That I have no connection whatsoever with subversion and that I abhor its actions is an undeniable fact which has never been questioned.
It is public knowledge that at the beginning of June 1977 my house and those of my family were vandalized and my wife, children, niece, two of my brothers and a maid were detained. I was so disturbed by these events, as I had no idea why they had been detained, that I stayed in hiding until my wife was released. Then I learnt that the reason for their detention and their terrible treatment was that they were being held hostage to force me into giving myself up. My children and my niece were still being detained in some unknown place but no order for my arrest or any legal summons had been issued.
My wife and I decided that I should stay in hiding for a short time and then, if my children were not released, I would give myself up voluntarily. I did this on 16 July 1977, through a writ of preventive habeas corpus to Criminal Court No. 2, heard by Dr Sarmiento, file No. 11,469. All the appropriate information was communicated to the Provincial Police Headquarters, the Federal Police, the Ministry of the Interior and the Army High Command. They all replied that they knew of no measures to restrict my liberty nor of any warrant for my arrest. However, on 22 July 1977, from folio 8 of the judicial file it was apparent that there was a warrant for me to appear before the Chief of Police of Buenos Aires province in connection with investigations being undertaken by a 'C.A. 2448'. At Dr Sarmiento's request, I presented myself at his court on 23 July 1977. That same day I was taken to Provincial Police Headquarters. After a long wait, I was introduced to someone known as Captain Trimarco who was to take charge of me.
In the end, we were hooded and released at a station near Témperley; Burzaco I think. This was 25 August 1978. For me it had been fourteen months of imprisonment and unspeakable torture.
I must end this brief account by stressing the position of total defencelessness in which judge Sarmiento placed me. When my wife and son, who had by then been released, inquired about me, he replied that his part in the case had ended once he handed me over to the appropriate authorities. He gave the same reply to Dr Gonzalez Arzac when he made similar inquiries.
The deposition of these facts was made to Criminal Court No.1 at La
Plata.
