Visiting Judge Jorge Zepeda Arancibia handed down a final verdict in the investigation into the homicides and kidnappings during the dictatorship of 23 employees and workers of the El Toro and El Abanico hydroelectric plants, within the framework of the so-called Endesa case.

The homicides were committed in the final days of 1973 and the beginning of 1974, in the commune of Los Ángeles, Biobío Region. The opponents were detained following the military coup, and the remains of several of them were found in 1990 inside the La Mona estate, which is currently owned by the forestry company Mininco.

Among those convicted is General (ret.) Patricio Martínez Moena, head of the Department II of Intelligence of the Los Ángeles Regiment, who received a 6-year prison sentence. Likewise, he sentenced Ismael Espinosa Silva to 5 years for the kidnapping of Manuel Arias Zúñiga.

In this case, the benefit of supervised release was granted. Furthermore, he applied for the first time in Chile the regulations of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, by acquitting Colonel (ret.) Walter Klug Rivera based on the exemption of due obedience.

The sentence also considers a dismissal due to death in the case of the Regiment commander, Alfredo Rehren Pulido. Judge Zepeda also accepted the claims for compensation for damages against the State. The State must pay 50 million pesos to each of the 9 relatives of the victims who filed legal action.

Source: November 18, 2010 La Nación