Original article: Piden renuncia de director nacional de Gendarmería por otorgamiento de beneficio a excarabinero que disparó y cegó a senadora Campillai
Fifty human rights organizations have united in a public declaration demanding the resignation of the national director of Gendarmerie, Rubén Pérez Riquelme, following the controversial approval of a Sunday release benefit for former carabinero Patricio Maturana. Maturana was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2022 for shooting a tear gas canister directly at the face of Fabiola Campillai.
This brutal attack resulted in the current senator losing her vision, taste, and sense of smell entirely.
The signatories of the declaration initially questioned the timing of Maturana’s benefit, which was granted «just days after a meeting between the national director of Gendarmerie and the newly elected president, José Antonio Kast, who has publicly advocated for a pardon for the former officer.»
“After that meeting, the director personally visited the Molina prison, where the perpetrator is serving his sentence,” added the human rights organizations.
“In light of these events, we demand an immediate statement and action from the Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Jaime Gajardo, to request the resignation of the national director of Gendarmerie. It is unacceptable for penitentiary authorities to prematurely implement the elected government’s program by granting prison benefits to a criminal who has shown no signs of remorse, which is a fundamental requirement for such measures,” they continued.
Finally, the organizations warned that this precedent “undermines principles of justice and opens the door to impunity for others convicted of human rights violations. Therefore, we urge citizens to join this request to ensure that the national directorate of Gendarmerie is held accountable for actions that jeopardize the reparation of victims in our country.”
Read the complete statement and the list of supporting organizations HERE
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