Original article: Víctimas de la Caravana de la Muerte en La Serena: Ministro Troncoso descartó errores y ratificó a familiares correcta identidad de los cuerpos exhumados
Minister Sergio Troncoso, overseeing human rights cases at the Court of Appeals in La Serena, met with relatives of victims executed by the «Caravana de la Muerte» in La Serena and three other victims from the Coquimbo region. The meeting aimed to inform them about the findings following the exhumation of 10 bodies amid inconsistencies and suspicions regarding their identification after being delivered to families in 1998.
During the meeting, Minister Troncoso confirmed that all exhumed bodies belonged to victims of the Caravana de la Muerte’s actions in La Serena, with no remains found that could be linked to other political executions.
«What we have determined is that all those executed by the Caravana de la Muerte were indeed buried in the cemetery of La Serena. Based on the information we have to date, we have correctly identified at least 6 complete bodies and partially identified the others,» Troncoso detailed.
Additionally, the minister reported that among the exhumed remains were the limb fragments of Jorge Peña Hen, a musician executed by agents of the Caravana. His incomplete body was given to his family in the 1990s.
«It is worth noting that when Jorge Peña Hen’s family received the incomplete remains that had been recovered, they decided to proceed with the cremation. However, now we have found different remains, which correspond to some bones from his hands and a foot,» added Minister Troncoso.
Moreover, the investigations confirmed that one of the exhumed bodies did not belong to the identified victim but rather to another victim of the Caravana. Consequently, their remains will be returned to their family while the body of unknown identity will be exhumed.
For the families affected, although the process is painful, they emphasized that it has been conducted with respect and professionalism by the Judiciary and organizations involved in the Government’s Search Plan.
Marcos Barrantes Celedón, son of victim Marcos Barrantes Alcayaga, expressed: «I have participated in the entire process, and today – in light of this process – we are reaching the vital step of information. Some are happier than others, some more saddened, but we remain united as a family. These 15 families that were hurt and damaged remain strong and will continue to support each other.»
In addition, Tatiana Cortés Segovia, daughter of victim Oscar Cortés Cortés, highlighted the importance of pursuing truth and memory: «The main objective is to continue advancing in truth, to keep the memory alive, and of course, to maintain this story that we are directly affected by. Right now, we have deeply hateful and violent denialist discourses in our country that are questioning the existence of an entire life that we, the 15 families of this region, have led.»
The meeting also included Marisol Prado Villegas, the national director of the Legal Medical Service (SML), and professionals from the agency; Álvaro Aburto Guerrero, in charge of the Human Rights Program at the Seremi of Justice; and specialists from the Comprehensive Health Care and Repair Program (PRAIS) tasked with supporting the present families.
«We are in a preliminary stage awaiting a final report that will contain genetic identification information we provided today, alongside anthropological and archaeological reports, all in a comprehensive report. After that, we will proceed to the burial and delivery to their families for those bodies that are already complete,» explained the SML director.
In this way, a final date has been committed to the families, with an expectation to conclude the process regarding the 15 executed victims of the Caravana de la Muerte in December, while the search will continue for the remaining victims for whom no findings were made during the exhumations.
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El Ciudadano