Sting received the prestigious Gabriela Mistral medal in Chile on January 15th for his human rights efforts in that country during the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet. The medal, named for Chile's Nobel Prize winning poet, was given to Sting by Foreign Minister Soledad Alvear. "Sting made an important contribution to informing the world about our country's situation in prior decades," Alvear said during the ceremony.

Sting performed in Chile on Sunday as part of a world tour. His song "Dance Alone" from the 1987 album Nothing Like the Sun laments the plight of women whose husbands and sons disappeared during General Pinochet's seventeen-year rule. Sting also performed many benefit concerts for political dissidents in the country.

"When I met the mothers last night at my concert, I realized that they have taken the place of my own mother who died many years ago," Sting told reporters. He also noted the timing of the award, which comes just days before local authorities plan to interrogate General Pinochet for his alleged human rights violations.

CHRISTINA SARACENO
(January 16, 2001)