Case File No. 378-84: The Percy Max Arana Saldaña Case

Proceedings: In this case, File No. 378-84 of the Second Military Court of Santiago, an investigation was conducted into the possible commission of the crime of unnecessary violence resulting in death, provided for and sanctioned under Article 330, No. 1 of the Code of Military Justice, against Percy Max Arana Saldaña, and the crime of unnecessary violence resulting in serious injury, provided for and sanctioned under Article 330, No. 2 of the Code of Military Justice, against Marco Antonio Punaro Lillo, as well as the participation that would have corresponded in said illicit acts to Alberto Medina Cárdenas, Julio Urzúa Espinoza, Carlos Garrido Aldunate, José Aguilera Díaz, and Patricio Zamora Rodríguez, all of whom have been identified in the case records. By judgment dated April 27, 2000, written on page 1207 and following of the file, Garrido Aldunate, Aguilera Díaz, and Zamora Rodríguez were each sentenced to five years and one day of presidio mayor in its minimum degree, plus the accessory penalties of absolute perpetual disqualification from public offices and political rights, absolute disqualification for professional titles for the duration of the sentence, and the payment of court costs, in their capacity as perpetrators of the crime of unnecessary violence causing the death of Arana Saldaña, while acquitting the defendants Medina Cárdenas and Urzúa Espinoza of that charge; Aguilera Díaz was also sentenced to three years and one day of presidio menor in its maximum degree, in his capacity as perpetrator of the crime of unnecessary violence causing serious injury to Punaro Lillo. Furthermore, Carlos Garrido and José Aguilera were sentenced to the accessory military penalty of dismissal.

Source: Judiciary, October 28, 2003

Percy Arana: The Young Peruvian Singer Murdered by the Pinochet Dictatorship

Percy Arana Saldaña was a young Peruvian singer, born in the Lima district of Lince on June 3, 1961. By age 15, he had already recorded his first album, and when he visited Chile in 1984, he already had a career that included representing his country at the OTI (Ibero-American Television Organization) Song Festival, which in those years was highly relevant, similar to the Eurovision Song Contest in Europe.

Percy was the youngest of four siblings; for this reason, he was accompanied by his father on his international tour in Chile in 1984. He was 22 years old at the time. In the early hours of March 31, 1984, while driving along Avenida Matta in Santiago after finishing an artistic engagement, Carabineros officers fired without warning at the vehicle he was in, causing the driver to lose control and crash into a tree.

Percy Arana exited the car disoriented and with his arms raised, beginning to move away from the vehicle, at which moment the police shot him in the back.

Percy Arana Saldaña, a 22-year-old single Peruvian man, died due to the excessive use of force involving gunshot wounds and beatings inflicted by State agents after being mistaken for an extremist, according to the report of the National Commission for Truth and Reconciliation (Rettig Report). He is the only Peruvian citizen listed in this report.

After Pinochet’s departure, three Carabineros were convicted of his murder and imprisoned in the special Punta Peuco prison: retired Major José Aguilera Díaz and retired Captains Carlos Garrido Aldunate and Patricio Zamora Rodríguez.

By Joaquín Pérez

Source: resumen.cl, August 24, 2023

Percy Arana: The Story of the Young Peruvian Singer Murdered by the Chilean Dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet

The promising future of the national artist was abruptly cut short by the regime of one of the harshest governments in this part of the world in the 20th century.

Generally, a dictatorship represents a dark and harsh period for the country that suffers it. We know a lot about that situation in Peru, as for a good part of the 20th century, our country has been the victim of several ‘messiahs’ who promised to improve things for the people, with the exact opposite result.

But other countries in this part of the world also suffered it. And although their victims were their own people, there was one case in which a Peruvian also died within a dictatorship that was not his own.

This is the case of the singer Percy Arana, who was a victim of the military insanity that invaded Chile between 1973 and 1990, during the bloody regime of Augusto Pinochet. And this is the story of how the life and dreams of our compatriot were extinguished.

Youthful Talent

Percy Arana, a Peruvian musical promise, met a tragic end at the hands of the Chilean police in a fatal misunderstanding.

Born in the Lima district of Lince on June 3, 1961, Percy Arana Saldaña demonstrated his talent for music from a very young age. By age 15, he had already recorded his first album, and shortly after, he represented the country at the prominent OTI Song Festival, an event that resonated with the relevance of the Eurovision Song Contest in Europe.

By 1984, the Peruvian talent had embarked on an international tour that took him to Chile. He arrived in the neighboring country accompanied by his father, a figure who supported him in his growing artistic career. The young singer’s trajectory had attracted international attention, leading him to Chilean lands with the hope of further expanding his musical influence.

Fatal Night

Thus arrived the fateful early morning of March 31, 1984. After fulfilling an artistic engagement, Arana was traveling along Avenida Matta in Santiago. The tranquility of that night vanished suddenly when, without prior warning, some Carabineros (local police) opened fire on the vehicle transporting the singer. Chaos broke out when the driver lost control, crashing into a tree.

Disoriented and with his arms raised, Percy Arana exited the car, attempting to move away from the chaotic scene. However, the tragedy reached its climax when the police, mistakenly confusing him with an extremist, fired without mercy, striking him in the back.

The National Commission for Truth and Reconciliation of Chile, in its Rettig Report, documented that the death of Percy Arana Saldaña was the result of an excessive use of force, with gunshot wounds and beatings inflicted by State agents.

Shockingly, Arana became the only Peruvian citizen to appear in said report, leaving an indelible mark on the history of relations between Peru and Chile.

Crime with Punishment

After Augusto Pinochet left power in 1990, three Carabineros were convicted of the murder of Percy Arana. Retired Major José Aguilera Díaz and retired Captains Carlos Garrido Aldunate and Patricio Zamora Rodríguez met their fate in the special Punta Peuco prison, serving sentences for a crime that marked the transition toward a new chapter in Chilean history.

And after several years, in 2007, the Chilean justice system issued an unprecedented ruling in its country, ordering the State to compensate the relatives of Percy Arana with a sum of 100 million Chilean pesos, equivalent to about US$192,000. The ruling, issued by Judge Juan Polanco, recognized the Executive’s responsibility for moral reparation to Fabio Arana, the father of the deceased singer.

Upon learning the news, the family’s lawyer, Nelson Caucoto, expressed his satisfaction with the court’s decision, calling it “wonderful news.” This ruling resonated as an act of justice, late but significant.

The story of Percy Arana, marked by tragedy and the struggle for truth, continues to be a moving testimony to the complexities that can arise in international relations and the efforts to achieve justice, even long after the echoes of a tragic event have faded over time.

What Happened During the Chilean Dictatorship?

The Chilean dictatorship, which lasted from September 11, 1973, to March 11, 1990, originated with the military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet. This event marked the end of the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende.

The political and social situation in Chile was marked by economic tensions and ideological polarization, which led to the coup and the establishment of an authoritarian regime. The Pinochet dictatorship was characterized by brutal political repression.

Mass arrests and detentions of political opponents, union leaders, and people considered dissidents were carried out. Many were subjected to political imprisonment and torture and extrajudicial executions. Furthermore, censorship was implemented in the media, and political parties were dissolved.

In the economic sphere, Pinochet adopted neoliberal policies, promoting a series of reforms that sought to liberalize the economy. State companies were privatized, state intervention in the economy was reduced, and trade liberalization measures were implemented.

Although these policies generated economic growth, they also increased inequality and had a negative impact on vulnerable sectors of society.

The Chilean dictatorship of Pinochet did not discriminate in its violence; Percy Arana, a young Peruvian singer, was proof of that.

The systematic violation of human rights during the Chilean dictatorship was condemned internationally, and subsequent investigations and trials were carried out to hold those involved in abuses accountable.

The Valech Commission, established in 2003, documented and recognized the victims of political imprisonment and torture.

The return to democracy in Chile materialized with the presidential elections of 1989, which brought Patricio Aylwin to power. On March 11, 1990, Aylwin assumed the presidency, marking the official end of the dictatorship.

The process of transition to democracy involved the drafting of a new Constitution and the establishment of measures to guarantee national reconciliation. Although Chile experienced a return to democracy, the scars of the dictatorship still endure in the country’s collective memory.

Source: infobae.com, February 7, 2024