Chile has extradited a former Argentine judge charged with some hundred crimes against humanity during Argentina’s 1975-1983 military dictatorship, a bloody and shameful period during which 30,000 people were murdered by fascist dictatorships in South America.

Otilio Romano is accused of complicity in forced disappearances, torture and illegal raids.  When the allegations surfaced two years ago, Romano fled to Chile and asked for political asylum; that request was denied and he was placed under house arrest while the extradition process made its way through the courts.

The charges against Romano include:  34 counts of unlawful deprivation of liberty disappearance; 26 counts of false imprisonment; 36 of torture; One illegal search; And one denial of justice.  These occurred during the dictatorship of Jorge Rafael Videla, when Romano was a state prosecutor.

Argentina’s Dirty War was a component of “Operation Condor”, a period of violent repression against Leftists and suspected Leftists in the South American Cone.  Tens of thousands were murdered for their political beliefs, and the children of murder victims were stolen from their families and given to military families to be raised.