Justice for Víctor Jara and Littré Quiroga: Former Military Pedro Barrientos Charged With Kidnapping and Homicide

Original article: Justicia por Víctor Jara y Littré Quiroga: acusan a exmilitar Pedro Barrientos como autor de secuestro y homicidio calificado

In a significant legal milestone aimed at addressing a wound that has persisted for over five decades, Judge Paola Plaza González formally charged former military officer Pedro Barrientos Núñez with the crimes of aggravated kidnapping and homicide in connection with the national singer-songwriter Víctor Jara Martínez and the former National Director of Prisons, Littré Quiroga Carvajal. These acts took place between September 12 and 15, 1973, during the early days of Augusto Pinochet’s civic-military dictatorship.

This resolution marks a turning point in the trial against Barrientos, who had evaded Chilean justice for 34 years after fleeing to the United States in 1989, where he obtained U.S. citizenship using fraudulent information, as proven later. His deportation back to Chile was finalized on November 30, 2023, following the revocation of his citizenship by American immigration authorities on July 14 of the same year due to fraud during the application process.

Barrientos’ Escape and Forced Return to Chile

Pedro Barrientos had been wanted by Chilean justice since 2013 when the Supreme Court authorized his extradition for his involvement in these crimes. However, his status in the United States allowed him to prolong his situation until 2016, when a jury in a civil case in Florida found him liable for torturing Víctor Jara and other prisoners at the Estadio Chile (now Estadio Víctor Jara) and ordered him to pay a substantial indemnity. This ruling was pivotal in advancing his criminal prosecution in Chile.

Upon his arrival in Chile, Barrientos was notified of the processing orders issued in 2012 and 2014 by then-Minister Miguel Vásquez Plaza. It was the same judge who had temporarily dismissed the case due to Barrientos’ absence. With his physical presence in Chile, that dismissal was rendered null, paving the way for the formal accusation.

The Murder of Víctor Jara: 44 Bullet Impacts and Torture

According to the investigation, Víctor Jara was detained on September 12, 1973, at the Technical State University and taken to Estadio Chile. September 15 marked the last day he was seen alive, after being removed from a line of prisoners bound for the Estadio Nacional. His body, bearing 44 bullet wounds and numerous fractures, was discovered in the early hours of September 16 near the Metropolitan Cemetery, alongside five other bodies, including that of Littré Quiroga.

Quiroga had voluntarily surrendered to Carabineros on September 12 after being summoned by military authorities. He was taken to the Armored Regiment No. 2 and transferred to Estadio Chile the next day, where he suffered extensive torture and mistreatment by Army personnel. He remained there until September 15, and his corpse displayed 23 bullet wounds.

Other Convicted and Fugitives

In August 2023, the Second Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court sentenced seven retired military officers for their responsibility in the same crimes. Raúl Jofré González, Edwin Dimter Bianchi, Nelson Haase Mazzei, Ernesto Bethke Wulf, Juan Jara Quintana, and Hernán Chacón Soto received sentences of fifteen years and one day for their roles in the homicides, alongside ten years and one day for the kidnappings. Rolando Melo Silva was sentenced to five years and one day for his complicity in the homicides.

Two of the convicted individuals attempted to elude justice: Nelson Haase Mazzei remains a fugitive, while Juan Jara Quintana was captured in May 2024 after fleeing following the sentencing.

Barrientos’ Fate is Sealed

With the formal accusation from Judge Paola Plaza, the case moves into its final phase, and Barrientos is increasingly close to receiving a sentence.

For the plaintiffs and the victims’ families, this step symbolizes the realization of a half-century struggle for truth and justice.

«From our perspective, the fate of Mr. Barrientos cannot be different from that of the other military personnel who have been convicted and sentenced in this case, with severe penalties proportionate to the severity of the crimes, confirmed unanimously by the Supreme Court,» stated plaintiff attorney Nelson Caucoto, who represents the victims’ families.

«This accusation from Minister Plaza signifies the beginning of the end of a trial that has lasted over 50 years and fulfills the quest for justice of the families of Víctor and Littré. Justice in this case will be achievable despite the passage of time,» he emphasized in a press statement.