The family of Santiago Maldonado rejected the closure of the case and denounced the pressures suffered by the judge

After the judge closed the case of the disappearance of Santiago Maldonado, the family of the young craftsman issued a statement in which he had rejected the decision and badured that the judge of the case, Gustavo Lleral, had been "extorted "to complete the investigation.

In the letter, they revealed that the federal magistrate Rawson had communicated Thursday morning with the mother of Maldonado, Estela Maris Peloso. "I call you first so that you do not find out by the media. I am extorted. All my work team and I have to close the case. That's why I have to do it, "he told the woman before announcing his decision, according to the family.

According to the reconstruction of the Maldonados, Lleral badured him that he hoped to now be able to mourn the death of the young man who disappeared on August 1, 2017 in the middle of an eviction operation that had led the gendarmerie. in the Cushamen region and his body appeared in the Chubut River on October 17 of the same year.

In their statement, they claimed that Estela had asked the judge that there was "someone jailed for Santiago's death". And before the magistrate's negative answer, he replied: "I will not do the silent duel, I will wait for justice to be done."

Relatives said that after this communication, Lleral called a few minutes later Sergio Maldonado, the brother of the craftsman. During this interview, the judge explained that he had already filed the case. And that, whether or not he agreed with his decision, he had to take an explanation.

"We are facing a state crime, before an enforced disappearance followed by death, where each of the state's people who intervened from August 1, 2017 to the trial date in cases 8232/2017 and 8233/2017 is responsible, "they said in the document.

In Lleral's resolution, the justice dismissed Constable Emmanuel Echazú, the only defendant in the case who was covered by an "enforced disappearance" for his role in the deportation. The officer was wounded in the face by a stone thrown by a member of the Mapuche community of resistance in Cushamen. In addition, it was one of the uniforms that moved towards the Chubut River towards the Mapuches.

"We will continue to fight from the first day against the impunity imposed by the state with its media, but also from the first day, with all the tools guaranteed by the rule of law, accompanied by the organized civil society in the streets, "concluded the Maldonado family in the document.