Alexandra Ramos
(CNN Spanish) – A court in San Salvador ordered this Friday the capture of former President Alfredo Cristiani, who ruled the country from 1989 to 1994, for the alleged crime of omission in the case of the murder of six Jesuit priests and two collaborators, which occurred a few years ago. 32 years, during his management.
Cristiani did not appear at the hearing and did not name a lawyer. In a statement, the former president told the attorney general, Rodolfo Delgado, to go from defamation and media harassment to judicial persecution tainted by irregularities.
Former President of El Salvador Alfredo Cristiani accused of massacre of Jesuit priests
“The attorney general, in bad faith and with a clear disregard for the truth, has publicly accused me of omission and cover-up. The truth is that he never knew of the plans they had to commit those murders, ”adds the former president.
In addition to Cristiani, the court orders the arrest of Rodolfo Parker, since he did not “appear at the hearing,” the judge explained. Former Congressman Parker is accused of procedural fraud and cover-up. CNN is trying to contact him to get his reactions. In the past he has denied having any responsibility in this case.
The court also ordered the arrest of two retired soldiers who also did not appear at the hearing.
The new accusation also included retired soldiers Rafael Bustillo and Camilo Hernández. They did appear at the hearing and denied the allegations. The court ordered, for both, that they continue to be processed in freedom, for which they will have to appear every 15 days in court and will not be able to leave the country.
Two other retired soldiers included in this criminal proceeding will also have alternative measures to detention since due to their advanced age they have “health problems,” the court explained at the time of reading the ruling.
Alfredo Cristiano. (Credit: David Hernandez/ AFP/ Getty Images)
The resolution of the Third Court of Peace also orders the provisional arrest of retired General Orlando Inocente Montano, who is serving a 133-year sentence in Spain for the murder of five Spanish Jesuits.
For his part, former Defense Minister Rafael Humberto Larios will be tried in freedom, without any restrictions, according to the court’s ruling.
According to the report of the Truth Commission, prepared in 1993 with the support of the United Nations, the Jesuit priests were assassinated in the facilities of the Central American University by an elite group of the Army during the guerrilla offensive known as “Hasta el Tope”.
The victims were the Spanish Jesuits Ignacio Ellacuría, Segundo Montes, Ignacio Martín-Baró, Armando López and Juan Ramón Moreno, as well as three Salvadorans, the priest Joaquín López and his collaborators, Elba and her daughter Celina Ramos.
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