Juan Aliste Vega, a former member of the Lautaro Youth Movement, died this Sunday at age 53 at Santiago's Prison Hospital. He had stage IV cancer. According to La Tercera, staff from the Health Department of the Chilean Prison Service confirmed his death at 8:39.
T13 reported that Aliste died after a deterioration in his condition associated with the disease. He was serving a 42-year prison sentence for the murder of Carabineros Corporal Luis Moyano, which occurred during the robbery of a Security bank branch in Santiago in 2007.
His lawyer, Ricardo Bravo Cornejo, announced that the defense would consider legal action against the state. "We believe there is civil liability. We believe the state failed in its duty to protect him, and we are going to examine that," he told BioBioChile. Civil liability is the obligation to remedy harm, usually through compensation.
The lawyer's criticism focuses on the Rancagua Prison Complex, where Aliste was held before receiving his diagnosis. "In our view, Rancagua bears responsibility," he told La Tercera. According to Bravo, his client repeatedly requested medical attention and received ibuprofen and general medications, without a timely diagnosis.
The defense lawyer said Aliste requested a wheelchair because of his mobility problems and was given crutches, which he said worsened his discomfort. He also claimed that Aliste was denied a wheelchair at Rancagua hospital. Bravo described the subsequent care as adequate but maintained that the transfer came too late. These allegations reflect only the defense's account, and the sources do not include a response from the Prison Service.
According to T13, metastases in his pelvic bones, liver and both lungs were confirmed in July, and doctors gave him three months to live. In September, an assessment classified his disability as total and permanent.
Meanwhile, the defense sought through the courts to change the location where Aliste was serving his sentence so that he could apply for parole. The Supreme Court postponed its review until November, beyond the life expectancy he had been given. Days before his death, Aliste sent a letter to President José Antonio Kast requesting a pardon, meaning the forgiveness or commutation of a sentence granted by the President. His aim was to spend his final days at home, but he died before obtaining it.
"A pardon was never the priority; as a defense lawyer, you always pursue judicial avenues," Bravo explained to T13. He added that the request was submitted when "there was already very little time left." He told BioBioChile that they had expected a faster decision given the seriousness of the case.
The lawyer welcomed the Prison Service's decision to allow Aliste's widow to be with him in his final minutes. "For the family, that is extremely reassuring," he said.
The family must now complete the procedures with the Legal Medical Service (SML) to receive the body. Bravo said they would decide on legal action after the farewell. "Today is the time to be with his family, respect their grief and allow Juan a dignified farewell," he said.
