Alberto Segundo Reinante Raipan
Ernesto Juan Reinante Raipan
Modesto Reinante Raipan
On the 10th of October 1973 in the Liquiñe sector at the Panguipulli Forest and Timber Complex, southern part of Chile, 16 people were arrested , amongst which were three brothers, ALBERTO, ERNESTO Y MODESTO REINANTE RAIPAN
ALBERTO SEGUNDO REINANTE RAIPAN was 39 years of age, a timber worker of the Panguipulli Forest and Timber Complex in the south of Chile.
ERNESTO JUAN REINANTE RAIPAN was 29 years old and also timber worker of the Panguipulli Forest and Timber Complex.
MODESTO REINANTE RAIPAN was only 18 years of age. He too was a timber worker of the same timber Complex.
According to official information (Rettig’s Report) and eye witness accounts, it has been established that the arrests of the three brothers, together with the other 13 local people, was carried out by personnel of the Chilean Armed Forces. It has also been established that this was not a random act of violence, but that the army personnel carried a list with the names of all the detainees and were guided by members of the local police force from the Liquiñe police station. The list of detainees was facilitated by local civilians who also took part in the arrests. Dressed in combat gear, the soldiers identified themselves as members of the “Military” to the relatives, pointing out that the detainees would be returned to their homes soon after they were interrogated. The testimonies given to the Rettig Committee established that the military personnel were members of the Helicopter’s Group No 3 “Maquehua” situated in the city of Temuco and belonging to the Air Force.
According to testimonies, following their arrest, the three brothers, together with the other detainees, were brutally beaten and tortured by their captors, taken down to the bridge over the Toltén River, situated on the outskirts of the city. After this, all traces of their whereabouts have been lost. It is believed that they were murdered on the bridge and their bodies were then dumped into the water
The REINANTE RAIPAN brothers are still missing.
A tree was planted on his memory, as part of our ecomemoria program : www.ecomemoria.com