Obama: No Apology For Pinochet

Politico reports:

SANTIAGO, Chile—President Barack Obama on Monday brushed aside a request that the United States apologize for its longtime support of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, but Obama said he may be willing to share additional U.S. government records that could shed light on events such as the reputed American role in the 1973 coup that brought Pinochet to power.

Asked by a Chilean radio reporter whether “the United States is willing to ask for forgiveness for what it did in those very difficult years in the ‘70s in Chile,” Obama suggested U.S. policies and actions in that era may have been unwise but he went no further.

“I think it’s very important for all of us to know our history,” Obama said during a news conference with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera. “And obviously the history of relations between the United States and Latin America have at times been extremely rocky and have at times been difficult.”

“I think it’s important, though, for us, even as we understand our history and gain clarity about our history, that we’re not trapped by our history,” Obama said, while noting that United States has supported democratic reform in Chile for two decades. “So, I can’t speak to all of the policies of the past. I can speak certainly to the policies of the present and the future.”

Obama’s decision not to offer an explicit apology may have been aimed avoiding another round of criticism from Republicans at home, who have previously accused him of being on an “apology tour” during his past travels. They have cited remarks he made about the “arrogance” of past U.S. attitudes toward Europe and even some comments on Latin America, though none have appeared to be outright apologies.

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