Final Verdict of the Argentine Operation Condor and Orletti II Trial

The first lawsuit against Operation Condor in Argentina began in 1999.

On 5th March 2013, public hearings in the Condor Trial finally began. The court case encompassed two other Condor dossiers and the second part of the court proceedings was dedicated to the crimes committed as part of the coordination between the Argentine and Uruguayan repressive forces in the clandestine torture, detention and extermination centre known as “Automotores Orletti”.

The trial addressed the cases of 173 victims from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay: 65 in the Automotores Orletti Trial and 106 in the Operation Condor dossiers, as well as two other victims whose cases were linked to both trials.

At the beginning of the hearing, a total of 27 defendants were put on trial. Only 17 defendants remained until the end; the other ten defendants had either passed away or were deemed unfit to stand trial due to poor health.

Federal Criminal Court No.1 in Buenos Aires condemned 15 defendants, the majority of whom were found guilty for the crime known as “illicit association in the context of Operation Condor”, together with other crimes against humanity that had been committed. Of the 15 defendants who were convicted, there were 14 Argentine nationals and one Uruguayan national, Manuel Cordero.

The case was heard by the judges Oscar Ricardo Amirante, Adrián Federico Grünberg, Pablo Gustavo Laufer and Ricardo Ángel Basílico (as a substitute judge).

List of defendants found guilty and their sentences ordered by the court:

1. Santiago Omar Riveros (Army) 25 years’ imprisonment;
2. Miguel Ángel Furci (Civil Intelligence), 25 years’ imprisonment;
3. Reynaldo Benito Bignone (Army and former dictator), 20 years’ imprisonment;
4. Eduardo Samuel De Lío (Army), 12 years’ imprisonment;
5. Humberto José Román Lobaiza (Army), 18 years’ imprisonment;
6. Enrique Braulío Olea (Army), 13 years’ imprisonment;
7. Luis Sadi Pepa (Army), 12 years’ imprisonment;
8. Rodolfo Emilio Feroglio (Army), 20 years’ imprisonment; 
9. Carlos Caggiano Tedesco (Army), 12 years’ imprisonment;
10. Antonio Vañek (Navy), 13 years’ imprisonment; 
11. Eugenio Guañabens Perelló (Army), 13 years’ imprisonment; 
12. Felipe Jorge Alespeiti (Army), 12 years’ imprisonment; 
13. Manuel Cordero Piacentini (Uruguayan Army), 25 years’ imprisonment; 
14. Néstor Horacio Falcón (Army), 12 years’ imprisonment;
15. Federico Antonio Minicucci (Army), eight years’ imprisonment;
16. Juan Avelino Rodríguez (Army), absolved;
17. Carlos Tragant (Army), absolved.