One month after the disappearance and subsequent discovery of the lifeless Autodema worker, Félix Santos Choque Flores, his family demands that the Police deliver the pending report to the Prosecutor’s Office so that the Homicide Department can continue with the investigation. The mourners question the delays, the alleged irregularities during the search and the security failures at the Aguada Blanca dam, where the incident occurred on November 5.
Jenny Choque, daughter of the deceased server, assures that the Police have not yet delivered the report containing the statements of her father’s co-workers, taken eight days after the disappearance. “The commitment to deliver the report was three weeks ago,” he warned.
According to the autopsy, the cause of death was drowning, but the family fears that they intend to file the case without clarifying what happened. “Before the priority was to find the body, but now we want to know what really happened and that there are people responsible because my father could not fall. There were many irregularities during the search and that is why our suspicions increase that something happened and his co-workers know it.”he stated.
DELAYS AND QUESTIONABLE DECISIONS
To begin with, according to the family, Autodema did not report the disappearance of the worker in time. According to the daughter, they were only notified at 6:00 p.m. on November 5, even though Félix had disappeared since 9:30 a.m.
Four days later, the Police informed the mourners that a team of divers had “made visible a body” who was wearing a sweater, shoes and jean pants. They were told it existed “80% chance” to recover it the next day. However, at dawn, the team searched in other areas and not at the point where they allegedly saw the body.
Ten days later, the team of independent rescuer Eloy Cacya found the body of Félix Choque in that same area and only three meters deep, with the clothing initially described. “How is it possible that the Army and Police divers have not found the body despite having passed through this point several times, having the equipment such as oxygen and the necessary preparation, that Eloy’s team did,” the worker’s daughter questioned.
The family also demands access camp security cameras. While the manager of Autodema, Duberly Otazú, said at the time that they only transmit in real time, relatives assure that “The images were recorded.”
Added to this is the complaint that Félix did not have basic protective equipment as a life jacket or harness for their work in the tunnels and gates of the Aguada Blanca dam. A recent report from the Institutional Control Body (OCI) of Autodema confirmed that the entity fails to comply with security standards: It does not have a professional responsible for the matter or signage of risk areas in camps such as Aguada Blanca.
In response, Autodema manager Duberly Otazú only noted that they will implement security measures and attributed the deficiencies to the “wear and tear due to 60 years of infrastructure”. However, according to the OCI, the camp facilities lack danger maps and signage, so they are not related to wear and tear.
Jenny Choque also said that Félix carried out work outside of his duties. “My dad put the yellow railings on the dam, built the bathroom, put the majolica in the camp kitchen, even though it was not his job”said.
WITHOUT SUPPORT FOR FÉLIX CHOQUE’S FAMILY
Although Autodema indicates that the death was a work accident, the Felix’s wife still does not receive the corresponding benefits nor the reimbursement of funeral expenses. “My father was the breadwinner for my mother, who has lung surgery and now requires liver surgery; he also supported one of my sick brothers.”said Jenny Choque.
The young woman requested that the Police deliver the pending police report and continue with the investigation to clarify what happened in Aguada Blanca. “We want to know what happened and that there be people responsible”he reiterated.
