Augusto Pinochet, former Chilean dictator, was arrested in London on 14 October 1998. Pinochet, 82, was recovering from surgery. The arrest was in response to an extradition warrant served by Baltasar Garzon, a maverick Spanish judge. Pinochet was charged with murdering thousands, including many Spaniards. Pinochet is awaiting a hearing, his fate in the balance. Chile protested, insisting that Pinochet had diplomatic immunity. Britain disagreed. The reaction of the Chilean people was mixed. American scholars applauded the arrest, saying that it set a precedent for other terrorist dictators. Castro criticized the arrest, and called it unprecedented international meddling.