Chile’s Navy Suspends Esmeralda Departure Following Arrest Of Four Retired Officials

Two former vice admirals charged for human rights violations allegedly occurring onboard the flagship

Chile's navy on Wednesday postponed the launch of its iconic flagship “Esmeralda” after 12 men, including four retired senior navy officers, were arrested for torture and kidnapping charges that allegedly occurred aboard the Esmeralda in the days immediately following Chile’s Sept. 11, 1973 military coup.

The Esmeralda was due to embark for Brazil on Wednesday to represent Chile at an international regatta, but Defense Minister Francisco Vidal decided to postpone the voyage given the ship’s direct connection to the case.

“We have great respect for human rights issues,” said navy spokesman Rodolfo Besoain. “And though the timing is inconvenient, we have to respect the decision of the courts.”

Valparaiso Judge Eliana Victoria Quezada ordered the arrest of the 12 former navy men on Monday. Among those arrested are two former vice admirals - Sergio Barra Von Krechtsman and Juan McKay Barriga - as well retired naval captain Ricardo Riesco Cornejo.

The Esmeralda is one of the world’s most elegant frigate sailing vessels and is the pride of Chile's naval fleet, representing the country as a good will ambassador on overseas tours for decades.

But the vessel’s the link to human rights abuses occurring in the weeks following Chile’s 9/11/73 military coup considerably tarnished its image and – during the Pinochet dictatorship and many years thereafter – made it a target for Chileans forced to live abroad because of the Pinochet dictatorship.

Worse, for years Chile’s navy doggedly refused to acknowledge that their flagship was used as a torture chamber during the early days of the Pinochet regime.

In 2003 the ship was refused entry to ports in Sweden, Holland and Spain after protests by Chilean exile groups and human rights organizations. In 2004 Amnesty International called for the Esmeralda's decommissioning due to her involvement in human rights cases (ST. March 17, 2004).

Although over 100 people were allegedly imprisoned on board the Esmeralda after the coup, the still unsolved death of British-Chilean priest Michael Woodward is the case that has drawn the most international publicity - and the most bad press for the Esmeralda.

In 2008 Judge Quezada ordered the arrest of six naval other officers on murder charges, although the men were subsequently released due to a lack of evidence (ST. March 15, 2008).

But prosecution may be easier this time, following the confession of a former second in command on the Esmeralda who admitted that Woodward had been killed on the vessel after several hours of torture (ST. Oct 15, 2008).

The government has yet to decide whether or not the Esmeralda will make the voyage to Brazil, where the regatta will assemble in early February to celebrate the bicentenary of the independence of various South American countries.

Twelve ships representing eleven different countries were to have embarked upon a four month tour of the continent, which included dockings at the Chilean ports of Punta Arenas, Talcahuano and Valparaiso through March and April next year.

Source: santiagotimes.cl/