4 Chilean ex-military arrested for Pinochet-era murders

A Chilean judge ordered the arrest of a retired general and three other ex-military officers for alleged roles in the murders of 12 people under former dictator Augusto Pinochet, authorities said Friday.
The retired officers were detained Thursday for their alleged roles in Chile's infamous "Caravan of Death," which occurred shortly after Pinochet was installed in 1973, judicial officials told AFP.
During the illicit operation, military officials traveled through central and southern Chile by helicopter, summarily executing some 75 Pinochet opponents.
According to the investigation, former general Santiago Sinclair, 87, helped coordinated the murder of 12 peasants in October 1973.
He and the three others were transferred to the Telecommunications Regiment Military Police Brigade in Santiago, after the judge revoked a previous ruling that had allowed them to remain free.
Sinclair, an influential player within the military regime, was named a member of the junta in 1988.
He coordinated the murders in conjunction with another commander as well as the caravan's leader, former general Sergio Arellano Stark, who was sentenced to six years in prison, but has avoided serving time due to Alzheimer's.
Some 3,000 people died and 38,000 were tortured under Pinochet's dictatorship, according to official figures.