{"id":29129,"date":"2026-04-09T13:21:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T13:21:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diariocachai.com\/?p=29129"},"modified":"2026-04-09T13:21:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T13:21:14","slug":"victims-lawyer-welcomes-critical-progress-in-adriana-rivas-extradition-to-face-justice-el-ciudadano","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diariocachai.com\/?p=29129","title":{"rendered":"Victim’s Lawyer Welcomes Critical Progress in Adriana Rivas’ Extradition to Face Justice El Ciudadano"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Original article: \u201cQue una criminal de lesa humanidad enfrente la justicia\u201d: abogado de v\u00edctimas valora avance clave en extradici\u00f3n de Adriana Rivas<\/a><\/p>\n\n

The recent ruling by Australian courts rejecting former National Intelligence Directorate (DINA) operative Adriana Rivas<\/strong> Gonz\u00e1lez\u2019s attempt to halt her extradition<\/a> to Chile<\/strong> has been hailed by lawyer Francisco Ug\u00e1s Tapia<\/strong>, one of the representatives of the victims\u2019 families, as it paves the way for \u00aba criminal against humanity to face national justice.\u00bb<\/p>\n

Rivas, who served as secretary and right-hand woman<\/strong> to the head of the dictator\u2019s repressive apparatus, Manuel \u2018Mamo\u2019 Contreras<\/strong>, is wanted for her alleged involvement in the crimes committed against seven leaders of the Communist Party<\/strong> during the operations of the Lautaro Brigade, a death squad that operated from 1974 to 1977.<\/p>\n

Ug\u00e1s, who is the Legal Head of Caucoto Abogados<\/strong> and represents six of the seven victims\u2019 families, described Judge Michael Lee\u2019s ruling from the Federal Court of New South Wales as a decisive step toward the end of a long judicial battle<\/strong> that has lasted over a decade. The lawyer emphasized not only the technical aspects of the ruling but also the human and symbolic significance of having someone accused of crimes against humanity judged in the country where the crimes occurred.<\/p>\n

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A \u00abDecisive Ruling\u00bb Overruling All Defense Arguments<\/h3>\n

The Australian justice system specifically dismissed the appeal made by Rivas\u2019s defense against the Australian Government\u2019s decision, which in August 2024 had already approved her extradition. According to Ug\u00e1s, this new judicial setback leaves the former DINA agent in a very complex legal position, clearing the way for the extradition process to enter its final stage<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u00abWe are pleased with the decisive decision of the magistrate to reject each of the arguments and claims made by Rivas\u2019s defense<\/strong>. It excites us, certainly, to foresee a horizon that will bring a definitive end to this matter, which has spanned over 15 years, starting in 2011 when we first noted her flight to Australia. It also moves us to see the strength, solidarity, and perseverance of the families of the victims and the support group in Australia who have unwaveringly lived through this long, complex, and painful process,\u00bb he stated in a press release.<\/p>\n

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Three Possible Scenarios for Rivas<\/h3>\n

In his statements, lawyer Francisco Ug\u00e1s provided a legal analysis of the steps that could follow, outlining three possible scenarios<\/strong> ranging from a quick resolution to a potential, albeit difficult, appeal to higher courts.<\/p>\n

The first and most desirable outcome, according to the legal representative, is that Adriana Rivas herself decides to not file any further appeals<\/strong> and consents to her extradition to Chile.<\/p>\n

\u00abIf Rivas\u2019s defense does not appeal and she agrees to extradition, it would definitively streamline the process and allow us to have her in Chile as soon as possible<\/strong>. This extradition should take place within no more than 2 months, as per the extradition treaty signed between both countries,\u00bb he suggested.<\/p>\n

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Lawyer Francisco Ug\u00e1s Tapia, Legal Head of Caucoto Abogados and one of the representatives of the victims\u2019 families in Chile.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The second potential scenario, according to Ug\u00e1s, involves an appeal to the same Federal Court<\/strong>. However, the lawyer downplayed the chances of success for this option, citing the strength of the original ruling.<\/p>\n

\u00abSince Judge Lee\u2019s decision is appealable, if Rivas\u2019s defense appeals, the case will have to be discussed in the Federal Court. It is unlikely that an appeal from that defense could succeed<\/strong>, given the robustness of the arguments presented by Judge Lee in his ruling,\u00bb he pointed out.<\/p>\n

The third and final scenario, which Ug\u00e1s labeled as highly complex, would entail an attempt to bring the case before the High Court of Australia<\/strong>, the highest judicial authority in the country.<\/p>\n

\u00abShould the Federal Court\u2019s decision<\/a> be challenged in the High Court of Australia for strictly legal reasons and national interests for Australia, it would require prior approval to appeal that ruling, which is highly unlikely to succeed<\/strong> given the nature of the case,\u00bb the legal professional stated.<\/p>\n

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Adriana Rivas with a military figure from the Chilean dictatorship. STORYBOARD MEDIA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u00abInevitable Destiny\u00bb: A Call for Justice Against a Criminal Against Humanity<\/h3>\n

Francisco Ug\u00e1s made a direct appeal to Rivas\u2019s defense and to Rivas herself to end the delaying tactics<\/strong> they have employed for years and to facilitate her appearance before Chilean justice.<\/p>\n

\u00abWe obviously hope that she will soon be available to Chile\u2019s justice system, so ideally, she should consent to proceed with the extradition. We urge her and her defense not to prolong the occurrence of an inevitable destiny<\/strong>, which is that a criminal against humanity faces national justice<\/strong>,\u00bb he asserted.<\/p>\n

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Adriana Rivas\u2019 History and the Crimes She is Accused Of<\/h3>\n

To contextualize the importance of the case, it is crucial to recall Adriana Rivas\u2019 profile, known within the repressive apparatus as \u00abLa Chani,\u00bb who was the right-hand woman and personal secretary to DINA director Manuel \u00abMamo\u00bb Contreras. Her work extended beyond administrative tasks; according to investigations, she actively participated in repressive actions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Chilean State seeks her as a co-author of the qualified kidnappings of seven victims<\/strong>: V\u00edctor D\u00edaz, former General Secretary of the Communist Party; and the leaders and militants Fernando Navarro, Lincoy\u00e1n Berr\u00edos, Horacio Cepeda, Juan Fernando Ortiz, H\u00e9ctor V\u00e9liz, and Reinalda Pereira, the latter of whom was five months pregnant at the time of her arrest. All were detained by the Lautaro Brigade, the group to which Rivas belonged, and subsequently tortured and disappeared.<\/p>\n

In her statements, Rivas has denied being an operational agent<\/a> of Lautaro, claiming she was merely fulfilling administrative duties. However, investigations reveal multiple testimonies from former agents and collaborators linking her as an active member of the feared brigade that operated at Sim\u00f3n Bol\u00edvar barracks, one of the most brutal torture centers of the dictatorship, where she has been described as a ruthless interrogator<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The former DINA agent was facing charges related to these crimes that prompted her extradition, under provisional release on bail and barred from leaving the country when in 2011 she decided to flee<\/strong> to Argentina and then established herself in Australia to evade accountability for her role in crimes committed during the dictatorship.<\/p>\n

Minister Miguel V\u00e1zquez Plaza requested her extradition in 2013<\/strong>, and the Chilean Supreme Court deemed the request valid in early 2014, which was subsequently formalized by the Chilean State with Australia.<\/p>\n

Finally, in 2019, she was arrested in Sydney after living in the country for over three decades. With Judge Michael Lee\u2019s recent ruling upholding her extradition, the lengthy process enters its final and decisive stage for Adriana Rivas<\/strong>, \u201cLa Chani,\u201d to finally face Chilean justice<\/strong> for her alleged role in one of the darkest chapters of repression during the dictatorship.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n