SANTIAGO – Former Colonel Sergio Arredondo, a former convicted member of Chilean death squad, died at a military hospital in Santiago this week.
Arredondo, 92, was carrying out a 15-year sentence for orchestrating the deaths of 14 people at Antofagasta’s Punta Peuco prison in October 1973, shortly after Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990) overthrew the democratically elected government of socialist Salvador Allende.
Arredondo’s killings were part of the ‘Caravan of Death’ during which approximately 75 teachers and social activists were tortured and murdered by several military leaders.
The late colonel had been carrying out his sentence since February 2016. Arredondo is the fourth Caravan of Death executioners to have died while serving time in prison over the past several months, preceded by Risiere Altez, Leonidas Bustos, and Rene Cardemil. He died of terminal lung cancer.
Right hand of the general (r) Sergio Arellano Stark, Arredondo also was Chile’s military attaché in Brazil.
Arredondo’s lawyer, Raúl Meza, requested a presidential pardon from Sebastián Piñera in March of this year, however, he received no response.
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The remains of the former officer were buried on Thursday in the Parque del Recuerdo cemetery.
