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Original article: Buscan a campesinos fusilados en Paine en 1973: Ministra Cifuentes informó resultados de prospección arqueológica en cuesta de Chada

Search for Executed Farmers in Paine: Minister Cifuentes Reports Archaeological Findings at Chada Hill

The Minister in extraordinary visit for cases of human rights violations at the Appeals Court of San Miguel, Marianela Cifuentes, held an informative hearing today to share the results of the archaeological survey conducted as part of the National Search Plan in Chada Hill, Paine.

This effort aims to locate the remains of 14 farmers from the Escorial area (Paine) who were killed in 1973 by soldiers from the San Bernardo Infantry School.

The search has specifically focused on Chada Hill, a site where numerous wooden crosses commemorate the executed farmers of Paine. Family members indicate these were carved by Alejandro Bustos, also known as ‘El Colorín’, the sole survivor of that massacre. All the crosses bear the same inscription: October 2, 1973.

Minister Cifuentes explained that the National Search Plan adopts a different approach regarding the involvement of victims in the search for victims of enforced disappearances.

«They were present from the initial procedures during the archaeological survey inspections, and at that time, I made a commitment to them that once all analyses related to the evidence collected at the site were completed, an informational meeting would be held to conclude the work conducted at Chada Hill,» detailed the minister.

«They were informed and a complete account was made of everything that occurred at Chada Hill, including how the executions took place, the abandonment of their bodies, the manner in which some remains were found, and the objectives pursued to carry out this archaeological survey and its results,» added Minister Cifuentes.

Results

According to the information provided, a significant amount of ballistic evidence related to the execution of the victims was found, and a projectile was also discovered that had a capsule corresponding to human genetic material.

«Unfortunately, we could not find new skeletal remains, but it was communicated that within the bags previously sent to the Legal Medical Service, small fragments of human skeletal remains were found, three of which still allow for genetic material extraction and have been sent to a laboratory in Austria for examination,» noted Minister Cifuentes.

At the conclusion of the event, the president of the Group of Relatives of the Disappeared and Executed of Paine, Flor Lazo Maldonado, commended the work of Minister Marianela Cifuentes and the institutions involved: «She was very emphatic in explaining to us with tremendous delicacy what would be done there and how, because a huge effort went into reaching these conclusions,» the leader stated.

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