On October 7, 1973, the following individuals were executed in Tocopilla:

René PAREDES CORTINEZ, 21 years old, merchant, member of the Movimiento de Izquierda Revolucionaria (MIR); and

Lino Fidel VALDES MORALES, 24 years old.

Both victims were arrested by detectives on October 7 at the home of Paredes and taken to the Investigaciones barracks, where friends brought them clothing and food, which was accepted by officials at said barracks.

That same day, it was reported on the radio that both had been executed for attempting to escape. The bodies were delivered to the local morgue, where they were identified by relatives of René Paredes.

The death certificates indicate the cause of death as "wounds resulting from bullet impacts," and regarding the place of death, they state "public thoroughfare," in Tocopilla in the case of René Paredes and in María Elena in the case of Lino Valdés.

The latter lacks veracity, as all evidence confirms that both were executed at the same time and place. This is proven by their joint arrest; the date of death; the delivery of both bodies to the morgue; the numerical correlation of the death certificates; and the official radio version providing the attempted escape of both prisoners as the explanation for the executions.

Furthermore, it has been established that the last place where both victims were held was the Investigaciones Police barracks in Tocopilla.

The Commission formed the conviction that the deaths of Paredes and Valdés were unjustified executions, for which State agents were responsible, in violation of the most fundamental human rights, based on the following circumstances:

– The lack of an explanation justifying why the detainees were on the "public thoroughfare" when they were killed, given that if it had been an escape from the barracks, that would have been indicated as the place of death, as is customary;

– The evidence, through reliable testimony, that both executed men were seen under arrest inside the barracks;

– That in the event that there had been any attempt to flee, it does not seem reasonable that the only way to prevent it would be to shoot them to death.