Case File 10.854: Episode “Dagoberto Cárcamo Navarro and others, Homicide on the road to Pelluco”

B.- That in the early hours of October 18, 1973, while the curfew was in effect in the town, a patrol of officers from the Second Police Station of Carabineros, located at 519 Guillermo Gallardo Street in Puerto Montt, removed from that police unit Dagoberto Segundo Cárcamo Navarro, José René Argel Marilicán, Carlos Mansilla Coñuecar, Jorge Melipillán Aros, José Armando Ñancumán Maldonado, and Adolfo Omar Arismendi Pérez, who were being held there as detainees, transporting them in motor vehicles toward the vicinity of the road to the Pelluco resort; at a certain point, they stopped, made them get out of the vehicle, and under the order of Captain Miguel Onofre Vidal Vidal, proceeded to shoot them, causing wounds to the skull, face, thorax, or abdomen, which resulted in their deaths. They collected the bodies and deposited them in the city morgue.

9) Benjamín Villablanca Romero, in a statement on pages 402 to 409, who added that he performed duties at the Second Police Station of Carabineros of Puerto Montt, under the command of Major Caupolicán Arcos Albarracín, being assigned to form part of the ordinary services until days after the military coup, when he was designated to join the staff of the recently created Carabineros intelligence service, SICAR, whose chief was Sergeant Major Juan Saldivia Maldonado, reporting to the Llanquihue Prefecture, and whose mission was to investigate the various political events of that era, succeeding in discovering the organization of the Communist Youth in the region and its members;

After six months, he was transferred to the Regional Intelligence Service (SIRE), a unit formed by around 13 officials, including personnel from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Carabineros, and the Investigative Police, under the command of Captain Eugenio Covarrubias and deputy chief Lieutenant Lautaro Contreras, and including as members persons with the surnames Kappes and Yáñez (Army), Second Sergeant León and Lagos (FACH), and Claudio Olavarría, Veas, Obreque, and Vargas (Carabineros), and Díaz (Investigative Police).

The functions of the SIRE included continuing the investigation regarding communists, surveillance of individuals, and carrying out tasks of interrogating and searching for detainees in other places in the region.

This service operated in the Investigative Police barracks, where they were assigned an office on the first floor, entering to the right, and a dungeon in the basement; subsequently, they were assigned a one-story wooden house belonging to the FACH in the Antonio Varas neighborhood, toward the east of Avenida Sargento Silva.

He details regarding the detainees that the Military Prosecutor's Office operated in the same Intendencia building, under the charge of the Carabineros legal major Alberto Ebensperger Aburto, who was the person in charge of deciding the fate of the detainees or whether they were released or transferred to the Chin Chin prison.

He indicated that the detainees who remained to be transferred to this prison were interrogated by the arresting officers, using as the most common method tying them up and pouring water into their noses, so that they would provide information, a function for which there was no designated official, but rather it was performed by whoever was free; they generally knew the events in which the political detainees were involved and were questioned about that when something remained to be clarified.

They were interrogated with their hands tied and their mouths covered, and water was poured into their noses with anything like a pitcher; electricity with magnets was not applied to them. He continued by noting that the SIRE tapped the telephone company, not knowing from whom the order emanated, but that General Leigh had knowledge of this.

He states that in the month of October 1973, while working at the SICAR, he heard comments from Carabineros Corporal ISIDORO AZOCAR, who recounted having participated as the driver of the van in which they transported a group of young people, who were detained by Carabineros of the Second Police Station of Puerto Montt and transported in this police vehicle during the night until past the railway sector, on the road to Pelluco, where it seems they were put to death.

He adds that it was also commented that other involved officials were Juan Desiderio Soto, nicknamed “Soto Perra,” currently deceased.

He affirms remembering a young man with the surname Mansilla, who was a boxer and known in the region. He does not know if this patrol was under the command of an officer but points out that it was generally a Carabineros non-commissioned officer who was in charge.

He imagines that what happened to these young people was by order of the officers of the Second Police Station of Carabineros of Puerto Montt, specifically by Lieutenant Navarro, as he was impulsive and usually did not measure the consequences of his actions, for which he was known as “the crazy Navarro.” He concludes by recounting other episodes that occurred in the Puerto Montt area.

In a statement on page 411 to 411 verso, he ratified his previous statement and reiterated that he did not participate in the episode that occurred on the road to Pelluco, which resulted in the death of several young people.

He reiterated that in October 1973 he was working at the SICAR where he heard comments from Carabineros Corporal Isidoro Azócar to the effect that he had participated as the driver of the van in which a group of young people had been transported who had been detained by Carabineros of the Second Police Station of Puerto Montt and transported in that police vehicle during the night until past the railway station sector on the road to Pelluco, where it seems they were put to death, it also being commented that another involved official was Juan Soto, nicknamed “El Soto Perra,” currently deceased.

He repeats that what happened to these young people must have been by order of the officers reporting to the Second Police Station of Carabineros of Puerto Montt, mainly by Lieutenant Navarro.

44) Death certificates of Miguel Onofre Vidal Vidal on page 498, which indicates as the cause of his death craniocerebral trauma by bullet; of Caupolicán Horacio Arcos Albarracín on page 499, which indicates as the cause of death respiratory failure, multiorgan failure, gastric cancer; of Adolfo Amado Navarro Palma on pages 649 and 803, whose death is craniocerebral trauma by bullet; of Juan Barría Igor on page 671, deceased due to cardiorespiratory arrest; of Juan Deciderio Soto Soto on page 672, cause of death bullet wound to the skull; and of José Ricardo Hernández Díaz on page 673, which indicates as the cause of death the result of a traffic accident. All of whom, in addition to the accused, would have been part of the Carabineros patrol that would have participated in the investigated events.

Source: Judiciary, October 28, 2017

Indictment issued against three members of the CAJSI of Puerto Montt for their responsibility in kidnapping and illegal detention in 1973

Indictment issued against three members of the CAJSI of Puerto Montt for their responsibility in kidnapping and illegal detention in 1973 Minister Álvaro Mesa indicts a retired military officer, Carabineros officer, and detective for kidnapping and torture in Puerto Montt The minister on extraordinary visit for human rights violation cases in the jurisdictions of Temuco, Valdivia, Puerto Montt, and Coyhaique, Álvaro Mesa Latorre, issued an indictment against three members of the Internal Security Jurisdictional Area Command (CAJSI) of Puerto Montt, for their responsibility in the crimes of kidnapping, illegal detention, and the application of torture to the victims Conrado Ulloa Uribe, Jaime Luis Benítez Sepúlveda, José Alfredo Argel Marilicán, Jaime Nolberto Vera Vera, Edis Rodríguez Robeiro, Jorge Segundo Ovando Agüero, Ramón Alberto Zambrano Toledo, José Teodomiro Vargas Niello, Luis Alberto Silva Hernández, Luis Humberto Villegas Alvarado, Luis Alberto Guerrero Uribe, Marcia Noelía Oyarzo Groff, Juan Guillermo Leonhardt Catalán, Paulo Hernán Anderson Muñoz, Mario Enrique Contreras Vegas, César Vladimir Leiva Garrido, Jaime Alfonso Moraga Zamorano, Marco Antonio Romero Arias, and Saúl Sergio Espinoza Villalobos. Crimes perpetrated in the city of Puerto Montt in 1973.

In the resolution (case file 10.872-P), the visiting minister attributes responsibility, as authors of the crimes, to the retired Army officer Eugenio Covarrubias Valenzuela, who at the time of the events was in charge of the Second Intelligence Section of the Infantry Regiment No. 12 “Sangra” of the city of Puerto Montt; to the retired Carabineros officer Carlos Segundo Tapia Galleguillos, of the staff of the Second Police Station of Carabineros of Puerto Montt; and to the detective Roberto Javier Díaz Moya, of the Information Department of the Puerto Montt Prefecture of the Investigative Police.

In the investigation stage of the case, Minister Mesa Latorre established the following facts:

“A.- That after the overthrow of the Government was consummated by the Armed Forces, the Government Junta extrapolated from their internal structure the establishment of the ‘Internal Security Jurisdictional Area Commands’ (CAJSI), which were located in provincial capital cities and were formed by the Commanders of the different units of the Armed Forces and Order installed in the area, which were led by the most senior officer among them, that person being the highest authority who occupied the position of Zone Chief in a State of Siege.

B.- That among their main functions, those related to the administration and internal security of the territory under their jurisdiction stood out, such as issuing Decrees, ordering the investigation of specific situations or persons, ordering raids, the detention of persons, detecting areas of conflict, and coordinating patrols and operational procedures with the participation of members of the various branches of the Armed Forces.

They made decisions and planned matters of intelligence, logistics, operations, and administration. As of September 11, 1973, the provinces of Llanquihue, Chiloé, and Palena remained under the jurisdiction of the Internal Security Jurisdictional Area Command (CAJSI) based in the city of Puerto Montt, which operated from the Provincial Intendencia building (current Provincial Governorate), located on San Martín Street, in front of the main square.

C.- That the officers who formed the Internal Security Jurisdictional Area Command (CAJSI) based in the city of Puerto Montt, with jurisdiction, as noted, in the aforementioned Provinces, according to what was reported by the Investigative Police of Chile through a police report found on pages 1.065 to 1.077, were the following: Air Force Brigadier General (A) Sergio Hiram Rodolfo Leigh Guzmán (deceased as recorded on page 329, Volume I), representing the Chilean Air Force, Commander of the Third Air Brigade and Wing No. 5 (El Tepual Air Base), who held the position of Zone Chief in a State of Exception and Commander of the CAJSI, until the end of December 1973; Colonel Rubén Rojas Román (deceased as recorded on page 1.722, Volume IV), representing the Chilean Army, Commander of the Infantry Regiment No. 12 ‘Sangra’ of Puerto Montt; Frigate Captain Osvaldo Federico Pablo Schwarzenberg Stegmaier, representing the Chilean Navy, Commander of the Naval Station and Maritime Governor of Puerto Montt; Lieutenant Colonel Eduardo Pastarrieu Navarrete (deceased as recorded on page 1.723, Volume IV), representing the Chilean Carabineros, Prefect of the Llanquihue Province; Sub-prefect Chief Hormazábal Rojas (deceased as recorded on page 1.726, Volume IV), representing the Investigative Police of Chile, Prefect of Puerto Montt, who had less relevance and prominence than the previous ones.

D.- That likewise, and with the purpose of transmitting the instructions and guidelines of General Sergio Leigh Guzmán, as Zone Chief in a State of Siege and Commander of the Internal Security Jurisdictional Area Command (CAJSI), a liaison officer was established with each of the institutions of the Armed Forces and Order existing in the territory under his command, a task that the following officers were responsible for performing: from the Chilean Army, Captain Eugenio Adrián Covarrubias Valenzuela, who was in charge of the Second Intelligence Section of the Infantry Regiment No. 12 ‘Sangra’ of the city of Puerto Montt; from the Chilean Navy, the name of the officer who performed said function is not known with exactitude; from the Chilean Air Force, Colonel Mario Ernesto Jahn Barrera (deceased as recorded on page 4.600, Volume XII); from the Chilean Carabineros, Lieutenant Carlos Segundo Tapia Galleguillos, of the Second Police Station of Carabineros of Puerto Montt; and from the Investigative Police of Chile, Detective Roberto Javier Díaz Moya, of the Information Department of the Puerto Montt Prefecture.

E.- That like the rest of the organizations at the national level, the Internal Security Jurisdictional Area Command (CAJSI) based in the city of Puerto Montt, in addition to its own intelligence, made use of all the Intelligence Units of the various institutions of the Armed Forces and Order existing in the Region.

For this purpose, the Regional Intelligence Center or Service (CIRE or SIRE) was created, an operational organ of the CAJSI, which initially, after September 11, 1973, was under the command of the then-Major of Carabineros and Commissioner of the Llanquihue Prefecture Caupolicán Horacio Arcos Albarracín (deceased as recorded on page 331, Volume I).

Subsequently, it was in charge of Army Captain Eugenio Adrián Covarrubias Valenzuela, Chilean Army Captain Ricardo Eugenio Pfaff Mococain, Carabineros Lieutenant Gerardo Alejandro Aravena Longa, among other officers.

F.- That the main office where the Regional Intelligence Service (CIRE or SIRE) operated was located on the second floor of the Intendencia building (current Provincial Governorate), based in the city of Puerto Montt, which was accessed via Antonio Varas Street.

Meanwhile, in the Investigative Police barracks of Puerto Montt, they also had an office on the first floor, which was used as an interrogation room for detainees. Subsequently, in 1974, the Regional Intelligence Service (CIRE or SIRE) also had as a facility for its operation a house located in the Antonio Varas neighborhood of the city of Puerto Montt, which was presumably a government-owned dwelling belonging to the Chilean Air Force.

G.- That according to the Investigative Police roster, among the officials of the different institutions of the Armed Forces and Order who were part of the Regional Intelligence Service (CIRE or SIRE) at the time in question, Carabineros Lieutenant Carlos Segundo Tapia Galleguillos and Air Force Captain Jorge Andrés Pastor Enberg Castro (deceased as recorded on page 1.725, Volume IV) are mentioned, among others.

H.- That immediately after the Armed Forces assumed control of the Provinces of Llanquihue, Chiloé, and Palena, the military authority summoned various persons who, in view of their political activities during the deposed government or the administrative functions exercised therein, had to present themselves at the Sangra Regiment, located at that time on the land situated at the vertex formed by Ejército and Regimiento streets.

Thus, it was that the Air Force General Sergio Hiram Rodolfo Leigh Guzmán (deceased as recorded on page 329, Volume I), issued Decree No. 3 on September 11, 1973, that is, the same day he assumed power, in whose numeral 2nd he states: ‘the following citizens are invited to surrender to the Sangra Regiment before 19:00 hours, otherwise proceedings will be taken against them: 1) Luis Espinoza Villalobos (…)’, followed by the names of six other persons, the sixth being Juan Leonhardt (added on page 4.083, Volume X).

This was nothing but the beginning of a repressive activity undertaken against those who in the mentioned provinces held administrative positions during the deposed government and against those who formed or were suspected of having formed part of political groups affiliated with it or held similar ideas.

I.- That as a consequence of the circumstances previously indicated, members of the Armed Forces—in some cases with an order emanating from the Wartime Military Prosecutor's Office and in others without any order—detained hundreds of people who in the days immediately following September 11, 1973, were transferred to the facilities of the Sangra Regiment, but later, as the detentions increased, were entered directly into the dungeons of the Investigative Police Barracks of Puerto Montt, and in whose facilities, located on an upper floor, they were subjected to interrogations by subordinate personnel, non-commissioned officers, under the command and direction of superior officers, thus transforming that Barracks into a place of detention and interrogation under torture of various kinds, logistically assisted by the officers who performed intelligence functions within the Intelligence Department of the CAJSI, among others, Army Captain Eugenio Covarrubias Valenzuela, Carabineros Lieutenant Carlos Tapia Galleguillos, and Investigative Police Inspector Roberto Díaz.

J.- That the situation described above began, as stated, starting on September 11, 1973, and was maintained during the stay in Puerto Montt of the Chilean Air Force General, Sergio Hiram Rodolfo Leigh Guzmán (deceased as recorded on page 329, Volume I), as Chief of the Plaza, beginning to cease after his replacement, the general of the same branch, Mr.

Juan Soler Manfredini (deceased as recorded on page 4.125, Volume X), assumed.

K.- That among the numerous people who suffered detention and the application of torture, during the course of the investigation it was possible to identify Conrado Ulloa Uribe, Jaime Luis Benítez Sepúlveda, José Alfredo Argel Marilicán, Jaime Nolberto Vera Vera, Edis Rodríguez Robeiro, Jorge Segundo Ovando Agüero, Ramón Alberto Zambrano Toledo, José Teodomiro Vargas Niello, Luis Alberto Silva Hernández, Luis Humberto Villegas Alvarado, Luis Alberto Guerrero Uribe, Marcia Noelía Oyarzo Groff, Juan Guillermo Leonhardt Catalán, Paulo Hernán Anderson Muñoz, Mario Enrique Contreras Vegas, César Vladimir Leiva Garrido, Jaime Alfonso Moraga Zamorano, Marco Antonio Romero Arias, Saúl Sergio Espinoza Villalobos, among many other men and women of diverse social conditions and educational levels.

L.- That the periods of time during which the mentioned persons suffered detention do not appear in the records of the Investigative Police and are only illustrated by the entry/exit records of the Puerto Montt Penitentiary Compliance Center, in the event that some of them were transferred to that penal facility.

Many of the testimonies of the aforementioned victims have been reinforced by the expert reports issued by the Legal Medical Service in accordance with the Istanbul Protocol.”

Source: suractual.cl, January 5, 2021