A court in Neuquén confirmed on Tuesday the elevation to trial of seven defendants in the “Fuentealba II” casewhich investigates the responsibility of former police chiefs and members of the force in the repression of a teacher union protest in which teacher Carlos Fuentealba was assassinated on April 4, 2007.
The hearing was presided over by Judge Federico Sommer, who was accompanied via zoom by Judges Carolina González and Liliana Deiub, and during its course challenges presented by the defense against the judicial process were rejected.
The court confirmed that they will the former head of the Neuquén police goes to trialCarlos Zalazar (for abuse of authority), and the former deputy chief Moises Soto, the former Metropolitan Security Superintendent Adolf Soto, the former head of the Department of Metropolitan Security Jorge Garrido and Mario Rinzafri, former Director of Security (for abuse of authority and cover-up).
He also charged the police officers Aquiles González and Julio César Lincoleo (for aggravated cover-up) and the request for dismissal made by the defense of the police officer Benito Matus (accused of abuse of weapons and minor injuries) was pending to resolve tomorrow.
The lawyer for the lawsuit, Marcelo Medrano, representing Sandra Rodríguez, Fuentealba’s widow and her two daughters, told Télam that “after today’s hearing we are finally going to have an oral and public debate, which is a great satisfaction after 15 years”.
“Having come this far is transcendental not only for Sandra Rodríguez, her daughters and for the teaching staff, but also for people from Neuquén and for all the people throughout the country who have been supporting this cause for so long,” he added.
The April 4 last on his 15th birthday of the Fuentealba crime, a massive mobilization demanded “complete justice” in the city of Neuquén.
For the crime of the Neuquén teacher, he was sentenced to life imprisonment the policeman Darío Poblete, author of the firing of a tear gas cartridge that caused his death.
