Twenty-six years after the murder of the photographer
José Luis Cabezas
, his sister Gladys wrote him a letter that he read in one of the two acts that were held in honor of the photographer executed in Pinamar.
In the letter, Gladys tells him how she found out about his violent death;
She, and in turn,
criticized the Justice
since none of the culprits is in custody: "
They lied to us saying that they were going to life
; it was behaving well in jail, and getting out," she criticized.
In her address, Gladys remembered him as
"a good photographer, a good brother and a very good person"
.
Gladys Cabezas, sister of José Luis in one of the commemorative acts for the death of the photographer.
Photo: Illustrative/File.
Gladys wrote the letter and read it this morning during one of the two tributes to the former photographer from Noticias magazine, held on the monolith in front of the Pinamar bus station, on Bunge avenue, at the entrance to that seaside resort.
The second will take place in General Madariaga's cellar, where he was murdered, where they will hold an interreligious prayer.
According to Gladys during the commemorative act, this was the
"first time"
that she wrote to her brother after the crime that shocked the entire country, and that marked a before and after in police and judicial history in Argentina.
"I decided that this year I wanted to talk to him," the woman said with pain and indignation.
The letter written by Gladys Cabezas
Dear brother: Today I want to talk to you and tell you that we are remembering you, here in Pinamar like every year.
Today 26 years what madness!. I feel like it was yesterday when with the old people, we found out on the radio that they had found a reporter from Noticias Magazine burned and handcuffed.
"By God, he's my son," Mommy would say. '"He can't be," said daddy.
Your nephew Sebastián, my son, when he was only 9 years old, went out shouting into the street: "They killed my uncle."
How much pain, how much helplessness, how many lies, how much hypocrisy. But the worst, how many corrupt.
How much corruption in the hands of sinister characters. The trial came and they lied to us saying life imprisonment. It was be good in jail and get out.
Then, good citizens came to us, gave us strength and continue to be here every January 25 in Pinamar, in the cellar and in every place in the world where they remember you. Yes, of the world, believe it or not...
Well, don't get big. You were a good photographer, a good son, brother, husband, father. But, above all, a very good person.
I feel like they didn't kill you, they didn't make it, because you're always in me.
It's a pity that you couldn't meet Riu, your grandson, who is one year old and is beautiful. He will talk about you when he grows up and he will say 'José Luis Cabezas, present' ".
The murder of Cabezas: a before and after
José Luis Cabezas, a photojournalist for Noticias magazine who covered the summer season in Pinamar was kidnapped and killed with two bullets to the back of the head.
It was January 25, 1997. And his body ended up burned inside a car on fire in a cellar.
In the days before the attack, he had taken a photo that generated a strong response.
The person portrayed was a businessman closely linked to the Government of Carlos Menem, Alfredo Yabrán.
A very powerful man who everyone knew, but no one had seen his face.
The photo of Alfredo Yabrán that cost José Luis Cabezas his life.
It was the cover of News magazine.
Photo: File
For the crime, police officers Gustavo Prellezo (as the material author of the murder), Aníbal Luna and Sergio Camaratta were sentenced to life imprisonment.
The first two have already recovered their freedom;
the third died.
Also some members of a band called "los horneros".
From there, they sentenced José Luis Auge, Horacio Braga and Héctor Retana.
There were two more people who were sentenced by the Justice: Gregorio Ríos, head of Security for Alfredo Yabrán, and Commissioner Alberto Gómez, for liberating the area.
The case marked a before and after.
Because the mafia management of an extremely powerful person was publicly exposed, and because different scales of police forces were involved in the crime.
In addition, the case had strong political repercussions.