(CNN) -- Chilean General and former President Augusto Pinochet died Sunday at 91, without ever being tried on accusations of ordering the torture and killing of thousands of people during his 1973-1990 regime. Considered a horrendous ruler by some and a savior by others, Pinochet is credited with laying the groundwork for Chile's modern market economy. His death sparked demonstrations by supporters and opponents.
We asked CNN.com readers what they though Pinochet's legacy would be. Here is a selection of the responses, some of which have been edited for length and clarity.
Mark Helsten of London, Ontario
Pinochet was a fascist dictator in the same vein as Hitler, albeit on a smaller scale, so it is very difficult for me to imagine how anyone could call him a savior... When I hear people praising Pinochet [who lets not forget was responsible for killing thousands and detaining/torturing tens of thousands] I have to think there is something very wrong that people are able to do this without a hint of irony or outrage.
Christopher Weaver of Laurel, Maryland
General Augusto Pinochet ushered the wave of democracy that has given present-day Chile its socio-economic status and position in the Southern Cone region of South America. His leadership not only became the foundation of Chile's economy today but also prevented Chile from becoming another Cuba.
Antonio Faundez of Geneva, Switzerland
Legacy? The only one that Pinochet left to opponents that fled the country was a loss of identity. I will always remember my parents telling us that he broke their youth. Thousands of Chileans abroad will remember their parents, grand-parents or other family members that stayed behind and died in the meantime without ever embracing them again. Whatever the economical benefits Chile experienced from Pinochet's politics, it was not worth so many lives destroyed, so much violence. Who did experience the benefits of Pinochet's market economy -- certainly not the poorest who became poorer than poor. Hell does not deserve Pinochet.
Pier Lombardi of Arica, Chile
I was born in Chile in October 1970, shortly after Mr. Allende took office. By the time I was eight months old, my parents had to smuggle powdered milk from a neighboring Peruvian city because there was nothing in Chile. By 1973, there where lines for blocks and blocks in the streets so one could buy their monthly quota of butter and inflation was a rampant 300%. There were also thousands of Cuban guerillas training Chileans in subversive actions. Pinochet saved us from what surely was to become a civil war which would have left tens of thousands of deaths.
Abasi Kiyimba of Kampala, Uganda
I empathize with the Chilean people in their suffering. As a Ugandan, I fully understand what it is to go through such torture as General Pinochet is said to have carried out. However, as a Muslim, I am guided to believe that no death should be celebrated, for death comes to us all, evil or not evil.
Gustavo Wielandt of Santiago, Chile
General Augusto Pinochet saved my country from starving; it was a total mess when he got in power. It was possible that his actions may have saved millions of lives acting before a civil war started. He gave to my country a sense of pride that made us to become one of the best economies in Latin America.
Francisco Montes of Chicago, Illinois
I am Chilean and presently live in Chicago. Chile has been and will be polarized in regards to Pinochet's legacy. One pole will criticize the human rights abuses towards the left wing and the other applauds the fact that he turned the country around with a path to development. I believe we must look at both angles and make an effort to critique and give recognition for the different facets.
Geoff Hartman of Washington, DC
His legacy is as his life had been: One of torturing people and the causing of many innocent Chileans to "disappear" and remain so to this day. It is an unfortunate episode of injustice that such a criminal could go formally unpunished.
James Ottenstein of Denver, Colorado
Frankly, I'm horrified that this subject is even up for debate. He was a monster, another Saddam Hussein propped up by the United States.
Chris Lynch of San Anselmo, California
We're going to have to wait a generation to figure out what his legacy is. But we do have a democratic and prosperous Chile at this moment due to the role that the U.S. played in ensuring that Pinochet respected the results of the plebiscite in 1989. The U.S. actively supported the opposition campaign to vote him out peacefully and then-U.S. Ambassador Harry Barnes stepped in the night of the plebiscite to make sure that the will of the people was respected. I was a young Foreign Service Officer at the US Embassy in Santiago at that time and I'm proud to say this was one of the few unambiguous foreign policy successes with which I was associated.
Eugene Berkovich of Aventura, Florida
Pinochet was a dictator who violently removed a democratically elected Chilean president, instituted state terror to deal with political opposition and has more than 3500 deaths and disappearances attributed to his regime. It is very sad that our government supported him, participated in events leading up to the coup, and welcomed him with open arms. He was no better than Saddam Hussein, another dictator installed with our support.
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