Former Chilean leader General Augusto Pinochet was hospitalized Thursday in Santiago after suffering a circulatory problem that caused him to faint and from which he was recovering satisfactorily, hospital sources told dpa. The 89-year-old Pinochet was taken to the Military Hospital in Santiago from his vacation home in the central region of Valparaiso. The elderly former president felt ill early Thursday, prompting his transfer by car to the hospital, dpa reported A medical report at the Military Hospital said Pinochet suffered a momentary drop in arterial blood circulation and would be released after a full medical check-up. The former leader who ruled Chile with an iron fist from 1973-1990 faces charges involving human rights abuses and also alleged massive tax evasion and embezzlement. "He is in intensive care, but thank God it's nothing critical. He lost consciousness," said his oldest son, Augusto Pinochet Hiriart. The head of the Pinochet Foundation General Luis Cortes called the illness a "slight stroke" similar to others he has suffered in recent years. --More 2322 Local Time 2022 GMT
