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Joel Bernardo Melo Farias

Obrero Agrícola — 53 years old.

Background

StatusValech-Rettig Commission Violation of Human Rights
DateJuly 21, 1981
Locationsan Bernardo, Santiago, RM Metropolitana
Age53 years old
OccupationObrero Agrícola
AffiliationSin Militancia

Case summary

Joel Bernardo Melo Farías, a 53-year-old agricultural worker with no political affiliation, died on July 21, 1981, in San Bernardo, Santiago. His death was classified as a human rights violation due to abuse of power, committed by State agents who acted under personal motivations with the acquiescence of the authorities.

Automatically generated summary. Please consult the original sources below for verified information.

Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos[1]

b.1.2) Reckless use of force

This category includes deaths caused by gross negligence or severe lack of care on the part of State agents in the use of their firearms.

The cases of death by reckless use of force investigated were primarily caused by shots fired into the air by State agents that struck individuals uninvolved in the events.

The specific cases incorporated into this classification are as follows:

DUARTE REYES, Ramón Leopoldo

MANZANO GONZALEZ, Patricio Enrique

PLAZA DIAZ, Sara Beatriz

b.1.3) Physical mistreatment

This category includes cases of individuals who died in detention facilities as a consequence of the mistreatment received, without the latter constituting acts of torture.

This Commission reached the conviction that five people had died under these circumstances. Their names are:

NAVARRO MELLADO, Sergio

PALACIOS TORO, Esteban Alejandro

PINO CORTES, Claudio Patricio

RIVERA BARRAZA, Pedro Benito

SOLORZA GONZALEZ, Bernardo Enrique

b.2) Abuses of power constituting human rights violations

This Commission acquired the conviction that the actions of State agents acting under personal motivations—and therefore unrelated to their proper functions—while having the acquiescence of the authorities responsible for preventing such acts from being carried out, resulted in the death of four people. They are:

ORMEÑO MOSCOSO, Jorge Hernán

VARGAS SALAZAR, Angel Patricio

MELO FARIAS, Joel

View original source

References

  1. 1

How to cite this record

DondeEstan.cl (2026). Joel Bernardo Melo Farias. Retrieved on June 4, 2026, from https://dondeestan.cl/record/joel-bernardo-melo-farias. Original sources: Museum of Memory (https://interactivos.museodelamemoria.cl/victims/?p=2713).