Nikolaos Makarezos, one of the leaders of the 1967-1974 junta, passed away at the age of 90 in Athens.
Makarezos, together with Stilianos Patakos, 97, were officers in the middle echelon of the Greek army and participated in the organization of the civil take-over on April 21, 1967. They are known as being two o the so-called "Black Colonels."
In the years of the junta, he had been occupying different ministerial positions, he had been a prime-minister, and responsible for the national economy.
The "Black Colonels" had nationalistic convictions, chased after those with different persuasions and forced their outlook regarding order and governing using violence. During the junta, more than 100 tanks entered the city and were located on infrastructural-strategic places. More than 5000 regime opponents were arrested. Political parties were also prohibited. A lot of countries opposed the system; pressure was felt on all levels in order for numbers of actors and artists, the color of the nation, to be set free from jail. Among those pursued were Manolis Glezos and Mikis Theodorakis.
After the downfall of the military junta in 1974, the "Black Colonels" organize a military take-over in Cyprus. The actions provoke the Turkish army to interfere which later caused the separation of the island in two. Eight years later, in the island's northern part, the so-called North-Cyprus Turkish Republic was pronounced, solely acknowledged by Turkey.
Makarezos received a capital sentence for treason, which was later replaced by life imprisonment. He was set free after a serious worsening of his health in 1990, after he and Patakos expressed remorse in regard to their actions. The former junta leader, Papadopoulos, on the other hand, refused to repent and died in prison at the end of the 90s.
Dilyana Ivanova