Guillermo Ignacio Echagüe, former commanding general of the Prison Service, was the last witness the trial of Victor Rei. The retired officer, 71, now a merchant, comes under the "state secret" to say almost nothing in his testimony but, in an effort to silence, slipped some contradictions. During the dictatorship
served on the General Directorate of Gendarmerie Intelligence acting as a liaison with the Army. By 1979, he said, he was assigned to the squadron missions, two years later he joined the Directorate of Intelligence, where he attained the post of director in 1990, the Menem government. In 1991 he was appointed Director of Operations and the following year called for a pass
retired "Rei I met Victor in 1958 when I was a third year cadet at him first. Then we had the same level but never share any destination, "said Echagüe, adding that his job was to" gather information superiority. " "It would violate a state secret if it had on the operations, we must consider that we were about to enter into armed conflict with Chile," he said. Asked
the Independence Operative, said Echagüe know only what was in the papers. "I think it was related to the fight against subversion, but do not know." In the absence of collaboration the witness, Judge Maria del Carmen Roqueta Echagüe cross-examination and admitted that "depend on the Army may have involvement of the Prison."
"I think we were elements of the Gendarmerie to Tucuman, obviously yes, whole units," he added, as if he had suddenly recovered memory, a little to remember, moreover, the Montoneros attack against an Air Force Hercules in 1975. Notably, the defendant, Rei said he had been assigned to Tucuman airport just after the attack.
The lawsuit asked the Federal Oral Court No. 6 to be exhibited to the personnel file Echagüe Rei for the witness to recognize his signature on that document. "Maybe it has signed but not written in my handwriting but was up to me personally."
Granny's lawyer, Luciano Hazan, also questioned the witness on utility commissions "accredited" in the file of Rei, a point which the testimony of retired Colonel Horacio Ballester, president of the Center for Democracy Military Argentina (CEMIDA ), had cast a little light. Echagüe said the fact that they were "accredited" supposed to have been seen in the General Directorate of Gendarmerie, nothing more.
After making a distinction between intelligence and military intelligence, as did the defendant in his testimony, Echagüe admitted that activities conducted in these areas "could not be substantiated, while it took off from the idea of" war against subversion. "
"There was no assumption of war with the guerrillas," he said. And whatever happened did not conform to the laws of war. " In this passage, the always incisive judge intervened José Martínez Sobrino:
- What was the doctrine of national security?
-in to the country free of external and internal threats, the latter which subverted the Constitution ...
- But how national security was under a dictatorship that just subverted the Constitution? "Obviously
violated the Constitution because it is a democratic country at that time ... I had no power of decision, I was before you ask me, today I am respectful of the rules of the Constitution ...
- And then who was the enemy within? Sobrino Martinez insisted.
He spoke of crime, not the enemy.
served on the General Directorate of Gendarmerie Intelligence acting as a liaison with the Army. By 1979, he said, he was assigned to the squadron missions, two years later he joined the Directorate of Intelligence, where he attained the post of director in 1990, the Menem government. In 1991 he was appointed Director of Operations and the following year called for a pass
retired "Rei I met Victor in 1958 when I was a third year cadet at him first. Then we had the same level but never share any destination, "said Echagüe, adding that his job was to" gather information superiority. " "It would violate a state secret if it had on the operations, we must consider that we were about to enter into armed conflict with Chile," he said. Asked
the Independence Operative, said Echagüe know only what was in the papers. "I think it was related to the fight against subversion, but do not know." In the absence of collaboration the witness, Judge Maria del Carmen Roqueta Echagüe cross-examination and admitted that "depend on the Army may have involvement of the Prison."
"I think we were elements of the Gendarmerie to Tucuman, obviously yes, whole units," he added, as if he had suddenly recovered memory, a little to remember, moreover, the Montoneros attack against an Air Force Hercules in 1975. Notably, the defendant, Rei said he had been assigned to Tucuman airport just after the attack.
The lawsuit asked the Federal Oral Court No. 6 to be exhibited to the personnel file Echagüe Rei for the witness to recognize his signature on that document. "Maybe it has signed but not written in my handwriting but was up to me personally."
Granny's lawyer, Luciano Hazan, also questioned the witness on utility commissions "accredited" in the file of Rei, a point which the testimony of retired Colonel Horacio Ballester, president of the Center for Democracy Military Argentina (CEMIDA ), had cast a little light. Echagüe said the fact that they were "accredited" supposed to have been seen in the General Directorate of Gendarmerie, nothing more.
After making a distinction between intelligence and military intelligence, as did the defendant in his testimony, Echagüe admitted that activities conducted in these areas "could not be substantiated, while it took off from the idea of" war against subversion. "
"There was no assumption of war with the guerrillas," he said. And whatever happened did not conform to the laws of war. " In this passage, the always incisive judge intervened José Martínez Sobrino:
- What was the doctrine of national security?
-in to the country free of external and internal threats, the latter which subverted the Constitution ...
- But how national security was under a dictatorship that just subverted the Constitution? "Obviously
violated the Constitution because it is a democratic country at that time ... I had no power of decision, I was before you ask me, today I am respectful of the rules of the Constitution ...
- And then who was the enemy within? Sobrino Martinez insisted.
He spoke of crime, not the enemy.
Echagüe The truth is that, although presented as "doctrine specialist and external control," unable-or unwilling-to answer what was asked, nor said anything about courses in the School of the Americas and on the Campo de Mayo, where he spent much of his career on the force.
the end of the reluctant witness Echagüe, the Court read out all the evidence in the case and decided that this Friday March 20 will expand its investigation, as is requested, the defendant Victor Rei, a week later will be the turn the allegations of the complaint and the prosecution, and later in date to be confirmed, we will come to the defense presenting its case.
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