b.2) Cases of grave human rights violations occurring in the Tarapacá region

These episodes will be recounted in chronological order, with the exception of the War Councils, which will be presented together at the end of this section.

On September 17, 1973, Luis Fernando ROJAS VALENZUELA, 49 years of age, was executed.

The local press on September 18, 1973, reported that "in compliance with the provisions of Edict No. 24 of the Junta Militar of Government, the citizen Luis Rojas Valenzuela was executed yesterday at 7:00 PM, at the very place of his detention." According to this press report: "the military patrol arrived at his home yesterday and the individual immediately offered furious resistance to the procedure.

His rage reached such a point that he lunged at one of the soldiers and, after striking him, tried to take his submachine gun."

This information, which by its nature and the conditions of the period could only have emanated from or been authorized by the Military Command, has allowed this Commission to form the conviction that this case involved at least an improper use of force by State agents, as it is not explained why a military patrol conducting a raid must kill an unarmed person to subdue their resistance.

Furthermore, the use of the word "execution" could indicate that Rojas Valenzuela was already subdued and that he was killed as punishment for his supposed reaction of rage.

The local press in Iquique reported that on September 29, 1973, six "extremists" had been killed at the Pisagua Confinement Camp while attempting to flee: "The Military Security Patrol ordered them to halt on several occasions and fired the first shots into the air, but as they continued their flight, they were gunned down." Thus, the deaths of the following persons were made known:

Juan CALDERON VILLALON, 25 years old, official of the Customs Investigaciones Department of the Superintendency of Customs in Valparaíso, member of the Partido Socialista. Detained in Valparaíso and transferred to Pisagua aboard the ship Maipo.

Nolberto Jesús CAÑAS, 48 years old, socialist member, comptroller of the fishing industries of the Complejo Pesquero Norte. Detained in Iquique, transferred to the Telecommunications Regiment and from there to the Pisagua Prisoner Camp.

Marcelo Omar GUZMAN FUENTES, 34 years old, health educator, Head of the Iquique Hospital, member of the Partido Socialista. He presented himself voluntarily to the Telecommunications Regiment.

Luis Alberto LIZARDI LIZARDI, 29 years old, port employee, member of the Partido Socialista. Detained on September 11, 1973 and transferred to the Telecommunications Regiment, and from there to the Pisagua Prisoner Camp.

Juan JIMENEZ VIDAL, 42 years old, Customs official from Valparaíso, with no known political affiliation. He presented himself voluntarily on September 13, 1973.

Michel Selim NASH SAEZ, 19 years old, conscript performing his military service in Iquique, member of the juventudes comunistas. Discharged and arrested on September 11, 1973 and transferred to Pisagua.

With their deaths explained as the result of an escape attempt, this Commission cannot believe this to be the case, as it seems highly improbable that these prisoners would have tried to flee while being transported to perform labor.

The heavy military guard during these transfers, the layout of the site, and the state of health of some of them—a result of the torture received, especially in the case of Cañas Cañas—make an escape attempt improbable and make it absolutely implausible that the only means to prevent it was to kill them all.

This idea is reinforced by the account that numerous witnesses have provided to this Commission, to the effect that on the day this escape was allegedly attempted, the Commander in charge of the Pisagua prisoners had asked for volunteers to perform work, to which numerous people offered themselves.

However, said Commander and the personnel present chose the individuals who were transported and subsequently killed, even though not all of them had volunteered and some were not in a physical state fit to perform work of any kind.

This Commission thus reaches the conviction that Juan Calderón, Nolberto Cañas, Marcelo Guzmán, Juan Jimenez, Luis Lizardi, and Michel Nash were victims of a grave violation of their human rights, committed by State agents.

This situation is aggravated by the fact that their bodies were not returned to their families. These were only found this year, 1990, in the mass grave discovered in Pisagua.