On May 28, 1976, Héctor Manuel SAGREDO ARANEDA, who had no known political affiliation, was arrested in front of witnesses at his home by carabineros officers who were conducting a massive operation in the Hualpencillo sector, Talcahuano. Since that date, the whereabouts of the affected individual remain unknown.

The Commission is convinced that his disappearance was the work of State agents, who thereby violated his human rights.

D.O.B. : 13-10-51, 24 years of age at the time of detention Address : Gibraltar 2419, Hualpencillo, Talcahuano Marital Status : Single Occupation : Street vendor Political Affiliation : No known political affiliation Date of Detention : May 28, 1976

REPRESSIVE SITUATION

Héctor Manuel Sagredo Araneda, single, a street vendor with no known political affiliation, was detained at his home on May 28, 1976, at approximately 2:30 a.m. by Carabineros officers belonging to the Civil Commission of the "Del Canto" Sub-station in Hualpencillo, Talcahuano.

During those days, massive raids were carried out in the Hualpencillo sector—one by police officers and another in conjunction with Navy personnel—with the objective of detaining criminals. These operations were carried out in the early morning hours, and the detainees were taken to the Del Canto Sub-station barracks.

Among the police officers who participated in these procedures, Juan José Cerna Avila and Francisco Vera Vargas were identified. On the afternoon of that day, around 4:00 p.m., Sagredo's partner, Lucy Olivares, arrived at the home and found the door open and the house in complete disarray; she was informed by neighbors of what had occurred during the night.

She immediately went to the aforementioned police unit, where she was informed that Héctor Sagredo was at the Talcahuano Jail. However, at the prison facility, they stated that he had not been brought in as a detainee for several months.

She then returned to the Carabineros, this time accompanied by the victim's mother, Rosario Araneda, but on this occasion, they were told that they knew nothing about their relative.

They then began to search for him in all police stations and hospitals without success, and they even published a photo of him in a newspaper requesting information on his whereabouts. It should be noted that this photo was taken from the sports club to which he belonged, as all the photos that were there had been taken during the raid on his home when he was arrested.

His mother suspects that one of the participants in these events was a Carabineros Corporal, as he had personal grievances with her son. Mrs. Andrade also states that her son had told her that the officer Vera, the same one who participated in the detention, always watched him and threatened him, telling him that he had to "watch himself."

Héctor Sagredo had a record as a habitual offender with the civil police, classified as a "monrero" (burglar) and "lanza" (pickpocket), and had previously been detained for common crimes.

JUDICIAL AND/OR ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS

On June 18, 1976, a writ of amparo (habeas corpus) was filed on his behalf before the Court of Appeals of Concepción, case file 3798. The Carabineros reported, through the Duty Corporal of the Del Canto Sub-station, that the affected person was not being held and was not registered as having entered that barracks.

The Minister of the Interior, General César Benavides, informed the Court that Sagredo had no records in that Secretariat nor was there any resolution affecting him.

Twenty days after the amparo was ruled upon, the Acting Regional Intendant, Rear Admiral Christian Storaker, reported that his office had not ordered his arrest.

On July 6, 1976, the appeal was dismissed, and it was ordered that copies of the proceedings be sent to the Criminal Court on Duty in Talcahuano so that the commission of any crime could be investigated.

The 2nd Criminal Court of Talcahuano, complying with the Court's order, consolidated the records with case file 7219, which had been initiated on June 3, 1976, by the Carabineros of the Del Canto Sub-station in Hualpencillo, which accounted for the complaint filed by the victim's mother, which was ratified in court.

In this case, the arresting Carabineros Cerna and Vera and the Carabineros Corporal Santander—whom the mother accused of having had personal problems with her son—testified. The first two acknowledged having participated in the operations in which several criminals were detained, but both denied having arrested Sagredo Araneda, whom they also located and knew by his nickname, "El Vela." Santander, for his part, declared that when these procedures were carried out, he was on leave.

The investigative reports stated that their inquiries had yielded no positive results.

In this same Court, on July 16, 1976, his mother filed a complaint for alleged disappearance, which was also consolidated with the cases under investigation.

On August 18 of that year, the closure of the summary proceedings was ordered, and a temporary dismissal was issued because the crime could not be proven; this resolution was approved by the Court of Appeals of Concepción on September 24, 1976.

Notwithstanding this investigation, the Court of Concepción, according to the resolution of the amparo, also sent copies of the proceedings to the 1st Criminal Court of Talcahuano, a court that had simultaneously initiated the process for alleged disappearance, case file 47.194.

In this case, statements were taken from the victim's partner and his mother, and on November 24, 1976, the records were sent to the 2nd Court, which resolved to consolidate them with the already dismissed cases, maintaining said resolution.

Source: Vicariate of Solidarity