Wake on the occasion of the disappearance of Santiago Maldonado, in 2017. Photo: File.
Buenos Aires, Aug 13 (RHC) Social organizations and human rights defenders in Argentina condemned Saturday the decision of the federal judge of Rawson, Gustavo Lleral, to dismiss the case against officers accused of the forced disappearance of Santiago Maldonado (1989-2017).
The Argentine justice system ruled the dismissal of federal forces agents pointed out for the alleged forced disappearance and death of young Santiago Maldonado in 2017, a case that had shocked the South American country.
The federal judge of Rawson, Gustavo Lleral, dismissed four gendarmes who were investigated for the death of the artisan, after the eviction operation on Route 40 in which they participated in 2017.
The beneficiaries of the magistrate's ruling are: Emmanuel Echazú, Juan Pablo Escola, Víctor Vaquila and Marcelo Ferreyra.
Through its profile on the social network Twitter, the association Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo reiterated the will to continue accompanying the claim for justice for the young man, whose death occurred six years ago.
On August 1, 2017, Maldonado was last seen alive after participating in a protest by the Mapuche community Pu Lof en Resistencia, in the province of Chubut, which was repressed by the Gendarmerie. After 78 days of searching, his body was found floating in the waters of the river near where the events took place.
At that time, the country was under the mandate of former President Mauricio Macri (2015-2019) and the Minister of Security was Patricia Bullrich, current leader of the Republican Proposal Party and presidential pre-candidate of the Together for Change alliance.
In a statement, the Association of Disappeared Ex-Detainees denounced the impunity of those responsible and the irregularities committed in the judicial process."
"Judge Lleral acquitted the gendarme Emmanuel Echazú, who was accused of the forced disappearance of Maldonado, and the agents Juan Pablo Escola, Víctor Vaquila Ocampo and Marcelo Ferreyra, accused of having committed the crimes of damage, abuse of authority and omission of the duties of a public official", states the text.
As we said, the case is plagued with irregularities, omissions, contradictions and lack of expertise; however, for Lleral "none of the events and human actions analyzed are susceptible of being considered crimes", he adds. Likewise, he demands trial and punishment for those implicated in this crime and for the police officers who recently repressed a group of demonstrators in this capital city, action during which photojournalist Facundo Morales died.
For his part, Maldonado's brother, Sergio, affirmed that what happened "confirms the pact of impunity for Bullrich and the national Gendarmerie". The judge suspended the virtual reconstruction of the events and informed the Supreme Court of his decision. As he did in 2017, he plays party politics for Juntos por el Cambio. Shortly before the elections that year and after the discovery of the body, he claimed that Santiago had drowned alone.
History is repeating itself again, just hours before Sunday's primary elections, the young man's brother said. Judge Lleral said in his ruling that Maldonado "died drowned, without anyone being able to warn him, without anyone being able to help him".
"Neither the gendarmes who pursued him in the middle of the operation, nor the members of the community to which Santiago went to support his claims," said the magistrate in his brief and ordered the dismissal of all defendants. (Source: Prensa Latina and Telesur)
