Former uniformed men Raúl Jofré Gonzáles, Edwin Bianchi, Nelson Haase, Ernerto Wulf, Juan Jara Quintana, Ernesto Bethke and Hernán Cachón received a sentence of 15 years in prison each for having carried out both homicides.
In addition, another 10 years in prison were imposed for the kidnapping of the two victims.
On the other hand, the former military prosecutor Rolando Melo Silva will spend eight years deprived of liberty as a cover-up for the murders and illegal detentions.
Víctor Jara, one of the highest representatives of the Chilean trova, actor and professor, was arrested along with hundreds of people at the State Technical University, today University of Santiago de Chile, the day after the coup against President Salvador Allende.
They were taken to the Chile Stadium where a henchman identified the artist, who was subjected to cruel torture for three days and then killed with 44 bullets.
In the early morning of September 16, 1973, his body was discovered by some residents in the vicinity of the Metropolitan Cemetery.
Litré Quiroga was the National Director of Prisons when the coup occurred and suspended a medical license he enjoyed, went to his office, sent most of the officials home, and contacted the army to control the riot
Shortly after his office was raided and he was transferred to the Number Two Armored Regiment and on September 13 to the Chile Stadium where he was tortured by the military.
His body was found next to Jara’s and three other people.
The plaintiff lawyer Nelson Caucoto, who represented the two families in the case, pointed out that the final and definitive sentence was handed down by the highest court in the crimes committed by the Chilean military against two important figures in the country.
He added that Víctor Jara was “an icon of the cultural and musical firmament of our country, and the other was an exemplary public official. Both, cowardly tortured to satiety and riddled with several dozen bullets.
The sentence comes a few days before the 50th anniversary of the crimes committed.
ef/mem/car/eam
