SANTIAGO, Chile — Some in Chile celebrated with champagne but for others, there was no joy in the death of Gen. Augusto Pinochet, only the sense of a final injustice committed by the dictator who brutally ruled the country for 17 years. For victims, Pinochet's demise dashed hopes that he would ever face justice for the torture and killings that were the hallmarks of his 1973-1990 regime.

When he died Sunday, celebrations broke out around the Chilean capital. At a major plaza, hundreds of cheering, flag-waving people gathered to pop champagne corks and toss confetti.

Pinochet overthrew socialist President Salvador Allende at a time when the U.S. was working to destabilize his Marxist government and keep Chile from exporting communism in Latin America. But the world reacted in horror as Santiago's main soccer stadium was soon filled with political prisoners to be tortured, killed or forced into exile.

Chile's government says at least 3,197 people were killed for political reasons during Pinochet's rule.