10 former Chilean soldiers charged in Victor Jara killing
Jul 23, 4:39 PM EDT
10 former Chilean soldiers charged in Victor Jara killing
By LUIS ANDRES HENAO
Associated Press
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) -- A judge has charged 10 former soldiers in the killing of internationally renowned Chilean folk singer and political activist Victor Jara, who was tortured and shot to death just days after the country's 1973 coup.
The charges announced late Wednesday by Judge Miguel Vazquez include homicide and kidnapping in the slaying of Jara and former military police head Littre Quiroga Carvajal.
Jara was a popular songwriter, theater director and university professor at the time of the coup on Sept. 11, 1973. He also was a member of the Communist Party, and many believe he could have served as a powerful voice against the dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet.
A key leader of the New Chilean Song movement, Jara was familiar to young people worldwide in the late 1960s and early 1970s for songs including "Te Recuerdo Amanda," or "I'll Remember You Amanda," and "Manifiesto."
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Published on Thursday, July 23, 2015
by Common Dreams
42 Years Later, Officers Charged for Murder of Defiant Chilean Folk Singer
Ten former military officers indicted for torturing and killing Victor Jara, beloved folk singer, playwright, and social activist
by Sarah Lazare, staff writer
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Victor Jara's message of freedom and justice has been carried on by artists around the world, from Pablo Neruda to Pete Seeger. (Photo: Patricio Guzman/AP )
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More than four decades after the Chilean military tortured and killed beloved folk singer, playwright, and social activist Victor Jara during the coup of General Augusto Pinochet, former officers allegedly involved in the murder are finally facing charges.
Judge Miguel Vázquez Plaza on Wednesday announced homicide and kidnapping charges against 10 former military officers, including former lieutenant Pedro Barrientos Nuñez, a resident of Florida who is seeking to avoid extradition to Chile. Four of the people indicted have already turned themselves in, and arrests are expected to follow. Charges were also levied Wednesday for the slaying of Littre Quiroga Carvajal, former military police chief.
Jara's widow, Joan Turner Jara, told reporters that the development offers a "message of hope," but she went further, saying "we’re pushing forward in demanding justice for Victor with the hope that justice will follow for everyone."
Over 40,000 people were tortured, murdered, or held as political prisoners during Pinochet's dictatorship, which lasted for decades and was backed by the United States.
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http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/07/23/42-years-later-officers-charged-murder-defiant-chilean-folk-singer
