Chronicles of the Virus Day 56. The Virus Doesn't Understand about Justice.
The virus doesn't care who you are or what you've done with your life. It attacks its victims at will, sometimes passing through without a second thought, sometimes killing its host. That is what makes it so unfair. Disease of any kind only takes into account our biological humanity, not our overall humanity.
One of the deaths this week was Antonio González Pacheco. By that name, he is barely known in Spain and certainly not outside the country. But he is better known here by Billy el Niño (Billy the Kid). He got that knick because his face looked like a little boy's when he was younger. But he was more of a spawn of the Devil than an angel of a boy.
He joined the police and was incorporated into the Brigada Político-Social, the feared department under Franco that investigated those that dissented. During his tenure, he used torture during interrogations, and was brought under suspicion by the untimely death of the student, Enrique Ruano, while in custody, in 1969. After the Transition, he remained in the newly renovated Policía Nacional and helped rescue a politician kidnapped by the Grapo, a Marxist-Leninist group that operated in the 70's and 80's in Spain. For that action, and for his long career in the police, he was given four medals of honor. Upon his retirement, those medals increased his pension with a healthy suplement.
In 2013, as part of a class action suit, the Argentinian judge, Maria Servini, served a writ upon him, asking for his extradition in relation to his torture of various of the plaintiffs during the 1970's. His passport was retired, but the judge was denied the order, as the Spanish Ministry of Justice claimed the crimes had proscribed. Nothing happened to him until in 2018, a petition was made to take back the medals of honor. The conservative government at that time denied the petition. Another charge of lese-humanité was brought against him in 2019, but nothing has been heard about it, yet.
His victims described how his face was nothing like his personality, a sadistic, meticulous torturer. One man who was being kicked in the testicles, and whose head was being sunk in a pail with dirty water, to confess the names of comrades, had his two year old son brought in and put in front of him. Antonio yelled at him, "Do it for your son!" Others were hung out high windows, face down. That is how the student died, falling from the window on a seventh floor. Nothing was ever proven, but it was known to be a favorite method of Antonio's.
There were other tortures, such as being hung from a bar from the knees, and hit in the buttocks and the bottoms of the feet. Or hit on the head continuously with phone books, which would leave no mark. Or handcuffed to a radiator. Or denied water and food. Or be left naked in a cell with no toilet and no way of cleaning. Ways designed by men to deny others their dignity.
When the news of his death came out, a lot of people said that justice had been served. But no, it was not. The virus kept it from being wholly served. He should have lived to see his extra pension taken away, and to sit in front of a judge for his crimes. His death in a hospital wasn't justice. The only justice we have to be grateful for is that most of those he tortured have gone on to have long lives. Their living forward is the middle finger to Billy el Niño.
On a very much lighter note, many people are going out for walks and exercise after being locked up for two months. Some might think that train service is not up and running, and will find it much easier to walk on the tracks instead of the path. Believe me, it is. Don't walk on the tracks, please.
And, if you're going to transport golf balls in your car trunk, make sure the container is closed.
Life continues. Justice will try to do so, too.
One of the deaths this week was Antonio González Pacheco. By that name, he is barely known in Spain and certainly not outside the country. But he is better known here by Billy el Niño (Billy the Kid). He got that knick because his face looked like a little boy's when he was younger. But he was more of a spawn of the Devil than an angel of a boy.
He joined the police and was incorporated into the Brigada Político-Social, the feared department under Franco that investigated those that dissented. During his tenure, he used torture during interrogations, and was brought under suspicion by the untimely death of the student, Enrique Ruano, while in custody, in 1969. After the Transition, he remained in the newly renovated Policía Nacional and helped rescue a politician kidnapped by the Grapo, a Marxist-Leninist group that operated in the 70's and 80's in Spain. For that action, and for his long career in the police, he was given four medals of honor. Upon his retirement, those medals increased his pension with a healthy suplement.
In 2013, as part of a class action suit, the Argentinian judge, Maria Servini, served a writ upon him, asking for his extradition in relation to his torture of various of the plaintiffs during the 1970's. His passport was retired, but the judge was denied the order, as the Spanish Ministry of Justice claimed the crimes had proscribed. Nothing happened to him until in 2018, a petition was made to take back the medals of honor. The conservative government at that time denied the petition. Another charge of lese-humanité was brought against him in 2019, but nothing has been heard about it, yet.
His victims described how his face was nothing like his personality, a sadistic, meticulous torturer. One man who was being kicked in the testicles, and whose head was being sunk in a pail with dirty water, to confess the names of comrades, had his two year old son brought in and put in front of him. Antonio yelled at him, "Do it for your son!" Others were hung out high windows, face down. That is how the student died, falling from the window on a seventh floor. Nothing was ever proven, but it was known to be a favorite method of Antonio's.
There were other tortures, such as being hung from a bar from the knees, and hit in the buttocks and the bottoms of the feet. Or hit on the head continuously with phone books, which would leave no mark. Or handcuffed to a radiator. Or denied water and food. Or be left naked in a cell with no toilet and no way of cleaning. Ways designed by men to deny others their dignity.
When the news of his death came out, a lot of people said that justice had been served. But no, it was not. The virus kept it from being wholly served. He should have lived to see his extra pension taken away, and to sit in front of a judge for his crimes. His death in a hospital wasn't justice. The only justice we have to be grateful for is that most of those he tortured have gone on to have long lives. Their living forward is the middle finger to Billy el Niño.
On a very much lighter note, many people are going out for walks and exercise after being locked up for two months. Some might think that train service is not up and running, and will find it much easier to walk on the tracks instead of the path. Believe me, it is. Don't walk on the tracks, please.
And, if you're going to transport golf balls in your car trunk, make sure the container is closed.
Life continues. Justice will try to do so, too.
I agree completely! There is no fair. On the other hand, you did make us smile with the golf balls liberated. Take care, Maria!
ReplyDelete