Miguel Antonio Figueroa Mercado, married, father of 5, a farmer from the town of Yerbas Buenas with no known political militancy, was detained on September 29 in the presence of his spouse and his 5 children by military and Carabineros personnel who violently broke into his home.

The captors first surrounded his house and then proceeded to take Miguel Antonio Figueroa away, stating that they were going to ask him a few questions. However, the truth is that his family never heard from him again, and the respective authorities denied all information.

In the Yerbas Buenas sector, there were various military and Carabinero operations in which several agricultural workers were detained who, like the victim, worked at the Fundo Peñuelas. Among them were Luis Maureira, Ramón Paz, Héctor Méndez, and Alberto Vega, who regained their freedom about 15 days after being detained.

The family of Miguel Antonio Figueroa Mercado visited every place where it was possible he might be held—prisons, the Linares Artillery School, hospitals—but these efforts were fruitless, and they still do not know the fate he met at the hands of his captors.

LEGAL AND/OR ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS

There are no recorded judicial actions on behalf of Miguel Antonio Figueroa Mercado.

Source: Corporation Report

I am the grandson of the forcibly disappeared Miguel Antonio Figueroa Mercado.

Indeed, my grandfather was violently snatched from the side of my grandmother, Raquel, that Saturday, September 29, at about 8:00 PM, in view of my father, Carlos Antonio Figueroa Quezada, and my other uncles.

From that day on, my grandmother began a search, traveling (on foot) from Peñuelas to Linares (Artillery School), San Javier (Polvareda police station), and many other places where she was told he might have been taken.

She died looking for him, never knowing his whereabouts, with the hope of finding him alive. It is worth noting that both my father and my uncles have forged a cold personality; my dad, since he was small, had to go out to work.

He tells us that he could barely work because he couldn't handle the plow (before, there were no tractors to work the land; they had to borrow plows). Well, the momios (right-wingers) and liars who ordered people to be detained and frightened just for being peasants, they could.

My grandfather was detained by a patrol composed of soldiers from Linares and Carabineros from San Javier.

My dad and I have gone to every demonstration we could. We went to Colonia Dignidad a couple of times (when they found that container full of weaponry for torture, electric beds, cameras that fired bullets, not flashes... or when they found a vehicle engine buried). I am sure there are people buried in the Colonia, just as there are at the Linares Artillery School.

As the years go by, everyone says "Peace, Tranquility, Memories," but the guilty have never said "Forgiveness."

In my grandfather's case file, one can read the statements of some of the witnesses that the corporation (CNRR) had. Among those statements, I will provide three for you to judge: first, one witness, then my dad's, and then that of a pathetic old man.

José Ursinio Muñoz Bustamante, 56 years old, farmer, illiterate, said that he knew Miguel Figueroa because he was a union delegate and that he learned of his death the day after he was detained by a military patrol, through comments made by his partner, María Quezada Cifuentes. He never heard of him again, noting that "even his wife passed away waiting for his return."

Carlos Figueroa Mercado, son of Miguel, stated that when his father was detained, he was 10 years old, and that the information he has is the result of his memories and what his mother told him. Regarding his father, he says: "He was a member of the Peñuelas settlement and was a member of the Communist Party out of obligation.

I say out of obligation because if you didn't register with the Party at that time, you didn't have the right to the ration of flour and other provisions." He adds that the day they detained his father, September 29, everyone was at home; the soldiers surrounded the house and put his father in a jeep, leaving in the direction of the public road: "After some time, I learned that in the jeep that headed to San Javier, Mrs.

Flor Leiva was being held; I don't remember her second surname, but she is currently deceased." Finally, he added that according to comments made by a local man named Suazo, who had seen the jeeps arrive at his house, Pablo Jadue was in one of them and the Chief of the Lagunillas police station was in the other: "Also, one day Luis Sepúlveda, son of Mrs.

Flor Leiva, told me that Pablo Jadue had told him that the Carabineros were looking for his mother and that he had told them it was better to take 'el pemil' (my father's nickname) since he was a communist."

When interviewed, Pablo Vicente Jadue Pinochet, a small industrialist residing in Villa Alegre, stated that a few days after September 11, 1973, two large jeeps with soldiers arrived at his home located north of the Peñuelas School at around 11:00 PM, and they warned him that he was on a list to be eliminated.

Then they asked him about Figueroa Mercado and Mrs. Flor Leiva, regarding whom he indicated where they lived. The Investigations report confirmed the detention of Miguel Figueroa Mercado according to what was reported by witnesses.

It established the sequence of events and set forth an important note at the end: "The statement of Pablo Jadue is incomplete, as he refused to answer other questions that were put to him, so it is presumed he is hiding information regarding the identity of the captors." Attached is the statement of Hugo Enrique Suazo Bulnes, residing in San Javier, who, when located, denied what was said by Carlos Figueroa Mercado regarding him having recognized Vicente Jadue Pinochet or any other person in one of the two patrols that detained Miguel Figueroa Mercado and Flor Leiva.

!!!!!!!! MIGUEL ANTONIO FIGUEROA MERCADO...... PRESENT !!!!!!!!!!!

It comforts me to know that Pinochet is dead and that many, many people must have been waiting for him over there.... Goodbye.

Source: Grandson of the forcibly disappeared Miguel Antonio Figueroa Mercado.

The Third Chamber of the Talca Court of Appeals issued a second-instance sentence this Tuesday for the illegal and arbitrary detention of Linares farmer Miguel Antonio Figueroa Mercado, an event that occurred in September 1973 near the Peñuelas estate in the commune of Villa Alegre, Maule Region.

In a unanimous ruling, judges Hernán González García and Víctor Stenger Larenas determined to apply a sentence of 541 days of imprisonment for Claudio Abdón Lecaros Pozo.

The Maule appellate court granted the benefit of conditional remission of the sentence, which is why Lecaros Pozo must submit to the supervision of the Gendarmería for the duration of the sentence.

In July 2008, visiting judge Juana Venegas had determined the acquittal of the convicted man, applying the statute of limitations to the criminal action.

Source: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 La Nación

Date: 21-04-2009