Pedro Barrientos, a Chilean national wanted for the 1973 killing of leftist singer-songwriter Victor Jara, has been taken into custody in Florida, according to an announcement by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Barrientos, a former military officer, was charged by a Chilean judge in 2012 for his involvement in the brutal killing of Jara, who was among the first victims of Chile’s military coup and dictatorship in 1973.
Barrientos was arrested during a traffic stop in Deltona, Florida, last week. He now faces charges in Chile for his alleged role in the torture and extrajudicial killing of Chilean citizens, as stated by John Condon, a special agent with ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations Tampa division.
Victor Jara, a communist sympathizer and popular folk musician, was killed on September 11, 1973, during the violent coup led by General Augusto Pinochet against Salvador Allende, the democratically elected president of Chile. Jara’s body was found with 44 bullet wounds and signs of torture. The military coup resulted in the detention, torture, and disappearance of many individuals, with Chile Stadium serving as a de facto detention center.
Barrientos arrived in the U.S. in 1990 and overstayed his visa. However, he managed to obtain U.S. citizenship after marrying an American. In 2016, a civil jury in Florida held Barrientos responsible for Jara’s death and found him liable for $28 million in damages to Jara’s surviving family members.
This summer, Barrientos’ U.S. citizenship was revoked after a judge determined that he had lied in his citizenship application by failing to disclose his connection to Pinochet’s regime.
The arrest and legal proceedings against Barrientos highlight the enduring pursuit of justice for human rights abuses committed during authoritarian regimes. The case also underscores the global effort to hold individuals accountable for crimes against humanity, even decades after the events occurred. Barrientos’ detention in the United States represents a significant development in addressing historical injustices and seeking accountability for human rights violations.