Pinochet Ruled No Longer Immune From Prosecution. Despite this unprecedented ruling, Pinochet is still a long way from being prosecuted and the country is gearing up for a fight about whether his health shold preclude his standing trial or even being examined for fitness to stand trial in the first place. The decision pits the administration of President Ricardo Lagos — the first Socialist in power since Pinochet overthrew Salvador Allende in 1973 — against the hierarchical military, not in the least because it clears the way for many other prosecution of Pinochet-era officers. The court ruled that the “Desaparecidos” of the junta era be considerd kidnappped and that, since the kidnappings are still in progress, the crimes are exempt from the amnesty Pinochet declared on political crimes during the early years of his rule. The military warns that vulnerability to prosecution may dissuade them from coming forward with any information they may have on the Disappeareds, as they had previously promised to do. Could we be heading for another right-wing overthrow of a democratic Socialist Chilean government? New York Times