Solved case · 1985
Also known as Slit-Throat Case · Degollados Case
The short answer
In March 1985, during Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship, three Communist Party members were abducted and killed in Chile, their throats slashed, in a case that became a major political scandal and led to convictions of six police secret service members.
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Suggest coverage for Caso Degollados (Slit-Throat Case)In late March 1985, during the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet in Chile, three members of the Communist Party were abducted and murdered in a case that became known as the Caso Degollados ("Slit-Throat Case"). Santiago Nattino, a painter and supporter of the AGECH teachers' union, was kidnapped on March 28, 1985. The following day, AGECH leader Manuel Guerrero Ceballos and José Manuel Parada, a staff member of the Vicaría de la Solidaridad, were also abducted. On March 30, 1985, the bodies of all three men were discovered near Santiago's airport with their throats slashed.
The triple murder caused widespread public indignation and became a significant political scandal in Chile. In response to the outcry, the Supreme Court appointed Judge José Cánovas Robles as a special prosecutor to investigate the killings.
The investigation led by Judge Cánovas proceeded relatively quickly. Within four months, it resulted in the arrest of several members of the national police force (Carabineros), including two colonels, one major, two captains, and two non-commissioned officers. The case's fallout extended to the highest levels of the Carabineros: on August 2, 1985, General César Mendoza — the Director General of the Carabineros and a member of the Government Junta since the September 11, 1973 military coup — resigned. Additionally, DICOMCAR, the Carabineros intelligence agency allegedly responsible for carrying out the kidnappings and killings, was dissolved.
The case drew international attention. In its 1985 special report, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights expressed hope that the ongoing investigation would lead to the identification and punishment of those responsible for the killings.
Ultimately, six members of the police secret service were indicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murders of Nattino, Guerrero, and Parada.
The case remains one of the notable human rights violations documented from the Pinochet dictatorship era and is referenced in later public discussions of that period's abuses.
Military coup establishes Pinochet dictatorship; César Mendoza becomes a member of the Government Junta.
Santiago Nattino is kidnapped.
Manuel Guerrero Ceballos and José Manuel Parada are abducted.
Bodies of Nattino, Guerrero, and Parada are discovered near Santiago's airport with their throats slashed.
General César Mendoza resigns as Director General of the Carabineros; DICOMCAR is dissolved.
Victims first. Every legal label is set from public records and court outcomes, not from the prose.
Staff member of the Vicaría de la Solidaridad; abducted and killed in March 1985.[3]
AGECH (teachers' union) leader; abducted and killed in March 1985.[3]
Painter and supporter of the AGECH teachers' union; kidnapped and killed in March 1985.[3]
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