Laja and San Rosendo

In the towns of Laja and San Rosendo, 19 people were detained by carabineros from Laja between September 13 and September 17:

Juan Antonio ACUÑA CONCHA, 34 years old, railroad engineer for Ferrocarriles del Estado, member of the Partido Socialista, president of the Supply and Price Board (JAP) of San Rosendo, and union leader. He presented himself voluntarily to the carabineros of San Rosendo and was released. That same day, he was detained by Carabineros arriving from Laja.

Luis Alberto ARANEDA REYES, 43 years old, railroad engineer for Ferrocarriles del Estado and member of the Partido Socialista. He was detained on September 15 by officers of the carabineros from the Laja station.

Manuel Mario BECERRA AVELLO, 18 years old, high school student. He was detained on September 13 by carabineros officers from Laja as he was preparing to board the train to Curacautín.

Rubén Antonio CAMPOS LOPEZ, 39 years old, Director of the Escuela Consolidada de Laja, councilman for the same district, and member of the Partido Socialista. He was detained at his home on September 16 by Carabineros officials.

Dagoberto Enrique GARFIAS GATICA, 23 years old, employee of the Compañía Manufacturera de Papeles y Cartones. He was detained in San Rosendo on September 15 by carabineros officers.

Fernando GRANDON GALVEZ, 34 years old, employee of the Compañía Manufacturera de Papeles y Cartones, member of the Partido Comunista, and union delegate. He was detained at his workplace by Carabineros from Laja on September 14.

Jack Eduardo GUTIERREZ RODRIGUEZ, 45 years old, contractor and member of the Partido Socialista. He was detained at his workplace on September 13.

José Juan Carlos JARA HERRERA, 17 years old, high school student. He was detained by Carabineros officers from Laja on September 17.

Mario JARA JARA, 21 years old, furniture maker's assistant. He was detained on September 15 at his home by Carabineros from Laja.

Jorge Andrés LAMANA ABARZUA, 27 years old, employee of the Compañía Manufacturera de Papeles y Cartones (CMPC), member of the Movimiento de Acción Popular Unitaria (MAPU), Welfare delegate for the Cóndor company union, and director of the CMPC industrial union. He presented himself voluntarily to police authorities on September 15.

Alfonso Segundo MACAYA BARRALES, 32 years old, merchant and member of the Partido Comunista. He presented himself voluntarily to the Laja station on September 13 and was placed under house arrest. On September 15, he was detained again.

Heraldo del Carmen MUÑOZ MUÑOZ, 27 years old, employee of the Compañía Manufacturera de Papeles y Cartones, member of the Partido Socialista, and director of the Supply and Price Board (JAP). He was detained as he left work by Carabineros from Laja on September 13.

Wuilzon Gamaniel MUÑOZ RODRIGUEZ, 26 years old, employee of the Compañía Manufacturera de Papeles y Cartones. He was detained on September 14 by carabineros from Laja.

Federico RIQUELME CONCHA, 38 years old, employee of the Cóndor company. He was detained on September 13 on the street by Carabineros officers.

Oscar Omar SANHUEZA ORTIZ, 23 years old, primary school teacher. He was detained at his home by a patrol of carabineros from Laja on September 15.

Luis Armando ULLOA VALENZUELA, 51 years old, laborer and member of the Partido Comunista. He was detained on September 14 at his workplace by carabineros from Laja.

Raúl URRA PARADA, 23 years old, employee of the Compañía Manufacturera de Papeles y Cartones, member of the Partido Comunista, union delegate, and firefighter with the Third Company of Laja. He was detained on September 13, as he left work, by carabineros from that location.

Juan de Dios VILLARROEL ESPINOZA, 34 years old, laborer, member of the Partido Comunista, and union leader. He was detained by carabineros from Laja on September 14 at his workplace.

Jorge Lautaro ZORRILLA RUBIO, 25 years old, mine worker in Argentina who was on vacation in Chile. He presented himself voluntarily on September 15 at the San Rosendo police station upon learning that he was being sought by Carabineros.

All of them were transported in the early hours of September 18, supposedly toward the Los Angeles Regiment, a place they never reached.

On October 11, 1973, their bodies were discovered by local residents buried in a sand pit at the San Juan farm, located on the road between Laja and Yumbel. This fact was reported to the Yumbel Court, which took cognizance of the case, ordered the exhumation of the bodies, and subsequently their burial in the Yumbel Parish Cemetery, where they remained until 1979.

The Archbishopric of Concepción filed a complaint with the Laja Criminal Court on July 24, 1979, case file No. 2,770, against the Carabineros of that same town, which led to the initiation of a judicial investigation, and the Court of Appeals of Concepción appointed a Visiting Judge.

This investigation allowed for the identification of the victims and the determination that they had been executed by Carabineros officers from Laja on September 18, at the very place where their remains were found. Until that date, their families had searched for them fruitlessly in various facilities.

On March 18, 1980, the Visiting Judge declared himself incompetent, and the case files were transferred to the Ad hoc Military Prosecutor's Office of Concepción, case file No. 323 80. The case was definitively dismissed on June 9, 1980, by the Judge of the Third Military Court, and the dismissal was approved by the Supreme Court on December 3, 1981, case file No. 564 80.

The amnesty provided by Decree Law 2.191 of 1978 was applied to the perpetrators of the deaths.

• Juan Antonio ACUÑA CONCHA, 34, a machinist for the State Railways, a member of the Socialist Party, president of the San Rosendo Supply and Price Board (JAP), and a union leader. He presented himself voluntarily to the San Rosendo Carabineros and was initially released. That same day, he was detained by Carabineros arriving from Laja.
• Luis Alberto ARANEDA REYES, 43, a machinist for the State Railways and a member of the Socialist Party. He was detained on September 15 by Carabineros officers from the Laja station.
• Mario Manuel BECERRA AVELLO, 18, a high school student. He was detained on September 13 by Laja Carabineros officers while preparing to board a train to Curacautín.
• Rubén Antonio CAMPOS LOPEZ, 39, Director of the Laja Consolidated School, councilman for the same district, and a member of the Socialist Party. He was detained at his home on September 16 by Carabineros officials.
• Dagoberto Enrique GARFIAS GATICA, 23, an employee of the Compañía Manufacturera de Papeles y Cartones (CMPC). He was detained in San Rosendo on September 15 by Carabineros officers.
• Fernando GRANDON GALVEZ, 34, an employee of the Compañía Manufacturera de Papeles y Cartones, a member of the Communist Party, and a union delegate. He was detained at his workplace by Laja Carabineros on September 14.
• Jack Eduardo GUTIERREZ RODRIGUEZ, 45, a contractor and member of the Socialist Party. He was detained at his workplace on September 13.
• Juan Carlos JARA HERRERA, 17, a high school student. He was detained by Laja Carabineros officers on September 17.
• Mario JARA JARA, 21, a furniture maker's assistant. He was detained on September 15 at his home by Laja Carabineros.
• Jorge Andrés LAMANA ABARZUA, 27, an employee of the Compañía Manufacturera de Papeles y Cartones (CMPC), a member of the Movement of Unitary Popular Action (MAPU), Welfare Delegate for the Cóndor company union, and director of the CMPC industrial union. He presented himself voluntarily to police authorities on September 15.
• Alfonso Segundo MACAYA BARRALES, 32, a merchant and member of the Communist Party. He presented himself voluntarily to the Laja station on September 13 and was placed under house arrest. On September 15, he was detained again.
• Heraldo del Carmen MUÑOZ MUÑOZ, 27, an employee of the Compañía Manufacturera de Papeles y Cartones, a member of the Socialist Party, and director of the Supply and Price Board (JAP). He was detained upon leaving his workplace by Laja Carabineros on September 13.
• Wuilzon Gamaniel MUÑOZ RODRIGUEZ, 26, an employee of the Compañía Manufacturera de Papeles y Cartones. He was detained on September 14 by Laja Carabineros.
• Federico RIQUELME CONCHA, 38, an employee of the Cóndor company. He was detained on September 13 on the street by Carabineros officers.
• Oscar Omar SANHUEZA ORTIZ, 23, an elementary school teacher. He was detained at his home by a Laja Carabineros patrol on September 15.
• Luis Armando ULLOA VALENZUELA, 51, a laborer and member of the Communist Party. He was detained on September 14 at his workplace by Laja Carabineros.
• Raúl URRA PARADA, 23, an employee of the Compañía Manufacturera de Papeles y Cartones, a member of the Communist Party, a union delegate, and a firefighter with the Third Company of Laja. He was detained on September 13, upon leaving his workplace, by Carabineros from that town.
• Juan de Dios VILLARROEL ESPINOZA, 34, a laborer, member of the Communist Party, and union leader. He was detained by Laja Carabineros on September 14 at his workplace.
• Jorge Lautaro ZORRILLA RUBIO, 25, a mine worker in Argentina who was on vacation in Chile. He presented himself voluntarily on September 15 at the San Rosendo police station upon learning he was being sought by Carabineros.

All of them were transported in the early hours of September 18, supposedly to the Los Angeles Regiment, a place they never reached. On October 11, 1973, their bodies were discovered by locals buried in a sand pit at the San Juan estate, located on the road between Laja and Yumbel.

This fact was reported to the Yumbel Court, which took cognizance of the case, ordered the exhumation of the bodies, and subsequently their burial in the Yumbel Parish Cemetery, where they remained until 1979.

The Archbishopric of Concepción filed a complaint with the Laja Criminal Court on July 24, 1979, case file No. 2,770, against the local Carabineros, which initiated a judicial investigation, and the Concepción Court of Appeals appointed a Visiting Judge.

This investigation allowed for the identification of the victims and the determination that they had been executed by Laja Carabineros officers on the same day, September 18, at the site where their remains were found.

Until that date, their families had searched for them fruitlessly in various facilities. On March 18, 1980, the Visiting Judge declared himself incompetent, and the case files were transferred to the Ad-hoc Military Prosecutor's Office of Concepción, file No. 323-80.

The case was definitively dismissed on June 9, 1980, by the judge of the 3rd Military Court, and the dismissal was approved by the Supreme Court on December 3, 1981, file No. 56480. The perpetrators of the deaths were granted amnesty under Decree Law 2,191 of 1978.

In 1979, while judicial investigations were underway, the body of Luis Onofre SAEZ ESPINOZA, 37, an employee of the Compañía Manufacturera de Papeles y Cartones, a member of the Movement of Unitary Popular Action (MAPU), and a leader of the company's Union No. 1, was discovered at the same site.

He had presented himself voluntarily, accompanied by the parish priest of Laja, at the Los Angeles police station on September 20, where he was detained. From the time of his detention, his family had no further news of him until his remains were found at the San Juan estate.

The aforementioned facts, all duly accredited, allow this Commission to form the conviction that the 20 previously identified individuals were victims of grave human rights violations for which State agents were responsible; these agents detained them, executed them outside of any legal process, concealed their bodies, and prevented their families from learning of their fate and burying them.

Source: (Rettig Report)