Infamous Pinochet-era officer dies in Chile

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Infamous Pinochet-era officer dies in Chile
Wed Jul 4, 2007 1:22PM EDT

SANTIAGO, July 4 (Reuters) - One of the most notorious
figures from the Chilean dictatorship of late Gen. Augusto
Pinochet died on Wednesday having served five years in
prison for human rights abuses.

Osvaldo Romo, known as "El Guaton" (The fat one) and
accused by his victims of being a brutal torturer, died
of heart failure in a prison hospital in the capital
Santiago at 4:45 a.m. (0845 GMT), the hospital said in
a statement. He was 69.

Romo was an officer in the DINA, the intelligence service
set up by Pinochet after he seized power in a military
coup in 1973.

-snip-

Romo worked at Santiago's Villa Grimaldi, the most
notorious of the DINA's detention centers. Survivors of
Villa Grimaldi described him as a sadistic torturer.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN04275753