The Minister of Defense, Maya Fernández, addressed the worrying situation related to the serious respiratory problems presented by 45 soldiers from the same brigade during an instruction march in Putre. This, after the death of a soldier from the Motorized Brigade No. 24 “Huamachuco” of the VI Division in the commune of Putre, conscript Franco Vargas.
“From the Ministry of Defense we are very concerned, this is very serious and we want this to be clarified,” declared Minister Fernández, in an interview with Meganoticiasemphasizing the need for a rigorous investigation to guarantee justice and tranquility to the affected families.
The Secretary of State revealed that the Army has been asked to keep the families of hospitalized soldiers informed about their health status, ensuring that “we want the families to have all the information and peace of mind.”
In addition, Minister Fernández announced that her portfolio has urged, through a letter, the State Defense Council (CDE) to consider its participation in the investigation, underlining the importance of reaching “the ultimate consequences.”
Relatives of the victim and the affected soldiers have expressed concern about the conditions in which a military exercise was carried out, alleging that the clothing was not appropriate for the temperatures and that conscript Vargas had previously warned about his state of health. . Faced with these accusations, Minister Fernández emphasized: “This is very serious, it cannot happen. When I listened to the generals, I said that this cannot happen in the Army, it cannot happen with any human being.“.
The Defense Minister emphasized the need to review and improve military procedures, especially with regard to the evaluation of the health status of conscripts. She announced that the Army has been instructed to carry out a thorough review of internal procedures, ensuring that “every procedure has to be reviewed, it has to be improved.”
The Government Minister Spokesperson, Camila Vallejo, also referred to this fact during the morning, detailing that “we have four conscripts who are in the Military Hospital being accompanied and treated. Two of them in a slightly more serious situation, but they are being treated at this time. The rest are also being monitored for their health status, based on the report that has been made, due to influence and a case of Escherichia coli contamination, as reported.”
For his part, the senator of the Socialist Party (PS), Gastón Saavedra, announced that next Tuesday they will ask for explanations from the Defense Commission and the Human Rights Commission.
A report from the Legal Medical Service revealed that the death of conscript Vargas in Putre was due to sudden death due to a heart problem, ruling out the participation of third parties. Allegations of humiliation and mental health problems arise, and the military prosecutor’s office will investigate whether weather conditions influenced the death of the young soldier in training.
