiago from Valparaiso to cheer Aylwin's motorcade. They packed the square in front of the presidential palace, waving banners and chanting anti-Pinochet slogans.
by CNB