Original article: Capitán condenado por matar a Romario Veloz en la revuelta social podría ser el primer indultado de Kast
José Santiago Faúndez Sepúlveda, the army captain sentenced in May 2025 to 15 years in prison by the Supreme Court for the homicide of Romario Wladimir Veloz Cortés during the 2019 social unrest, appears to be the first military member likely to receive a pardon from José Antonio Kast‘s government.
This information was revealed by journalist Mónica Pérez during the program Hablemos en Off on Radio Duna, raising concerns about the criteria that the Republican may employ in exercising the constitutional power to grant pardons.
Pérez indicated on the radio program that at the time of the tragic events resulting in the death of the 26-year-old civil engineering student, Faúndez Sepúlveda was experiencing mental health issues.
This condition had previously prompted military authorities to attempt to manage his immediate discharge from the army, a process that ultimately did not materialize.
Convicted of Lethal Violence During Unrest:
This background may now be considered by the president to justify a potential pardon, contrasting sharply with the overwhelming evidence presented in court to establish his responsibility for events that occurred on October 20, 2019, in the city of La Serena, Coquimbo Region.
The judicial ruling, which became final following the Supreme Court’s rejection of a complaint filed by his defense, convicted him of the completed crime of unnecessary violence resulting in death, as well as two counts of unnecessary violence that caused serious injury to Rolando Alberto Robledo Vergara and César Antonio Véliz Cortés.
The decision by the highest court, made in May 2025, closed any appeal avenues for the officer, who is serving his sentence at Colina 1 prison.
The first-instance ruling, confirmed by the Court of Appeals in La Serena on January 9, 2024, and subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court, detailed the sequence of events leading to Romario Veloz’s death.
In this context, while the state of constitutional emergency was in effect due to the social upheaval, Captain Faúndez Sepúlveda had assumed command of the Fundamental Emergency Unit (UFE N°1), tasked with establishing military presence in the area to maintain public order and prevent harm or danger to citizens and their property.
According to the evidence, on October 20, 2019, at approximately 18:08, as a protest was taking place along Route 5 North, some stores in the Plaza La Serena mall began to be looted. In response, Captain Faúndez Sepúlveda ordered the formation of chain shooters from the military squads, a maneuver that, according to the court, achieved its immediate goal: to deter those who were stealing from the stores.
However, despite successfully deploying military strength without resorting to lethal force, the officer subsequently ordered the advancement of the lines in chains, incorporating additional squads and escalating tensions dangerously in the area.
The court confirmed that the weapons—SIG caliber 7.62 and Galil caliber 5.56—were primarily loaded with live ammunition and, to a lesser extent, blank rounds, aimed towards the civilians present.
In the first volley of shots, around 18:15, conscript Rojas Barrera fired a live round from his SIG rifle, striking Rolando Alberto Robledo Vergara, causing grave and ultimately deadly injuries, leaving him with a permanent physical deformity and functional disability that incapacitated him for work.
Murder of Romario Veloz
The tragedy did not end there. Around 18:22, knowing that his subordinates had already fired live rounds and were still aiming their weapons at civilians, Faúndez Sepúlveda gave a second fire order. This instruction was fatal: conscript Robledo Olguín fired the Galil rifle loaded with live ammunition, hitting Romario Wladimir Veloz Cortés, an Ecuadorian citizen standing nearby, resulting in his death.
In the same sequence of shots, Corporal Arenas Mancilla fired his Galil rifle, also loaded with live ammunition, hitting César Antonio Véliz Cortés in the left leg, causing serious injuries that, without prompt and effective medical attention, would have resulted in death.
In a unanimous ruling, the Second Chamber of the Supreme Court—composed of justices Manuel Antonio Valderrama, Leopoldo Llanos, María Teresa Letelier, María Soledad Melo, and associate attorney Eduardo Gandulfo—dismissed claims of lack or serious abuse in the ruling made by the Court of Appeals of La Serena, which had previously denied the nullity motion filed by the military’s defense.
Thus, the highest court confirmed the 15-year conviction for Captain Faúndez and the penalties imposed on the conscript soldiers Carlos Javier Robledo Olguín and José Andrés Arenas Mancilla, sentenced to 10 and 5 years respectively for unnecessary violence resulting in death and unnecessary violence causing serious injury.
Kast and the Pardon for Uniformed Personnel Convicted During Social Unrest
Amid this already resolved legal scenario, President José Antonio Kast has confirmed that his administration is evaluating the possibility of granting presidential pardons to state agents—specifically policemen and military personnel—who have been convicted for crimes committed during the 2019 social unrest.
In an interview with Teletrece, the president stated that he is reviewing judicial records of the officers currently serving sentences, justifying this measure by referring to the context of violence that he personally believes characterized the protests that shook the country between October 2019 and March 2020.
Kast’s statements not only confirmed the reevaluation of pardons, but also sent a clear signal about the approach his government will take on this sensitive issue. According to him, there is a fundamental distinction between those who acted under the state’s mandate amid public order crises and the violence unleashed on the streets by protesters. In his words, captured by the television outlet, Kast emphasized his perspective on the events:
«We are working on this. I would say that Chile experienced a moment of extreme violence that resulted in some people being compensated for physical damages and others imprisoned for fulfilling their duty mandated by the state.»
Although the Republican asserted that the decisions of the judiciary must be respected based on their merit, he noted that the constitutional tool of pardon exists precisely to rectify situations that, from the executive’s viewpoint, are unjust or disproportionate, regardless of what the courts have resolved after due process.
In that regard, he was categorical in stating his intention to exercise his constitutional powers, undeterred by potential criticism that may arise from human rights organizations, victims and their families, as well as from political opponents.
«The power of pardon is a power that the President of the Republic still possesses today, and I am going to use it,» he assured.
The president stated that the executive is analyzing each file individually before making any decisions.
«We are studying each case and will advance in that direction to recover peace through dialogue,» he indicated, while maintaining that his administration aims to «start by forgiving,» particularly regarding the policemen and military personnel convicted of crimes related to the social upheaval.
«We are studying each case and will advance in that direction to recover peace through dialogue. I understand that someone who has been a victim of such a situation may find it very difficult to overcome. But let us look at what has happened in other countries, let us look at our history, and here we must start by forgiving,» he added.
So far, the Republican has not officially confirmed which would be the first pardon granted. However, the decision will mark a milestone in his administration and define his stance on human rights violations committed during the social unrest.
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