A conscientious jury declared four ex-soldiers innocent for the disappearance and death of the political leader Helidoro Portugal, which occurred on May 14, 1970, in the vicinity of the Café Coca Cola, located in the township of Santa Ana.
The four defendants had been called to trial since March 8, 2010. “From that moment on, the court scheduled hearing dates on different occasions, which could not be held due to various requests and appeals that were presented by the parties and that had to be resolved to comply with due process,” explained the Judicial Branch.
During the trial, which began on Tuesday, the prosecution sought the conviction of former soldiers Lucinio Miranda, Pedro del Cid, Gabriel Correa and Pablo Garrido, and said they had evidence that Portugal was detained by members of the G-2, the intelligence of the National Guard, of which the four defendants were part.
Prosecutor Shirley Barría assured the jury that Portugal was transferred by the defendants to a residence located in the Miraflores area, district of Betania, where he remained for a few days, was tortured and then taken to the headquarters of the Los Pumas Barracks in Tocumen.
