Pinochet's Daughter Seeks Asylum in U.S.

SANTIAGO, Chile – The eldest daughter of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet has requested political asylum in the United States, the government said Wednesday.

Interior Minister Francisco Vidal said U.S. Ambassador Craig Kelly informed his government of the request made by Lucia Pinochet, who arrived in Washington earlier in the day but was denied entry because of a Chilean arrest warrant.

Lucia Pinochet faces tax evasion and false passport use charges in her home country.

She flew to Washington from Argentina, where she had traveled Sunday, hours after she was due to appear in a Chilean court.