The History Podcast – The Arrest: 2. The Disappeared

Host: BBC Radio 4 (Philippe Sands)
Date: December 2, 2025

Overview

Episode 2, "The Disappeared", delves into the harrowing early years of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet’s regime, focusing on the personal tragedy of Laura Gonzalez Vera and her husband, Carmelo Soria, a UN official who became a victim of forced disappearance and murder. This episode blends intimate personal testimony with the broader legal efforts to hold Pinochet accountable decades later, exploring trauma, impunity, and the struggle for justice under the doctrine of universal jurisdiction.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Pinochet’s Chile (01:08–04:21)

• The Backdrop

  • Late 1970s Santiago, amid the aftermath of Pinochet’s seizure of power.
  • Introduction of Carmelo Soria and Laura Gonzalez Vera, living in tension and fear as the regime tightens its grip.

• Repression in Action

  • Chile’s secret police, DINA, are investigating Carmelo’s workplace.
  • Atmosphere of surveillance, intimidation, and sudden violence.

• Quote:

  “There were people who informed direct to the DINA. The DINA placed people there.”
  – Unnamed Speaker, 02:04

2. Personal Accounts – Laura and Carmelo (04:21–07:38)

• Laura and Carmelo’s Relationship

  • Their bond formed in Spain and Chile, steeped in political idealism.
  • Both were early supporters of Salvador Allende, Chile’s socialist president.

• Downfall of Allende & Rise of Pinochet

  • Recollections of the military coup on September 11, 1973:
    • “On September 11, we were at home. We woke up at 6:30. We played the radio. So at 7 we already knew about the coup.”
      – Laura Gonzalez Vera, 06:31
  • The bombing and violence at La Moneda Palace, Allende’s suicide, and the swift consolidation of military power.

3. The Disappearance and Death of Carmelo Soria (07:38–11:00)

• Life Under Threat

  • Carmelo’s confidence in his international status and his outspoken defense of the victims of repression.

• The Abduction

  • Carmelo vanishes after leaving work early with a headache.
  • Laura’s mounting anxiety and the unhelpful police response:
    • “I started to worry at 10 at night, so I called the hospital emergency rooms and he wasn’t there.”
      – Laura, 08:46

• Discovery

  • Carmelo’s car found in a canal; daughters are sent to search the water for their father.

  • Laura describes the family’s trauma:

    • “And I found Laura there, sitting on the sidewalk. And she says, they killed that Madaro papa.”
      – Laura, 10:50

• Confirmation

  • Autopsy later confirms torture and murder by secret police; the crash was a cover-up.

4. Exile and the Fight for Justice (11:00–14:06)

• Fleeing Chile

  • Following Carmelo’s murder, Laura and family suffer harassment and persecution, ultimately forcing them to flee to Spain.

• The Universal Jurisdiction Strategy

  • In the mid-1990s, Laura and other exiles collaborate with Spanish lawyers led by Juan Garces and prosecutor Carlos Castresana to bring a case against Pinochet.

  • Focus on Carmelo Soria’s case, a Spanish victim, as a legal catalyst.

  • Notable moment:

    • “In my focus from the very beginning.”
      – Prosecutor Carlos Castresana, 12:31

• Autopsy as Evidence

  • Laura’s insistence on observing the autopsy ensures evidence of torture is preserved, becoming pivotal in the legal case.

5. The Legal Battle in Spain: Turning the Tide (14:06–15:08)

• Urgent Legal Action

  • October 1998: With Pinochet in London, Garces seeks urgent action from the Spanish courts, racing against time and bureaucratic indifference.
  • Tensions as legal and political obstacles threaten to stall the case:
    • “His reaction was positive and he indicated that I could formulate the request. But at the same time, I felt that, given his personality, I wasn’t sure.”
      – Juan Garces, 14:06

• Institutional Resistance

  • The episode highlights resistance within the Spanish judiciary and the fragility of international justice mechanisms.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Pinochet’s Purge

  “They were killing so many important people.”
  – Laura Gonzalez Vera, 04:21

• On Political Faith and Disillusionment

  “What made me fall in love with Carmelo was conversation. He told me about how his life was before and about Spain.”
  – Laura, 05:31

• The Trauma of Searching

  “The two daughters were given long bamboo sticks to prod the water to look for their father’s body.”
  (Narration, 09:31)

• Breaking the Silence

  “I mean, I was already convinced he had been kidnapped.”
  – Laura, 10:19

• On Legal Persistence

  “I had the case of Carmelo Soria in my focus from the very beginning.”
  – Prosecutor Carlos Castresana, 12:31

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------|-------------| | Scene-setting & DINA repression | 01:08–04:21 | | Laura & Carmelo’s backstory | 04:21–06:31 | | Coup & Allende’s death | 06:31–07:38 | | Disappearance & family ordeal | 07:38–11:00 | | Exile, legal strategy & universal jurisdiction | 11:00–14:06 | | The rush to activate Spanish legal system| 14:06–15:08 |

Tone and Style

The episode is measured but intimate, mixing Philippe Sands’ clear-eyed, empathetic narration with the personal pain and resilience of Laura Gonzalez Vera. The narrative carefully balances the gravity of the human rights abuses with the hope embedded in the pursuit of justice, without sensationalism or melodrama.

For New Listeners

This episode stands as both a deeply personal account of loss under dictatorship and a gripping legal drama, laying bare the emotional scars and high-stakes complexities of seeking justice against impunity. It's a powerful, accessible narrative for anyone interested in history, law, or human rights struggles.

For those eager to follow the hunt for Pinochet and the global fight against state-sponsored disappearance, this episode is essential listening.