D.O.B.: 18-07-25, 49 years old at the time of detention Address: Fundo Monte Flor, Renaico, Parral Marital Status: Married Occupation: Farmer Political Affiliation: None Date of Detention: October 25, 1974

LUIS ALCIDES PEREIRA HERNÁNDEZ

D.O.B.: 19-08-43, 31 years old at the time of detention Address: Fundo Monte Flor, Renaico, Parral Marital Status: Married Occupation: Agricultural laborer Political Affiliation: None Date of Detention: October 25, 1974

REPRESSIVE SITUATION

Armando Pereira Meriño, a married farmer, and his son Luis Pereira Hernández, a married agricultural laborer, were detained on October 25, 1974, when both voluntarily presented themselves at the Parral Carabineros Station.

The previous day, while they were working, two Carabineros had arrived at their home, stating that they wanted to speak with them. The officers were met by Armando Pereira’s spouse—and Luis’s mother—Jovita Hernández, whom they did not allow to go and fetch them, stating that they were summoned to appear at the police station.

They did not show any warrant, nor did they explain the reasons for this notification.

Around those days, on October 17, a confrontation occurred between Carabineros and cattle rustlers, in which two police officers were killed. As a result of this event, several operations were carried out in the area, particularly aimed at the search for the habitual criminal José Rogelio Hernández Manríquez, nicknamed "El Aguila," who was accused of these deaths and was a fugitive.

Luis Pereira had studied some primary school courses with this individual, but he did not have a friendship with him.

In connection with these same events, "El Aguila's" own brother, Gaspar Hernández Manríquez, Venedicto Sepúlveda Valenzuela, and José Apolinario Muñoz Sepúlveda were also detained on October 18; Alcibíades Valenzuela Retamal on the 20th of the same month; and Rolando Ibarra Ortega and his brother-in-law Edelmiro Valdez Sepúlveda, both on the 25th.

All of them have been forcibly disappeared since then, as have Armando Pereira and his son Luis.

JUDICIAL AND/OR ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDINGS

On November 21, 1974, a writ of amparo (habeas corpus) was filed on behalf of both men before the Chillán Court of Appeals, which was joined to another filed on November 22 of the same year by them and by Rolando Ibarra Ortega and his brother-in-law Edelmiro Valdez Sepúlveda, before the same Court, case file 94.089.

The Judge of Parral informed the Court that the affected parties had not been placed at his disposal; however, he was aware that they were to be prosecuted by the Military Prosecutor's Office in relation to the criminal nicknamed "El Aguila." Despite this information, none of them were registered as detained in the prisons of Parral, San Carlos, or Chillán, according to the reports of the respective Wardens, nor had they been placed at the disposal of the Criminal Courts of those cities.

The Commissioner of Parral, Major Díaz, also responded negatively regarding their detention.

With this information, the appeal was denied. This resolution was appealed by the sponsoring lawyer, who pointed out in the written statement that the case had been added and placed on the back of the docket without being indicated with due clarity, and that it was heard without anyone being able to notice the fact.

The Third Chamber of the Supreme Court, after receiving the report from the Chillán Court indicating that the hearing of the appeal had been communicated "to the lawyers and the public who were in the corridors of the court at that moment," confirmed the appealed resolution.

On March 21, 1979, the Supreme Court issued an official letter to the Courts of Appeals to instruct summary proceedings for the alleged disappearance of persons, following a presentation by the Bishops to that high Court. Among these complaints was that of Pereira Meriño and his son.

Thus, on April 5, 1979, case file 33.460 was initiated in the Parral Court, but only for the disappearance of Luis Pereira Hernández, despite the fact that the scarce information gathered established that father and son disappeared together and under the same circumstances.

The Commissioner of Parral responded to the Court that he could not provide information regarding these detentions because the documentation corresponding to the year 1974 had been incinerated.

Investigative police officers searched for him in the records of the Parral Prison, but he did not appear as having been admitted.

It was also reported that Luis Pereira had a pending arrest warrant in the civil police for the crime of robbery in a case from the Parral Court, the same court that was investigating his alleged misfortune.

This warrant was dated February 13, 1975, that is, three months after he was detained and two months after this Court informed the Chillán Court that there was no case against him. The Judge reviewed this case, file 29.548 for robbery and theft, and resolved to re-archive it without stating whether the warrant was effective or not, nor when that robbery had occurred.

With this information, the summary was closed on July 12, 1979, and a temporary dismissal was issued because the crime could not be proven. This resolution was approved by the Chillán Court on the 24th of that same month.

Source: Vicariate of Solidarity

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) will put the State of Chile on trial for applying "half-prescription" (statute of limitations) to perpetrators of crimes against humanity committed during the dictatorship and sentenced between 2007 and 2010.

On February 1, 2023, a hearing for the case of Vega González and others vs. Chile will be held at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights located in San José, Costa Rica. This is being held with the intention of judging the international responsibility of the State of Chile in the reduction of criminal sentences from the dictatorship.

In particular, it concerns 14 criminal proceedings regarding executions and forced disappearances perpetrated against 49 victims. In these cases, the Supreme Court of Justice of Chile applied "half-prescription" between the years 2007 and 2010, which allowed it to drastically reduce sentences and allow the majority of the perpetrators to go free.

Thus, the IACHR must determine whether the State of Chile fulfilled its duty to administer justice with adequate and proportional sentences for criminals against humanity.

"We ask for and demand the sentence that corresponds to crimes that continue to affect us to this day, which meant the loss of our loved ones," expressed Gaby Rivera Sánchez, president of the Association of Relatives of Forcibly Disappeared Detainees (AFDD). "Next year it will be 50 years since the military coup in Chile.

It is time for the relatives of victims to have full justice," added Alicia Lira Matus, president of the Association of Relatives of Political Executions (AFEP), both quoted in a statement from the Association of Relatives of Political Executions (AFEP).

"A proportional and just sentence is essential for the non-repetition of crimes against humanity in Chile and the region," highlighted Jimena Reyes, Director for the Americas of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).

According to information provided by the AFEP, the 14 cases in question left the following victims:

JUAN LUIS RIVERA MATUS: Of communist affiliation and a union leader, he had a wife and seven children. At 52 years old at the time of his kidnapping and subsequent disappearance on November 6, 1975, his body was found on March 13, 2001.

CARDENIO ANCACURA MANQUIÁN: Cardenio Ancacura was married and had four children. He was a farmer and also worked as a boatman. He was a militant of the Socialist Party and participated actively in the Agrarian Reform process.

TEOFILO ZARAGOZO GONZÁLEZ CALFULEF: Teófilo González was 24 years old, married. He was a transporter and a militant of the Socialist Party.

MANUEL HERNÁNDEZ INOSTROZA: Manuel Hernández was 42 years old, married, and had four children. He was a tailor. He was a militant of the Socialist Party and had been a candidate for councilman for Lago Ranco.

ARTURO BENITO VEGA GONZÁLEZ: Arturo Vega was 20 years old, single. He worked as a bakery worker and transporter. He was a militant of the Socialist Party.

LUIS EVANGELISTA AGUAYO FERNANDEZ: Luis Aguayo, 21 years old, single. He worked as an inspector at the Parral Night School. He was a leader of the Socialist Youth. He was detained on September 14, 1973, and transferred to the Parral Public Prison.

On the 26th of the same month, along with three other detainees, he was removed from that place for the purpose of testifying at the Military Prosecutor's Office. Since that date, his whereabouts have been unknown.

MANUEL EDUARDO BASCUÑAN ARAVENA: Manuel Bascuñán, 23 years old, single. He was a student and a militant of the Socialist Party of Parral. Detained on September 22, 1973, by Carabineros, he was transferred to the Parral Public Prison, where he remained incarcerated.

On October 23, 1973, by order of the Military Governor of Parral, he was transferred from this facility, along with other people, to the Military Prosecutor's Office. Since that date, his whereabouts have been unknown.

JOSÉ IGNACIO BUSTOS FUENTES: José Bustos was 52 years old, single. He was a merchant and carried out social activities in the peasant community; he was a militant of the Communist Party. On September 13, 1973, he voluntarily presented himself at the Parral Carabineros Station and was detained.

He was transferred to the Parral Public Prison that same day. On October 23, 1973, he was removed by a military patrol along with seven detainees from that facility for the purpose of testifying at the Military Prosecutor's Office. Since that date, his whereabouts have been unknown.

ENRIQUE DEL ANGEL CARREÑO GONZÁLEZ: Enrique Carreño was 22 years old, single. An Agronomy student at the University of Concepción. A militant of the Socialist Party. Detained by Carabineros on September 20, 1973, at his home in Parral.

From there, he was sent to the Parral Public Prison, where he was released on January 9, 1974. He was detained again by State agents and transferred to the Linares Artillery School. Since that date, there is no information regarding his whereabouts.

RAFAEL ALONSO DIAZ MEZA: Rafael Díaz was 23 years old, single. A laborer. Detained by Carabineros on September 22, 1973, on a public street, he was transferred to the Public Prison. On October 23, 1973, by order of the Military Governor of Parral, he was transferred from this facility, along with other people, to the Military Prosecutor's Office. Since that date, his whereabouts have been unknown.

CLAUDIO JESUS ESCANILLA ESCOBAR: Claudio Escanilla was 16 years old. He was a student and worked as a shoeshine boy. On September 13, 1973, he was detained in the Parral plaza by a military patrol and handed over to the Parral Carabineros Station.

That same day, he entered the Public Prison. On October 23, 1973, he was removed by a military patrol along with seven detainees from the Parral Public Prison for the purpose of testifying at the Military Prosecutor's Office. Since that date, his whereabouts have been unknown.

ROLANDO ANTONIO IBARRA LOPEZ: Rolando Ibarra was 32 years old, married. No known political affiliation. He was a farmer. He was detained by the Parral Carabineros on October 25, 1974, when he presented himself at the Station in compliance with a summons he had received.

Another person was detained along with him, who is also forcibly disappeared. Rolando Ibarra's whereabouts have been unknown since the date of his detention.

AROLDO VIVIAN LAURIE LUENGO: Aroldo Laurie, 30 years old, single. He worked as a traveling salesman. Apparently, he was linked to the Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR). He was detained by the Parral Carabineros, along with a friend who is also forcibly disappeared, on July 28, 1974.

They were seen being brought under arrest into the local Station. He was reportedly transferred to the Londres N° 38 facility in Santiago. Since then, Aroldo Laurie's whereabouts have been unknown.

IRENEO ALBERTO MENDEZ HERNÁNDEZ: Ireneo Méndez was 22 years old, single. A militant of the Socialist Party, he was unemployed. Detained at his home on September 20, 1973, by Carabineros from the Copihue Outpost, who took him to the Parral Public Prison.

On October 23, 1973, by order of the Military Governor of Parral, he was transferred from this facility, along with other people, to the Military Prosecutor's Office. Since that date, his whereabouts have been unknown.

ARMANDO EDELMIRO MORALES MORALES: Armando Morales, 19 years old, was single. He was in his fourth year of secondary school at the Parral Lyceum. A militant of the Socialist Party. On October 4, 1973, he voluntarily went to the Parral Station and was detained. He was transferred to the Parral Public Prison. Since that date, his whereabouts have been unknown.

JOSÉ LUIS MORALES RUIZ: José Morales, 21 years old, married, one child. His spouse was eight months pregnant. He worked as an itinerant merchant at street markets. A militant of the Communist Party. He was detained by the Parral Carabineros on August 1, 1974. Since the date of his detention, José Morales's whereabouts have been unknown.

AURELIO CLODOMIRO PEÑAILILLO SEPULVEDA: Aurelio Peñailillo was 32 years old, single. He was retired due to disability. Detained on September 16, 1973, in Copihue by Carabineros from the local Outpost. Transferred to Parral, where he entered the Public Prison.

On the 26th of the same month, along with three other detainees, he was taken from that place for the purpose of testifying at the Prosecutor's Office. Since that date, his whereabouts have been unknown.

LUIS ALCIDES PEREIRA HERNANDEZ: Luis Pereira was 31 years old and married. He had no known political affiliation. He worked as an agricultural laborer. Detained by Carabineros on October 25, 1974, when he voluntarily presented himself at the Parral Station. His whereabouts have been unknown since the date of his detention.

AROLDO ARMANDO PEREIRA MERIÑO: Aroldo Pereira, 49 years old, married. No known political affiliation. He worked as a farmer. He was detained by Carabineros on October 25, 1974, when he voluntarily presented himself at the Parral Station. Since the date of his detention, his whereabouts have been unknown.

OSCAR ABDON RETAMAL PEREZ: Oscar Retamal, 19 years old, was single. A secondary school student and a militant of the Socialist Party. Detained on September 25, 1973, in Retiro by Carabineros from the local Outpost.

The following day, he entered the Parral Public Prison. On October 23, 1973, by order of the Military Governor of Parral, he was transferred from this facility, along with other people, to the Military Prosecutor's Office. Since that date, his whereabouts have been unknown.

LUIS ENRIQUE RIVERA COFRE: Luis Rivera, 21 years old, married, two children, one of them posthumous. A militant of the Socialist Party. Detained by soldiers from the Linares Artillery School on October 5, 1973, at his home. They transferred him to the Parral Carabineros Station for the purpose of giving a statement. Since that date, there is no information regarding his whereabouts.

JOSE HERNÁN RIVEROS CHÁVEZ: José Riveros, 27 years old at the time of his disappearance, single. He worked as a construction laborer. Detained at his home by the Parral Carabineros on October 12, 1973, and transferred to the local Station. Since that date, there is no information regarding his whereabouts.

ROBERTO DEL CARMEN ROMERO MUÑOZ: Roberto Romero, 23 years old. He was single and worked as a laborer. In October 1973, he voluntarily presented himself at the Parral Carabineros Station and was detained.

He was transferred to the Public Prison. On October 23, 1973, he was removed from the Prison along with six other detainees destined for the Military Prosecutor's Office, by order of the Military Governor of Parral. Since that date, there is no information regarding his whereabouts.

OSCAR ELADIO SALDIAS DAZA: Oscar Saldías, 22 years old, single. He worked as a carpenter. A militant of the Socialist Party. He was detained at a relative's house on September 20, 1973, by Carabineros and transferred to the Public Prison.

On September 26, 1973, he left with other detainees to testify at the Parral Military Prosecutor's Office. Only one of the detainees returned. Since that date, his whereabouts have been unknown.

HERNÁN SARMIENTO SABATER: Hernán Sarmiento, 26 years old, single. A medical student at the University of Chile. A militant of the Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR). He was detained by the Parral Carabineros on July 28, 1974, along with a friend who was accompanying him, who is also forcibly disappeared. They were seen being brought under arrest into the Parral Station. He was reportedly...

transferred to the Londres 38 facility in Santiago. Since then, the whereabouts of Hernán Sarmiento have remained unknown.

HUGO ENRIQUE SOTO CAMPOS: Hugo Soto, 18 years old, single. A third-year high school student at the Liceo Nocturno in Parral. He worked during the day at a lumber yard. He was detained by the Parral Carabineros on a public street on September 13, 1973, and transferred to the Public Jail.

On the 26th of the same month, he was removed from that facility, along with three other detainees, for the purpose of being placed at the disposal of the Parral Prosecutor's Office. He has been forcibly disappeared since that date.

RUPERTO ORIOL TORRES ARAVENA: Ruperto Torres was 58 years old at the time of the events, married, and had three children. A chemical engineer by profession, he worked as a farmer. He was detained by the Carabineros of the Catillo station on October 13, 1973, when he went to sign in, an obligation he had held since his first detention. His whereabouts have been unknown since that date.

EDELMIRO ANTONIO VALDEZ SEPULVEDA: Edelmiro Valdez, 42 years old, married. No known political affiliation. He worked as an agricultural laborer. He was detained by the Parral Carabineros on October 25, 1974, when he presented himself voluntarily, complying with a summons he had received the previous day.

Another person was detained on that occasion, who is also forcibly disappeared. The whereabouts of Edelmiro Valdez have been unknown since the date of his detention.

VÍCTOR JULIO VIVANCO VÁSQUEZ: Víctor Vivanco, 19 years old, single, a fourth-year high school student at a Liceo in Parral. He was a member of the Revolutionary Left Movement (MIR). On October 8, 1973, he was detained by a military patrol at his home and transferred to the Investigations Barracks, from where he was taken to the Parral Carabineros Police Station.

The whereabouts of Víctor Vivanco have been unknown since that date.

NELSON CRISTIÁN ALMENDRAS ALMENDRAS: Nelson Almendras, 22 years old, married. He had worked as an agricultural laborer at the Canteras estate, in the commune of Quilleco. He was a member of the Communist Party.

JOSÉ RICARDO LÓPEZ LÓPEZ: José López, 32 years old, father of one child. He worked as an agricultural laborer at the Canteras estate, in the commune of Quilleco. No known political affiliation.

JUAN DE LA CRUZ BRIONES PÉREZ: Juan Briones, 28 years old, was married and had four children. He worked as an agricultural laborer at the Canteras estate. No known political affiliation.

VICTORIANO LAGOS LAGOS: Victoriano Lagos, 35 years old, was married and had six children. He worked as an agricultural laborer at the Canteras estate. No known political affiliation.

CARMEN MARGARITA DÍAZ DARRICARRERE: Carmen Díaz, 24 years old, was single. She was studying nursing at the Universidad de Chile, Temuco branch, and was a member of the Revolutionary Left Movement (MIR).

EUGENIO IVÁN MONTTI CORDERO: Eugenio Montti, 29 years old, was married and had one child. He was a member of the Revolutionary Left Movement (MIR) and a graduate in Mechanical Engineering from the Universidad Técnica del Estado.

LUCIANO AEDO HIDALGO: Luciano, 37 years old, married and father of four children. He was a shoemaker and president of the Rural Supply Center. On October 11, 1973, in the early hours of the morning, a patrol from the Cunco station, traveling in a police van, arrived at his home, where he was sleeping in the company of his wife and young daughter.

They took him away as a detainee, without any order from a competent authority to justify it, transferring him to an unknown location. His whereabouts remain unknown to this day.

FELIPE SEGUNDO RIVERA GAJARDO: Felipe Rivera, 42 years old, was married. An electrician. He worked at the General Treasury of the Republic. A member of the Communist Party of Chile (PC). On September 8, 1986, at two in the morning, a group of heavily armed men surrounded his house in the Pudahuel commune, kidnapped him, and forced him into a taxi headed for an unknown destination.

His body was found hours later in a vacant lot in a sector of Route 70, with multiple bullet wounds in his body.

GASTÓN FERNANDO VIDAURRÁZAGA MANRÍQUEZ: Gastón Vidaurrázaga, 30 years old, was married and father of one daughter. A state teacher in General Basic Education and a member of the Revolutionary Left Movement (MIR).

On September 8, 1986, at four o'clock, six heavily armed individuals broke into his home in the San Bernardo commune, kidnapping him and taking him to an unknown destination. His body was found with multiple bullet wounds near kilometer 15 of Route 5 South.

JOSÉ HUMBERTO CARRASCO TAPIA: José "Pepe" Carrasco, 43 years old, was married and father of two children. A prominent journalist, international editor of the magazine Análisis, and national leader of the Journalists' Association.

A member of the Revolutionary Left Movement (MIR). On September 8, 1986, near five in the morning, three armed civilians arrived at his home and proceeded to take him away by force in the presence of his family. Moments later, they riddled him with bullets. His body was found on the side of the Parque del Recuerdo Cemetery.

ABRAHAM MUSKATBLIT EIDELSTEIN: Abraham Muskatblit, 45 years old, was married and father of two children. An advertiser by profession, he was a member of the Communist Party of Chile (PC). On September 9, 1986, 12 armed individuals arrived at his home on the plot in the Casas Viejas sector of Las Vizcachas and took him away by force; moments later, they riddled him with bullets.

His body was found hours later in an irrigation canal on the road leading to Lonquén.

FÉLIX SANTIAGO DE LA JARA GOYENECHE: Félix was a member of the MIR and a student of History and Geography at the Universidad de Chile. He was kidnapped at 24 years of age on a public street in the city of Santiago on November 27, 1974, by a DINA commando.

He was transferred to the clandestine detention center known as "Venda Sexy," where he was tortured. Witnesses report that between December 18 and 24, 1974, he was removed from the center by his captors, and his whereabouts remain unknown.

CECILIA MIGUELINA BOJANIC ABAD: Cecilia Bojanic, 23 years old, was married, had one child, and was four months pregnant when she was kidnapped. She worked as a secretary at a pharmaceutical company. A member of the Revolutionary Left Movement (MIR).

FLAVIO ARQUÍMIDES OYARZÚN SOTO: Flavio Oyarzún, 27 years old, was married and had one child. He was a salesman for a company. A member of the Revolutionary Left Movement (MIR).

JOSÉ FÉLIX GARCÍA FRANCO: He was a medical student of Ecuadorian nationality. He presented himself voluntarily to the Carabineros unit in Temuco on September 13, 1973; his house had been previously raided by Carabineros.

His wife brought him clothes and food to this facility daily until September 19 of that year, when authorities informed her that they had released him at 6 in the morning at a border crossing. It is indicated that his whereabouts remain unknown to this date.

MARÍA ARRIAGADA JEREZ: María Arriagada, 25 years old, was married, had 6 children, was a rural teacher, and a member of the Communist Party. She was kidnapped on September 27, 1973, by officials of the Chilean Air Force (FACH), who arrived at her home located at the Chilpaco rural school in a helicopter.

She was then transferred to Lonquimay, where she was held for three days at the Carabineros station, subsequently transferred to the Curacautín Carabineros Barracks, and then to the Maquehue Air Base in the city of Temuco, from where she disappeared.

JORGE AILLÓN LARA: Jorge Aillón was married, had three children, and was an employee of the Agricultural Trade Company. He lived in Lonquimay and was a member of the Communist Party. He was kidnapped by the Lonquimay Carabineros on September 11, 1973, and transferred to the police barracks.

He was then taken to the Victoria jail, where he remained until September 27, 1973, the date on which he was released. That same day, upon arriving at the train station on his way home, he was detained by military personnel from the Lautaro Regiment, who handed him over to FACH personnel. He was transferred to the Maquehue Air Base in Temuco, from where he disappeared.

MARCELO EDUARDO SALINAS EYTEL: Marcelo was 31 years old at the time of his disappearance at the hands of state agents. He was an electronics technician and was married to Jacqueline Paulette Drouilly Yurich, who is also a forcibly disappeared person.

Marcelo was kidnapped on October 31, 1974, in the city of Santiago, while he had coordinated to pick up his wife that day. Security agents had arrived at the meeting location on October 30 and kidnapped his wife; the following day, they kidnapped Marcelo and transferred him to the clandestine DINA facility known as "José Domingo Cañas" and subsequently took him to the "Villa Grimaldi" barracks, where he was interrogated and tortured.

He was later transferred along with his wife to the "Cuatro Álamos" center, from where his trail was lost.

GERARDO ANTONIO ENCINA PÉREZ: Gerardo was 33 years old at the time of his detention, married, with two children, and a member of the Socialist Party. A resident of the town of Melozal, located in the province of San Javier, he had been detained in September 1973 and placed at the disposal of the Military Prosecutor's Office, remaining under supervised release.

In the first days of October 1973, a police patrol arrived at his house looking for him, and upon not finding him, they left a summons for him to appear at the 5th Carabineros Station of San Javier. Upon receiving the message, he decided to go to the police unit with his wife, where he was detained.

It is reported that his wife waited for him all day and returned the next day without receiving any satisfactory explanation. His trail was lost from that moment on. There are accounts stating that, ten or fifteen days later, relatives of other disappeared persons from the same locality requested permission from the local military authority to search the Loncomilla River in order to find the remains of their relatives.

During that search, they found the lifeless body of Gerardo Antonio Encina Pérez, bearing signs of gunshot wounds; they were forced to return the body to the waters for fear of reprisals, as they only had authorization to recover the bodies of their own relatives.

MIGUEL ANTONIO FIGUEROA MERCADO: He was 46 years old at the time of his detention, married, with five children, and a member of the Communist Party. On September 29, 1973, during the night, while he was at his home—which he occupied as a union leader of the Fundo Peñuelas settlement, in the commune of Villa Alegre—a patrol composed of about ten or twelve soldiers and a Carabinero who was the chief of the local station arrived and kidnapped him.

He has remained disappeared since that moment.

Source: resumen.cl 31/1/2023

Date: 31-01-2023

Reclassification of sentences for former military personnel involved in Parral crimes

The Third Chamber of the Santiago Court of Appeals reclassified, in the second instance, the sentences handed down by special judge Alejandro Solís against three uniformed officers accused of the aggravated kidnapping of 21 dissidents of the military regime. The events took place in Parral between September 1973 and January 1974 and include a case of child abduction.

On August 6, 2003, Judge Solís sentenced former governor and retired Carabineros Colonel Pablo Caullier Grant, retired Army Commander Hugo Cardemil Valenzuela, and retired Carabineros non-commissioned officer Luis Hidalgo to prison terms ranging from 10 to 15 years.

In a split vote (2-1), the capital's appellate court, composed of judges Alejandro Madrid, Juan Muñoz Pardo, and Humberto Provoste, resolved to increase the punishment imposed on Hidalgo from seven to ten years and one day; maintain the ten-year prison sentence for Caulier; and decrease the sentence for Cardemil Valenzuela from 17 years to 15 years and one day of presidio mayor.

The investigation, initiated at the beginning of this decade by retired judge Juan Guzmán Tapia, determined the responsibility of the accused in the disappearances of Enrique Carreño González, Rolando Ibarra Ortega, Edelmiro Valdés Sepúlveda, Haroldo Laurie Luengo, Hernán Sarmiento Sabater, Armando Morales Morales, José Luis Morales Ruiz, Aurelio Peñailillo Sepúlveda, Luis Pereira Hernández, Armando Pereira Merino, Oscar Retamal Pérez, José Riveros Chávez, Enrique Rivera Cofré, Hugo Soto Campos, and Víctor Vivanco Vásquez.

All were detained between September 11, 1973, and 1974 in Parral, taken to the city's police station and jail, but in several cases, their trail was lost after they were placed at the disposal of the local Military Prosecutor's Office. In some cases, their relatives have stated that there is evidence that they were taken to Colonia Dignidad.

Of these, Carreño González, Morales Morales, Peñailillo Sepúlveda, Retamal Pérez, Riveros Chávez, and Soto Campos appear in the Armed Forces report issued by the Human Rights Dialogue Table as having been thrown into the Putagán River.

Originally, this process began in Parral following the 1991 Rettig Report; it was later taken up by the judge of the Seventh Criminal Court of Santiago, Lientur Escobar, who was investigating the disappearance of MIR militant Álvaro Vallejos Villagrán at Villa Baviera.

Source: LA NACIÓN - June 16, 2005

Date: 16-06-2005

Judge Guzmán indicts three retired officers

The magistrate indicted the former governors of Parral, retired Army Colonel Hugo Cardemil Valenzuela and retired Carabineros Colonel Pablo Caulier Grant, as well as retired Carabineros non-commissioned officer Luis Alberto Hidalgo, as authors of the crime of aggravated kidnapping of 15 forcibly disappeared persons.

These are the first indictments issued by investigating judge Juan Guzmán since the definitive dismissal of Augusto Pinochet's case. With this, the magistrate marked the path he will follow, refusing to declare himself incompetent to continue presiding over the various cases accumulated in his hands, despite the definitive dismissal of the former Army chief.

The magistrate is also working on new indictments for other cases he is investigating, which he is expected to issue in the coming days. The indictments were issued for the kidnapping and disappearance of: Enrique Carreño González, Rolando Ibarra Ortega, Edelmiro Valdés Sepúlveda, Haroldo Laurie Luengo, Hernán Sarmiento Sabater, Armando Morales Morales, José Luis Morales Ruiz, Aurelio Peñailillo Sepúlveda, Luis Pereira Hernández, Armando Pereira Merino, Oscar Retamal Pérez, José Riveros Chávez, Enrique Rivera Cofré, Hugo Soto Campos, and Víctor Vivanco Vásquez.

All were detained between September 11, 1973, and 1974 in Parral, taken to the city's police station and jail, but in several cases, their trail was lost after they were placed at the disposal of the local Military Prosecutor's Office. In some cases, their relatives have stated that there is evidence that they were taken to Colonia Dignidad, 40 kilometers east of Parral.

Of these, Carreño González, Morales Morales, Peñailillo Sepúlveda, Retamal Pérez, Riveros Chávez, and Soto Campos appear in the Armed Forces report issued by the Human Rights Dialogue Table as having been thrown into the Putagán River.

The magistrate issued these new arrest warrants immediately after returning last Monday from medical leave, which began on Monday, July 1, the date on which the Second Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court issued the ruling that definitively dismissed Augusto Pinochet from the "Caravan of Death" case due to "mental incapacity" caused by "incurable vascular dementia."

Originally, this investigation began in Parral following the 1991 Rettig Report; it was later taken up by the judge of the Seventh Criminal Court of Santiago, Lientur Escobar, who was investigating the disappearance of MIR militant Álvaro Vallejos Villagrán at Colonia Dignidad.

After multiple procedural shifts, the case reached the military justice system, from where it was rescued by lawyers from CODEPU and ended up accumulated in the hands of Judge Guzmán.

Plaintiff lawyer Julia Urquieta stated that "justice is finally being done for the victims and the relatives of Parral. Several of the disappeared from Parral ended up in Colonia Dignidad," said the lawyer.

Although these disappearances occurred in Parral before the DINA barracks began operating there in 1975, the head of the DINA Southern Brigade, Colonel Fernando Gómez Segovia, was implicated in the initial investigations.

Source: PRIMERA LÍNEA - July 10, 2002

Date: 10-07-2002