Case File 2.182-98: “Colombo Case” Episode, qualified kidnapping of Zacarías Antonio Machuca Muñoz

25.-) Statement by DINA agent Lorenzo Palma Rodríguez on page 4887, who maintained that while he was performing his mandatory military service in the city of Punta Arenas, at the Batallón de Telecomunicaciones N°5 Patagonia, while he was sleeping in the barracks in mid-December 1973, the head of his section arrived and told him and Pampilioni that they had to leave their post and that they had to go to Santiago to take a commando course; this fact made him happy since he was from Santiago and would be close to his home.

When Pampilioni and he arrived in Santiago, they were taken to Tejas Verdes , to some cabins that were on the shore of the beach, a place where there were approximately 60 people. The next day they were received by Colonel Manuel Contreras, who explained to them that they were going to be part of a national intelligence service and told the conscript soldiers “he who betrays dies,” which caused him great fear since he was 18 years old at the time.

The first duties he had to perform at the Londres N°38 barracks were guard duty, according to a 24-hour on, 24-hour off shift, a shift that was later changed to 24 hours on, 48 hours off. l.- Statements by his co-defendant Lautaro Díaz Espinoza , who in his investigation points out: “Among the officers who served at Londres N°38 are Ciro Torré, Captain Castillo, Gerardo Urrich, Carevic Cubillos, and of the agents I remember Lorenzo Palma, soldier Jorge Lepileo, Víctor González, Pacheco Fernández, Gastón Barriolet, Rufino Espinoza Espinoza, José Jiménez Castañeda, Rudeslindo Urrutia Jorquera, Guido Jara Brevis, José Guerra Guajardo; I do not remember any female agents at Londres N°38. I remember that we left the Londres N°38 barracks due to an order received, I imagine, from Major Marcelo Moren. I remember that this must have happened in the middle of the year when the barracks were closed.” Among the officers who served at Londres N°38 are Ciro Torré, Captain Castillo, Gerardo Urrich, Carevic Cubillos, and of the agents he remembers Lorenzo Palma, soldier Jorge Lepileo, Víctor González, Pacheco Fernández, Gastón Barriolet, Rufino Espinoza Espinoza, José Jiménez Castañeda, Rudeslindo Urrutia Jorquera, Guido Jara Brevis, José Guerra Guajardo; he does not remember any female agents at Londres N°38. He remembers that they left the Londres N°38 barracks due to an order received, he imagines from Major Marcelo Moren. He remembers that this must have happened in the middle of the year when the barracks were closed. He adds that at Londres N°38, there were approximately between fifteen to twenty-five detainees, and at Villa Grimaldi, he cannot specify, since he did not see detainees, but he knew there were; people were detained for the purpose of extracting information regarding their political or subversive participation in order to be able to capture the other members of their group.

Source: Judiciary, September 11, 2015