Less than an hour after the British Home Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, announced his decision to allow extradition proceedings to continue against the former dictator, Gen Augusto Pinochet, the Chilean Vice-President, Mr Raul Troncoso, delivered a solemn televised address to the nation, announcing the withdrawal of his country's ambassador to Britain and a meeting of the army-controlled National Security Council tomorrow. "The government rejects the extradition process which is an affront to our sovereignty and territoriality and will use every means at its disposal to reverse the decision," Mr Troncoso said.
The Chilean President, Mr Eduardo Frei, and other regional leaders arrived in Rio de Janeiro yesterday, to attend a meeting of Mercosur, South America's free trade alliance. Mr Straw's announcement took the Argentinian President, Mr Carlos Menem, by surprise, just as he was in the process of securing a joint Mercosur declaration in favour of the principle of territoriality.
Mr Menem's move to back up Chile's plea to respect its sovereignty and allow Gen Pinochet to return home received a cool response from the Brazilian President, Mr Fernando Henrique Cardoso, who was himself exiled during Brazil's military rule, between 1964 and 1985. "I've never been a friend of dictatorships," said Mr Cardoso, "and I never will be."
Argentina's Foreign Ministry remained silent on the decision, while the Interior Minister, Mr Carlos Corach, simply reaffirmed Mr Menem's proposal to seek consensus on the principle of territoriality in Rio de Janeiro.
The Pinochet case is being watched particularly keenly by all sides in Argentina, because the Spanish investigating magistrates who seek the general's extradition are also pursuing similar cases against the former Argentinian authorities.
In the Chilean capital, Santiago, car horns began to sound as soon as the decision was announced. The entire country appeared to hold its breath as the immensity of the decision set in. How would the army react? The signs were ominous yesterday as two retired army generals hinted that trouble was ahead should Gen Pinochet be extradited.
"If they don't let my general go, anything could happen," said Gen Guillermo Garin, former vice-commander of the Chilean army and one of Gen Pinochet's closest allies. What did he mean? "That's the terrible thing. Everyone knows how these things start off, but no one knows how they will end," said Gen Garin, hours before the Straw decision was made public.
Mr Ernesto Videla, Chilean deputy foreign minister during Gen Pinochet's rule (1973-1990), anticipated a "truly violent" response should the general appear in handcuffs in a London court.
Reaction on the street in Chile was more positive. "I feel both happy and worried," said Victor (25), who works in the tourist industry in Santiago. "Pinochet is very old and if he dies during the whole process he would return to Chile like a great hero in history."
There was jubilation from the relatives of the disappeared in Argentina as soon as the decision was announced.
"A small light has been turned on," said Ms Nora Cortinas, a member of the Mothers of the Disappeared association. "I say small because there's still a long way to go before all the Argentinian repressors are put on trial or go to jail".
In Argentina the decision coincided with the annual 24-hour March of Resistance led by the Mothers of the Disappeared and other human rights organisations. There were smiles and disbelief, drums and whistles, hugs and tears. "This puts all the torturers on notice that there is no place they can hide in the world", said another woman, as Argentinians expressed gratitude to an old enemy turned benefactor.