Santiago - The Chilean Defence Minister, Mr Edmundo Perez Yoma, resigned yesterday amid rising tensions between civilians and the military over ex-dictator Gen Augusto Pinochet's delayed army retirement.
Mr Perez Yoma, one of President Eduardo Frei's closest advisers, had been planning to step down at the end of the month when Gen Pinochet (82) was to retire from his post of army commander-in-chief.