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Ex-soldier for Pinochet liable for '73 torture, death of Chilean folk singer Victor Jara

The award -- $28 million -- benefits Jara's 88-year-old widow and two daughters.

By Doug G. Ware
The widow of Victor Jara, Joan Jara is pictured in this 2013 file photo with her daughters Amanda and Manuela following a press conference at Victor Jara stadium in Santiago, Chile. A jury ruled Monday that a former Pinochet soldier who participated in Jara's torture in 1973 must pay $28 million to the family. File photo by Oscar Ordenes/UPI
The widow of Victor Jara, Joan Jara is pictured in this 2013 file photo with her daughters Amanda and Manuela following a press conference at Victor Jara stadium in Santiago, Chile. A jury ruled Monday that a former Pinochet soldier who participated in Jara's torture in 1973 must pay $28 million to the family. File photo by Oscar Ordenes/UPI

ORLANDO, Fla., June 27 (UPI) -- A former top lieutenant to Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet was ordered Monday to pay nearly $30 million for causing the death of a popular folk singer and activist during the bloody government takeover in Chile four decades ago.

The suit against Pedro Pablo Barrientos Nunez, filed in 2013, sought accountability in the torture and death of Víctor Jara.

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Following Pinochet's bloody coup in September 1973, thousands of potential agitators, including Jara, were rounded up and killed. Nearly 40 years later, several ex-Chilean military officers were charged in many of the deaths.

ARCHIVE September 2013: Chilean singer's family sues man they say killed him during 1973 coup

Pinochet, who died in 2006, remained in power until 1990.

Monday, a jury decided that Barrientos, who's lived in Florida for more than 20 years, participated in Jara's torture and killing and must now pay his family $28 million in damages.

"Today, there is some justice for Victor's death, and for the thousands of families in Chile who have sought truth," widow Joan Jara said Monday. "I hope that the verdict today continues the healing.

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"It has been a long journey seeking justice for Victor's death."

Jara, 40, had become a national symbol in Chile by the time of his death. Many of his songs touched on social issues like love, justice and war -- thereby making his torture and death an ironic punctuation to his life.

"For Victor, art and social justice were one and the same," Joan Jara added.

ARCHIVE January 2013: Jara family calls for justice in Chile

"We believe that perpetrators of the worst human rights crimes should be held to account, no matter how long it takes or where they try to hide," C. Dixon Osburn, of the Center for Justice and Accountability, said. "We must strive for a world where all can live freely, unafraid to speak up or sing out for equality, opportunity and responsibility."

The award -- $8 million in compensatory damages and $20 million in punitive damages -- would go to Jara's 88-year-old widow and two adult daughters.

Among others, Jara's musical work is believed to have inspired many artists who followed, including Bruce Springsteen, the Clash and U2 lead singer Bono.

"This is the first trial seeking accountability for the death of Víctor Jara," CJA Legal Director Kathy Roberts said. "I could not be more proud of the Jara family in this moment."

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