Manuel Contreras
Chilean general (1929–2015)
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Key Takeaways
- Juan Manuel "Mamo" Guillermo Contreras Sepúlveda (4 May 1929 – 7 August 2015) was a Chilean Army officer and the former head of the National Intelligence Directorate (DINA), Chile's secret police during the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet.
- At the time of his death, Contreras was serving 59 unappealable sentences totaling 529 years in prison for kidnapping, forced disappearance, and assassination.
- His parents died when he was six or seven years old.
- Afterward, his father relocated to Osorno, where he enrolled in the Lyceum of that city.
- In 1952, after achieving the rank of lieutenant, Contreras returned to the Military School, this time joining the Company of Engineers as a sapper instructor.
Juan Manuel "Mamo" Guillermo Contreras Sepúlveda (4 May 1929 – 7 August 2015) was a Chilean Army officer and the former head of the National Intelligence Directorate (DINA), Chile's secret police during the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet. In 1995, he was convicted of the murder of Chilean diplomat Orlando Letelier in Washington, DC, and sentenced to seven years in prison, which he served until 2001. At the time of his death, Contreras was serving 59 unappealable sentences totaling 529 years in prison for kidnapping, forced disappearance, and assassination.
Early life
Contreras was the son of Manuel Contreras Morales and Aída Sepúlveda Cubillos. His parents died when he was six or seven years old. He completed his primary studies at the English Institute of Macul in Santiago. Afterward, his father relocated to Osorno, where he enrolled in the Lyceum of that city.
Career
Contreras enrolled in the Military School in 1944 and graduated with top honors on 23 December 1947. In 1952, after achieving the rank of lieutenant, Contreras returned to the Military School, this time joining the Company of Engineers as a sapper instructor.
In 1953, Contreras married María Teresa Valdebenito Stevenson. During the same year, he became part of the newly-established San Antonio School of Engineers.
In 1960, Contreras enrolled in the War Academy to undertake the General Staff Officer course. It was there that he met Captain Augusto Pinochet, who served as the deputy director of the academy and taught strategy classes. Pinochet's lectures were often centered around his concerns about the success of the Cuban Revolution.
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