Pinochet wife, children indicted on tax evasion charges News
Pinochet wife, children indicted on tax evasion charges

[JURIST] Several family members and former employees of former Chilean president General Augusto Pinochet [JURIST news archive] were indicted [PDF text] Monday on tax evasion charges. Judge Carlos Cerda issued arrest warrants for Pinochet's wife, four of his children, daughter-in-law, former attorney and secretary, following the release of indictments that all filed false tax returns. Pinochet faces tax evasion and corruption charges [JURIST report] himself, and his wife and son have already been charged as accomplices [JURIST report] relating to those allegations. The former dictator, who has also been indicted on human rights charges [JURIST report], remains under house arrest [JURIST report] until his trial. AP has more. From Santiago, La Nacion has local coverage.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.