Case File No. 28.291 – QUALIFIED KIDNAPPING of Gastón Lobos Barrientos

30.- Statement by Juan de Dios Aliro Verdugo Jara, on page 484, who stated that the SICAR began operating immediately after September 11, 1973, and that they had a red double-cab pickup truck at their disposal.

He adds that he witnessed interrogations of detainees, which were carried out in a room located next to the so-called inmates' room, by Sergeant Fritz, Lieutenant Riquelme, and Colonel Arias. The liaison between the Prefecture and them was Riquelme, who dealt with Arias.

The chain of command was headed by Arias, who gave orders to Riquelme, who in turn communicated them to Fritz. He also acknowledged having carried out arrests together with Fritz, Burgos, and Riquelme. Finally, he explained that Prefect José San Martín Venegas never participated in the matters entrusted to the commission.

33.- Statement by Ismael Lupertino González Pasmiño, on page 503, who notes that he was a Carabineros Corporal in September 1973 at the Segunda Comisaría de Temuco. He indicates that one of the four holding cells at the barracks was reserved for detainees handled by the Civil Commission, which was composed of Sergeant Juan de Dios Fritz Vega, Omar Burgos Dejean, Juan Aliro Verdugo Jara, Hernán Navarrete, and Ernesto Garrido Bravo.

37.- Deposition of Leonel Rivera Alarcón on page 526, who recounts that in September 1973 he was serving at the Segunda Comisaría de Temuco with the rank of Second Corporal. He adds that political prisoners were not registered in the guard logs, but were instead handed over directly to the members of the Civil Commission, which was in charge of political matters.

Its members were Lieutenant Riquelme and Carabineros Juan Fritz, Aliro Verdugo, Hugo Opazo, and Ernesto Garrido. All of them received orders from Enrique Arias González, Sub-prefect of Services. He concludes by narrating that the detainees were blindfolded and kept in a cell designated for that purpose.

On one occasion, he heard Fritz and Burgos interrogating, and the detainees were taken out through a side door in a closed green van that was at the disposal of the Civil Commission. He finishes by narrating that on one occasion, Burgos commented that he had to shoot people so they would let go of the bars of a bridge, which caused Fritz to laugh.

He remembers having seen Gastón Lobos Barrientos detained at the Comisaría.

Source: Judiciary, August 29, 2008