Matías Daniel Santana indicted for false testimony in Maldonado case

The Federal Court of Esquel has formally indicted Matías Daniel Santana, known as ‘the Mapuche of the binoculars’, for aggravated false testimony in the investigation into the disappearance of Santiago Maldonado.

Nine years after the initial case, the indictment follows allegations that Santana provided false testimony to obstruct the investigation and falsely implicate members of the Argentine National Gendarmerie. Santana had previously testified under oath that he witnessed Gendarmerie agents taking Maldonado in a truck while he observed the scene from horseback using binoculars. However, the binoculars mentioned in his statement were never found.

Federal Judge Eva Parcio de Seleme has imposed a travel ban on Santana and ordered an embargo of 3.5 million pesos against his assets. The legal proceedings aim to determine the full extent of his 2017 statements and their impact on the search for Maldonado.