Police in Chile say they have captured a man convicted years ago of the kidnapping and murder of popular folk singer Victor Jara under military ruler Augusto Pinochet. Nelson Haase, who was one of a group of officers given jail terms for the killing, had fled after his sentence was announced in August 2023 and was found by police on Saturday in the south of the country.
Jara, who is still remembered decades later as a victim of the Pinochet regime, became famous in the 1960s and 70s for his protest and pacifist songs and supported the ousted socialist president Salvador Allende. He was subjected to torture and shot 44 times just five days after the coup that brought Pinochet to power in 1973.
What happened after the 1973 coup?
Jara was one of about 5,000 people arrested in the immediate aftermath of the coup and taken to a sports stadium in the capital. Those who survived the ordeal recounted how the singer was tortured, with soldiers crushing his fingers and telling him he would never be able to play his guitar again.
His case is one of the most striking examples of how the Pinochet dictatorship dealt with its enemies. Thousands were tortured, executed or disappeared during the 17-year regime.
Why was Nelson Haase sentenced?
Haase, a retired colonel, was one of eight officers found guilty of Jara's murder in 2018. After five years of appeals, the country's Supreme Court made a final judgement in the case, sentencing Haase to 15 years for murder and another 10 for kidnapping.
The then 80-year-old failed to appear voluntarily to serve his sentence and disappeared for nearly three years. Local media said he was found by police agents in Puyehue, in the Los Lagos region 950 km (590 miles) south of the capital Santiago on Saturday.
What happened to the other convicted officers?
Another of the seven men convicted of murder, Gen Hernan Chacon, died by suicide when police came to arrest him. The remaining five are all in jail.
Also in 2023, the US extradited to Chile retired army lieutenant Pedro Barrientos, who a Florida jury had found liable for Jara's murder.
Key Facts
- Victor Jara was murdered five days after the 1973 coup that brought Augusto Pinochet to power.
- Nelson Haase was sentenced to 15 years for murder and 10 years for kidnapping in the case.
- Police found Haase on Saturday in Puyehue, Los Lagos region, 950 km (590 miles) south of Santiago.
- Gen Hernan Chacon died by suicide when police came to arrest him.
- The US extradited Pedro Barrientos to Chile in 2023 after a Florida jury found him liable for Jara's murder.
