On November 18, 1974, Manuel Nemesio VALDES GALAZ, a 2nd Corporal in the Army, was forcibly disappeared. He had a record of militancy in the Partido Socialista and the MIR. According to the official version, he deserted on that date from the Escuela de Caballería de Quillota, where he was stationed, failing to return after being granted leave.

The victim's militancy in a leftist group, the contradictions in the official version regarding the date of the leave, the improbability that it would have been granted the day after he returned from an outing, combined with the fact that to this date it has not been possible to obtain any news of him, lead this Commission to the conviction that the official version of desertion is not true and that he was disappeared by state agents, who thereby violated his human rights.

D.O.B. : 08-02-54, 20 years old at the time of his detention Address : Bismark 1192, Quinta Normal, Santiago Marital Status : Single Occupation : 2nd Corporal in the Army, Cavalry School of Quillota Political Affiliation : Membership in a leftist party, unconfirmed Date of Detention : November 18, 1974

REPRESSIVE SITUATION

Manuel Nemesio Valdés Galaz, 20 years of age, a 2nd Corporal in the Army at the Cavalry School of Quillota, was last seen by his family on Sunday, November 17, 1974. That day, in order to return to his military unit from which he was on regular leave, he took a bus that would take him back to Quillota.

He did not return to Santiago the following week, and as time passed without any news of him, Nadia Bravo, his girlfriend, traveled to that city and went to the Cavalry School to inquire for information about the affected party.

There, she was attended to by a Lieutenant surnamed Carrasco, who informed her that on Monday, November 18, Manuel Nemesio had requested permission to go out, which was granted. Since then—the Lieutenant added—nothing had been known of the victim.

Faced with this, Lidia del Carmen Galaz Cavieres—mother of Manuel Nemesio Valdés—went to the Cavalry School. She was attended to by a Captain surnamed Pérez, who provided contradictory versions; on one hand, he repeated the version about the permission granted to the affected party on November 18, 1974, but also indicated that it was a case "of desertion," further adding that Valdés held political ideas that prevented him from remaining in the Army.

Captain Pérez told Lidia Galaz that a gold ring belonging to the victim, a notebook, photos, and other personal documents had remained at the Cavalry School, but he did not hand them over to her. Only a family life insurance policy belonging to her son was returned to her.

Shortly before Christmas 1974, Lidia Galaz and Nadia Bravo were received at the Cavalry School of Quillota by the assistant to the Director of that military institution, who told them that he was unaware of the facts and that the matter would be placed in the hands of the Military Prosecutor's Office.

The assistant communicated with the Prosecutor's Office at that very moment, informing both women that there were no records of the case there either.

On June 2, 1975, the mother received a letter from General Julio Canessa Robert, in which he informed her that 2nd Corporal Dragoon Manuel Nemesio Valdés Galaz had committed the crime of "Desertion" on November 25, 1974, due to his failure to report to the Cavalry School (Quillota) after a weekend leave.

There is a record of this fact in Daily Order 233 of November 29, 1974, of that Institute. He further added that all records had been forwarded by the Directorate of the Cavalry School to the Second Military Prosecutor's Office of Santiago.

Lidia Galaz visited aid stations and detention centers, sent letters to authorities, and, in short, carried out a series of efforts aimed at discovering the fate of her son. However, she was unable to obtain news of him anywhere.

The Rettig Report states that Manuel Valdés Galaz was detained by State agents on November 18, 1974, at the Cavalry School of Quillota.

JUDICIAL AND/OR ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDINGS

Among the many steps taken, on April 18, 1975, Lidia Galaz wrote to General Augusto Pinochet requesting an audience to explain the facts that culminated in the disappearance of her son, who in April 1974 had received the "September 18" award granted to soldiers who distinguished themselves above their peers.

The response to her request was signed by Carabineros Major Carlos Burgos Zúñiga, Head of the Documentation Center of the General Secretariat of Government, and in it, she was asked to "clearly explain the problem that afflicts you, in order to determine if the requested interview is appropriate" (April 28, 1975). The interview was not granted.

It was not possible to determine if a summary proceeding for the crime of desertion was initiated in the Second Prosecutor's Office of Santiago, as reported to his mother in June 1975 by Brigadier General Julio Canessa Robert, Commander of Military Institutes.

In any case, no member of the family was summoned to said court, nor did they ever receive information regarding the results of this supposed investigation.

Although there is no further information on the matter, a writ of amparo (habeas corpus) was reportedly filed on behalf of the affected party in January 1976 at the Santiago Court of Appeals. A report of alleged disappearance was also reportedly filed, which was subsequently dismissed.

The result to this day is that Manuel Nemesio Valdés Galaz remains forcibly disappeared, with no traces left of him after he returned to the Cavalry School of Quillota.

Source: Corporation report