Protests Over Release of Criminals in Chile

The Association of Relatives of the Disappeared (AFDD), directly blamed Sebastian Piñera’s administration on what has happened

Although relatives of the disappeared and political prisoners in Chile were waiting for verdicts easing sentences of criminals of the dictatorship, they never thought it would happen in such a scandalous way.

The assessment is made by Lorena Pizarro, president of the Association of Relatives of the Disappeared (AFDD), who directly blamed Sebastian Piñera’s administration on what has happened.

Two other criminals sentenced for crimes against humanity received parole yesterday by the Chilean Supreme Court, while the victims’ relatives of the dictatorship reacted with indignation.

There are seven cases of people sentenced for their involvement in murders, torture and disappearances during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, who was bloodily installed in 1973 until its end in 1990.

The newly released are former Army Brigadier Emilio de la Mahotiere, sentenced to three years and one day as an accomplice and cover-up in one of the cases of the Caravan of Death; and former Colonel Moises Retamal, who was sentenced to six years in prison for the kidnapping of three Uruguayans in 1973.

The AFDD delivered a protest letter to the Supreme Court, saying it’… strongly violates all who have fought to build the Never Again’ era.