The convicted individuals are former DINA member Pedro Espinoza, military officer Daniel Aguirre Mora, PDI member Carlos Luco Astroz, and the former intendant, now deceased, Hernán Ramírez Ramírez. The Supreme Court of Italy confirmed the life sentences for 14 Chilean and Uruguayan military officers and leaders involved in Operation Condor, specifically accused of the deaths of Italian citizens.

The convicted Chileans are former DINA member Pedro Espinoza, military officer Daniel Aguirre Mora, PDI member Carlos Luco Astroz, and the former intendant, now deceased, Hernán Ramírez Ramírez. The Italian Court thus revalidated the July 2019 sentence issued by the Rome Court of Appeal, in the second instance, against 24 human rights criminals.

The investigation took more than 20 years, as it was opened in 1998, and holds high value as the sentences must be served in absentia. Regarding this confirmation of justice, human rights lawyer Cristian Cruz noted that actions are being taken in accordance with the significance of the crimes. “These are sentences consistent with the gravity of the crime, with the way states operated through intelligence services and armed forces, where there was a community to commit crimes not only within each of the territories—Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina—but it has become clear that, in general, the intelligence services and the dictatorships operated even outside their own borders, outside the borders that formed the Condor community. One of the cases is the Letelier case or what happened to Bernardo Leighton in Italy.” “What Italian justice has done is recognize the responsibility of the agents in this entire web of evil carried out by the governments and agents,” he added. The Supreme Court's decision follows one already known last week, in which the conviction of Colonel Rafael Ahumada Valderrama, Sub-officer Orlando Moreno Vásquez, and Brigadier Manuel Vásquez Chauan was ratified. “I pause on Rafael Ahumada Valderrama because he has been convicted in Chile for the forced disappearance of 2 Uruguayan citizens and one Brazilian in September 1973; that is to say, prior to what has been called Operation Condor, at least one of these agents had already acted against citizens of other countries,” the lawyer Cristian Cruz stated regarding these convictions. Furthermore, regarding the international importance of this ruling and how it should be symbolic in Chile, the lawyer stated that “the correct perspective today is to demonstrate that these crimes are internationally prosecutable, that they generate international repudiation. Proof of this is that courts in other countries have investigated and ruled on events committed in Chile or in the Southern Cone.” “The magnitude of the sentences is also relevant. Here in Chile, there are not usually such high sentences, although our courts are certainly investigating in general. I believe they are changing their criteria regarding the statute of limitations, where the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has already given its opinion that it was not appropriate to apply it,” he added. On the other hand, Cruz highlighted that “these types of convictions make evident the perseverance that family members and human rights organizations have had in seeking justice despite the passage of time and in different places.”

Source: radio.uchile.cl, July 9, 2021

Operation Condor: Extradition sought for former Chilean military officers convicted in Italy

An Italian delegation composed of a lawyer and representatives of the victims arrived in Chile to seek the extradition of former military officers convicted of human rights violations within the framework of Operation Condor during the Pinochet dictatorship.

Two of them remain at liberty. This Friday, an Italian delegation arrived in Chile, composed of a lawyer and representatives of the victims of Operation Condor, seeking the extradition of the former Chilean military officers convicted of human rights violations in this case.

This comes after more than 20 years of investigations and judicial proceedings, when the Supreme Court of the European country concluded the so-called “Condor Process” in 2021, which was initiated in 1998 following the arrest of dictator Augusto Pinochet in London.

The Italian litigation for Operation Condor sentenced 24 Latin American military officers and repressors involved to life imprisonment, six of whom are of Chilean nationality. In addition to seeking methods for extradition, the Italian delegation will make contact with the civil parties and witnesses of the trial that took place in Rome and visit the sites where the events occurred.

Along with this, they will hold various meetings with the victims' families, as well as with witnesses from the Rome trial and with parliamentary and government authorities. The facts The military officers convicted in the trial are accused of torturing, forcibly disappearing, and murdering 43 Latin American citizens of Italian origin in the 1970s: six Argentines kidnapped in Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Brazil; four Chileans kidnapped in Chile; and thirteen Uruguayans kidnapped in Argentina.

To these are added another 20 Uruguayans kidnapped in Argentina, whose disappearance is attributed to only one of the defendants, the Italian-Uruguayan Jorge Néstor Troccoli, who was a member of the Uruguayan Navy's intelligence service.

The convicted Chileans, all sentenced to life imprisonment, are Daniel Aguirre Mora, former prefect of the Investigative Police (PDI); Carlos Luco Astroza, a PDI official (both currently at liberty); former sub-officer Orlando Moreno Vásquez; former colonel Rafael Ahumada Valderrama; and former brigadiers and DINA members Pedro Espinoza Bravo and Manuel Vásquez Chahuán.

All were convicted for the disappearance, torture, and death of their victims within the framework of Operation Condor. So far, extradition has only been requested for the first three, while those of Ahumada, Espinoza, and Vásquez are in process.

The delegation is composed of Arturo Salerni, defense lawyer for the families of Operation Condor victims; Jorge Ithurburu, representative for several of the civil parties in the trial, who also accompanied and assisted the families of the disappeared Chileans from their first complaints in 1999 until the sentences of 2019 and 2021; and Sofía Ithurburu, media officer for 24marzo.it, a non-governmental organization that promoted the action during these years and supported families and lawyers in the process.

The victims of the process Juan José Montiglio Murúa: 24 years old, PS, head of the GAP unit, was detained at the Palacio de la Moneda on the day of the coup d'état, taken to the Tacna Regiment, and murdered in Peldehue on 09/13/1973.

He remains to this day in the status of forcibly disappeared. For his case, former colonel Rafael Ahumada Valderrama was convicted, whose extradition has been requested and is pending resolution. Omar Roberto Venturelli Leonelli: 31 years old, former priest, militant of the MIR, professor in the Education Department at the Catholic University, Temuco branch.

He was detained in Temuco on September 25, 1973, when he presented himself voluntarily after being called by radio. He was taken to the Tucapel Regiment and then to the Temuco jail. The family stated they were informed that he had been released on October 4; from that date on, they searched for him without result.

For his case, former PDI members Daniel Aguirre Mora and Carlos Luco Astroza, and former sub-officer Orlando Moreno were convicted. Juan Bosco Maino Canales: 27 years old, MAPU, student. He was detained on May 26, 1976, along with two other MAPU militants, the married couple Elizabeth Rekas Urra and Antonio Elizondo Ormaechea, at the couple's apartment.

All were taken to Villa Grimaldi, where they were last seen. For his case, Brigadier Pedro Espinoza Bravo was sentenced to life imprisonment. Jaime Patricio Donato Avendaño: 41 years old, member of the Communist Party Central Committee, electrical mechanic, was detained on 05/05/1976 along with four other PC leaders in a "mousetrap" set up by DINA agents at the property located at Calle Conferencia No. 1587.

For his case, Brigadier Pedro Espinoza Bravo was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Source: eldesconcierto.cl, April 15, 2022

Operation Condor: Delegation to visit Chile to request extradition of those convicted in Italy

The military officers convicted in the trial are accused of torturing, forcibly disappearing, and murdering 43 Latin American citizens of Italian origin in the 1970s. The Italian delegation that will visit the country will request the extradition of those found guilty.

An Italian delegation will visit Chile between April 15 and 25 to make contact with the civil parties and witnesses of the Operation Condor trial that took place in Rome, visit the sites where the criminal acts occurred, and request the extradition of those convicted in the case.

The delegation is composed of the defense lawyer for the families of Operation Condor victims, Arturo Salerni; the representative for several of the civil parties in the Condor trial, Jorge Ithurburu; and the media officer for 24marzo.it—a non-governmental organization that promoted the action during these years and supported families and lawyers in the process—Sofia Ithurburu.

Let us recall that after more than 20 years of investigations and judicial proceedings, the Italian Supreme Court concluded the "Condor Process" last year. Initiated in 1998 following the arrest of Augusto Pinochet in London, the process sentenced 24 Latin American military officers and repressors involved in Operation Condor to life imprisonment, six of whom are Chilean.

The delegation will also hold various meetings with the victims' families, as well as with witnesses from the Rome trial and with parliamentary and government authorities. Convicted individuals The military officers convicted in the trial are accused of torturing, forcibly disappearing, and murdering 43 Latin American citizens of Italian origin in the 1970s: six Argentines kidnapped in Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Brazil; four Chileans kidnapped in Chile; and thirteen Uruguayans kidnapped in Argentina.

To the victims are added another 20 Uruguayans kidnapped in Argentina, but whose disappearance is attributed to only one of the defendants, the Italian-Uruguayan Jorge Néstor Troccoli, who was a member of the Uruguayan Navy's intelligence service.

The convicted Chileans, all sentenced to life imprisonment, are: former prefect of the Investigative Police (PDI), Daniel Aguirre Mora; PDI official, Carlos Luco Astroza (both currently at liberty); former sub-officer Orlando Moreno Vásquez; former colonel Rafael Ahumada Valderrama; and former brigadiers and DINA members Pedro Espinoza Bravo and Manuel Vásquez Chahuán.

All were convicted for the disappearance, torture, and death of their victims within the framework of Operation Condor. So far, extradition has only been requested for the first three, while those of Ahumada, Espinoza, and Vásquez are in process.

To address this historic ruling in depth, which imposes unappealable life sentences, the delegation will hold a press conference at the Museum of Memory and Human Rights this Thursday, April 21, at 12:00 PM.

Source: elmostrador.cl, April 14, 2022

Operation Condor: House arrest for former DINA agents convicted in Italy

The military officers are currently facing an extradition process at the request of Italy to serve a life sentence in the foreign country. Supreme Court Justice Ángela Vivanco Martínez ordered house arrest for four former agents of the dictatorship, who were sentenced to life imprisonment by the Italian justice system for the crime against 43 Latin American citizens of Italian origin in the 1970s, within the framework of Operation Condor.

Among them are four Chilean victims. These are former agents Orlando Moreno Vásquez, Manuel Vasquez Chahuán, Rafael Ahumada Valderrama, and Daniel Aguirre Mora. Of the other two sought, one is deceased and the other, Pedro Espinoza Bravo, is imprisoned in Punta Peuco serving various sentences for other crimes against humanity.

The military officers are currently facing an extradition process at the request of Italy, in which representatives of the victims have participated. Among them, lawyers Nelson Caucoto and Francisco Bustos act on behalf of the daughter of Juan José Montiglio Murúa, one of the four Italian-Chilean victims.

Montiglio was 24 years old, a member of the Socialist Party, and head of the Personal Guard of President Allende (GAP) unit. He was detained at the Palacio de la Moneda on the day of the military coup, subsequently taken to the Tacna Regiment, and murdered in Peldehue two days later.

To date, he remains in the status of forcibly disappeared. Previously, the criminals were under the precautionary measure of a national travel ban, which was modified at the request of the representatives of the Republic of Italy, the Human Rights Program, and the plaintiffs, who requested a more intensive precautionary measure, for which they were granted full house arrest.

For lawyer Francisco Bustos, this new measure dictated by Magistrate Vivanco is of great importance, since "as we are near the end of this phase of the process, the need to ensure that the requested individuals are at the disposal of the court is recognized.

Likewise, I am confident that we will demonstrate that all the requirements to grant the extradition are met and ensure that the sentences imposed by the Court of Rome are served." Conviction 20 years later The other Italian-Chilean victims are Omar Roberto Venturelli Leonelli (31), former priest, militant of the MIR, detained on September 25, 1973; Juan Bosco Maino Canales (27), MAPU militant, student, and detained on May 26, 1976; and Jaime Patricio Donato Avendaño (41), member of the Communist Party Central Committee, electrical mechanic, detained on May 5, 1976.

In 1998, at the request of their families, the Italian justice system began the investigation into this process, and only after 20 years did the Supreme Court of Italy issue the ruling that sentenced 24 Latin American genocidaires involved in Operation Condor to life imprisonment.

In April of last year, an Italian delegation composed of a lawyer and a representative of the victims visited our country to learn details of the process taking place in Chile, contribute to raising awareness about this historic trial in our country, and collaborate with the extradition of those involved and convicted in this case.

Source: eldesconcierto.cl, March 24, 2023