On October 26, 1973, two health workers and members of the Partido Socialista were executed by military personnel in the city of Temuco:

Manuel Gastón ELGUETA ELGUETA, 28 years old, health educator and primary school teacher, official at the Regional Directorate of the National Health Service, member of the Partido Socialista, and leader of the National Federation of Health Workers (Fenats).

Days before his death, he had been detained at the 2nd Carabineros Precinct. He was released and subsequently detained again in the early hours of October 26 at his home by military personnel.

Jecar NEHGME CORNEJO, 32 years old, health educator, professor of public health at the Universidad de Chile, Temuco campus, and official of the National Health Service, regional leader of the Partido Socialista, and father of Jecar Neghme Cristi, a leader of the Movimiento de Izquierda Revolucionaria (MIR) who was assassinated in 1989.

Neghme was detained by military personnel at his home on October 26, 1973.

Through Communiqué No. 12, the Temuco Garrison Command stated: "by order of the Military Prosecutor's Office, citizens Jecar Neghme Cornejo and Gastón Elgueta, proven terrorists, were arrested on the 25th (of October, at) 22:30 (hours).

During their transfer from the place of detention to the Regimiento de Infantería de Montaña Nº 8 Tucapel barracks, they attempted to attack the patrol and seize the sentry's weapon, for which they were put down."

Having their deaths presented in this manner by the authorities and having analyzed the circumstances in which they occurred, this Commission cannot accept said version by virtue of the following elements:

– Notwithstanding that the Military Communiqué and the corresponding death certificates indicate the date of death as October 25 at 22:30, this does not correspond to the day and time they actually occurred, since both of those executed, according to multiple and consistent accounts received by this Commission, were detained by a military patrol in the early hours of October 26;

– It is not plausible that two people already detained and subdued by military personnel would attempt to seize a weapon from a sentry;

– Even if the official version were true, it does not seem acceptable that the only way to prevent the escape of two unarmed civilians would have been to cause their deaths.

Therefore, this Commission reached the conviction that Jecar Neghme and Gastón Elgueta were executed by State agents outside of all legality, in violation of their human rights.