Presidential pardon to María Magdalena Monteza Benavides

On June 6, 1998, the President of the Republic granted a pardon to María Magdalena Monteza Benavides through Supreme Resolution Nº105-98-JUS, on the recommendation of the Ad Hoc Commission created by Law 26655. The Commission established a reasonable presumption that María Magdalena Monteza Benavides was not linked to terrorist activities, elements or organizations and that there was evidence of physical and psychological mistreatment during her detention in military custody. Monteza was initially sentenced to twenty years imprisonment for the crime of terrorist collaboration in June 1993, a sentence that was modified to fifteen years in March 1994. During her detention in 1992, she was the victim of torture and rape by Army personnel, and became pregnant and gave birth in July 1993.