The Chilean Foreign Ministry has confirmed a man controversially nominated to become the country's ambassador to Australia will not be taking the position.
The move follows protests in Australia over allegations the nominee, James Sinclair, was a key member of the Pinochet regime's secret police.
The Chilean Foreign Ministry has confirmed in a letter to Chilean journalist Alfonso Hernandez, obtained by SBS, that James Sinclair will not be taking the position of ambassador to Australia.
Chilean community groups in Australia had written to President Michelle Bachelet asking her to withdraw the nomination of Mr Sinclair last month.
The groups then followed up with protests in Australia, claiming Mr Sinclair was a key member of the secret police under Augusto Pinochet's repressive regime, which controlled the country from 1973 till 1990.
The Chilean Foreign Ministry has now confirmed President Bachelet has appointed Daniel Carvallo as ambassador to Australia.
The president’s decree orders that, "due to urgent reasons of the service," Mr Carvallo assume the position on August 1 without waiting for the usual full processing.
A small group of Chilean and other Latin American protesters demonstrated at Chile's consulate in Melbourne last month against Mr Sinclair's appointment as ambassador, during which protesters occupied the building. Protests were also held in Sydney and at the Chilean embassy in Canberra.
The Chile Solidarity National Coalition Australia and the Latin American Solidarity Network allege Mr Sinclair was a key member of the Chilean secret police under Augusto Pinochet's rule.
A protest organiser, Rodrigo Rojas of the Chile Solidarity National Coalition, welcomed the decision.
"I think a lot of people are a little bit cynical about petitions or actions, you know, against governments. They think that maybe we don't really have the power. But I think that this is a classic example of people getting together, and they have a feeling for justice, and it's a powerful thing that, once we found out, it was very pleasing, in the sense that, 'Yes, it does work!'"
In May, a Chilean community group alleged Mr Sinclair had been burning military documents related to alleged human rights abuses during the brutal Pinochet regime.
This led to members of the community group, Chileans in Australia to write a letter to President Michelle Bachelet asking her to withdraw the nomination.
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