Italian communist terrorist is arrested at Bolivian border following 37 years on the run after Brazil’s new ‘Tropical Trump’ president vowed to extradite him for murder convictions upon taking over from leftist regime that harboured killer
- Italian Cesare Battisti, 64, was arrested in Santa Cruz de La Sierra in Bolivia
- Battisti escaped from an Italian prison in 1981 while awaiting trial for murder
- Italian officials said that Battisti should serve a full term of his life sentence
A left-wing Italian guerrilla who was convicted of murder in his home country nearly three decades ago has been arrested.
Cesare Battisti escaped from an Italian prison in 1981 while awaiting trial on four counts of murder allegedly committed when he was a member of the Armed Proletarians for Communism.
But Battisti’s time on the run was over on Sunday when he was arrested in in Santa Cruz de La Sierra in Bolivia – after new Brazilian president Bolsonaro vowed he would face justice.
Battisti is pictured on plnae chartered by Italian government shortly before he took off from Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia
In video footage released by the Italian Police, Battisti walks in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
Hours later he was handed over to Italian custody and he left on a plane carrying him back to Italy to serve a life sentence.
He was captured by Bolivian and Italian officers, Italian police said.
Italian officials said on Sunday that Battisti will serve a full term of his life sentence.
Italian police released a video of Battisti that they said was taken hours before his capture.
It the footage he is seen casually walking down a street in jeans, a blue T-shirt and sunglasses.
Police also released an image showing Battisti’s mug shot under the seal of the Bolivian police.
‘Cesare Battisti’s long flight is over,’ justice minister Alfonso Buonafede declared, adding that he would be taken to Rome’s Rebibbia prison as soon as he landed in Italy.’
Battisti’ was located by intelligence agents after using one of his mobile phones.
Battisti, 64, had lived openly in Brazil for years – and enjoyed the protection of left-wing governments on both sides of the Atlantic.
This photo released by police showing 20 different Cesare Battisti photo-snaps
But Brazil’s outgoing president, Michel Temer signed a decree last month ordering his extradition, apparently sparking Battisti’s latest effort to flee.
He was convicted in his absence in 1990 and faces a life term for the deaths of two police officers, a jeweler and a butcher.
He acknowledged membership in the group but denied killing anyone and has painted himself as a political refugee.
After initially fleeing to Mexico, he then went to France, where he joined dozens of left-wing Italian militants who enjoyed official protection from the French government.
Like Battisti, they fled Italy during that nation’s ‘years of lead,’ a bloody and turbulent era during the 1970s and 1980s when militants on the left and right carried out bombings, assassinations and other violent acts to try to bring down the Italian government.
After the political situation changed in France, Battisti fled to Brazil in 2004 to avoid being extradited.
He was arrested in Rio de Janeiro in 2007, prompting the Italian government to request that he be handed over.
But then Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva granted him asylum in 2010.
Italian police released an image showing Battisti’s mug shot under the seal of the Bolivian police
Battisti was eventually released from jail but was arrested again in 2017 after he was caught trying to cross the Brazil-Bolivia border carrying the equivalent of about $7,500 in undeclared cash.
Despite his arrest he was released after a few days.
As a result of that incident, Brazilian supreme federal tribunal justice Luiz Fux said in December that Interpol had issued a request for Battisti’s arrest on tax evasion and money laundering charges.
This lead to issue Fux issuing an arrest warrant and outgoing Brazilian President Michel Temer signing a decree ordering the fugitive’s extradition.
Brazil’s new right-wing president, Jair Bolsonaro, hailed Battisti’s arrest and denounced da Silva’s government for having granted the Italian asylum.
‘Finally, there will be justice for the Italian assassin and partner of ideas of one of the most corrupt governments to ever exist,’ Bolsonaro tweeted in a reference to da Silva’s Workers’ Party.
Bolivia’s public defender, David Tezanos, said Battisti formally requested asylum in Bolivia on Dec. 21, but he had not received a response from the leftist government of President Evo Morales.
Tezanos said Battisti’s rights were being violated with his hasty expulsion.
Pictured, the plane carrying Italian militant Cesare Battisti, wanted in Rome for four murders attributed to a far-left group in the 1970
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Brazil’s foreign and justice ministries said in a joint statement that Battisti ‘will leave Bolivia direct to Italy to serve his life sentence.’
Under Brazilian law people extradited to serve life sentences must normallyhave their sentences capped at 30 years.
Bu this was rejected by Italian officials on Sunday, who insisted that Battisti serves his full term.
Italian interior minister Matteo Salvini praised Bolivian police and Brazil’s new government for following through on the fugitive’s case.
He called Battisti a ‘delinquent who doesn’t deserve to live comfortably on the beach but rather to finish his days in prison’.
Italian president Sergio Mattarella said Battisti should be returned to Italy to ‘serve his sentence for the grave crimes that stained Italy and ‘let the same be said for all fugitives abroad’.
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