SANTIAGO – A commission in Chilean Congress, in charge of investigating the death of Camilo Catrillanca, sees Interior Minister Chadwick and his Subsecretary Ubilla as political responsible. Their final report was approved yesterday. President Piñera called the report misleading.
The Congress commission who was looking into the actions of the Ministry of Interior and the police forces in relation to the Catrillanca case, has finished their investigation. Yesterday, the commission voted on the final conclusions, which were approved.
One of the main conclusions from the report is that Interior Minister Andrés Chadwick and his Subsecretary Rodrigo Ubilla were held political responsible for the Catrillanca case. The president of the investigative commission Ricardo Celis said this conclusion had direct relation with the disobedience of Carabineros in the aftermath of the Catrillanca case.
According to La Tercera, who had exclusive access to the document, the commission states that the government “took the political decision to face the conflict in La Araucanía as if it were a war; installing and presenting the tactical command or “Jungle Command”, providing it with greater firepower and institutional support, which helped to create the conditions that led to the death of Camilo Catrillanca.”
“The political decision of matters that have to do with public order and internal security correspond to the Interior Minister Andrés Chadwick and the Subsecretary Rodrigo Ubilla and therefore they must assume the consequences,” the document reads.
Catrillanca case: recordings of fatal shooting erased by Carabineros
President Piñera Calls Conclusion Misleading
President Sebastián Piñera responded on the outcome of the commission’s investigation in an interview with Canal 13. The president defended his minister and called the report misleading. “The death of Camilo Catrillanca was cold-blooded murder. Those responsible were those who shot, those who concealed, deceived (…) They are blaming those who did everything possible to find the truth. Unfortunately, the Carabineros that were involved lied.”
The Human Rights Unit of the Prosecutor’s Office in the Araucanía region´s capital Temuco, is investigating the Catrillanca case too. Currently, the Prosecutor is hearing witnesses. Among them are Minister Andrés Chadwick and Subsecretary Rodrigo Ubilla.
Editor-In-Chief Boris van der Spek is the founder of Chile Today. He worked in Colombia, Surinam and the Netherlands as reporter and works with international media during major events, like the social crisis, the elections and the Pope’s visit.