Jury Orders Former Chilean Officer to Pay $4 Million in Death

[Judi Lynn]

Jury Orders Former Chilean Officer to Pay $4 Million in Death
By Catherine Wilson Associated Press Writer
Published: Oct 15, 2003




MIAMI (AP) - A jury ordered a former Chilean army officer Wednesday to pay $4 million to relatives of a government planner killed by a roving death squad as Gen. Augusto Pinochet solidified his coup's grasp on power in 1973.

The jury found Armando Fernandez Larios, a Miami auto body shop manager, liable for extra-judicial killing, crimes against humanity, cruelty and torture in massacres by the so-called Caravan of Death in five Chilean cities.

The award to the family of Winston Cabello- a day before the 30th anniversary of his death - is the first by a U.S. jury for crimes against humanity, family attorneys said. The family acknowledges it is unlikely that they will ever collect much of the $3 million in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages, but said that wasn't the point. (snip)

(snip) The Bush administration has sided with corporations challenging lawsuits filed under the law for alleged complicity in human rights abuses abroad. (snip/...)

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20031015/APN/310150818

[MRDU]

1. the first by a U.S. jury for crimes against humanity,

Well, It's about freaking time! Now let's look in our backyard.

[AP]

2. Small things like this give me great hope.

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