Former Red Brigades Member Escapes House Arrest in Buenos Aires

Argentine authorities have launched a nationwide manhunt for former Red Brigades member Leonardo Bertulazzi, who escaped house arrest in central Buenos Aires while awaiting extradition to Italy. The 74-year-old Italian national descended from his fifth-floor apartment balcony using a harness after overriding the alarm mechanism on his tracking device, officials confirmed.

The Argentine Ministry of Security initiated a search after personnel noticed that Bertulazzi's electronic ankle monitor had remained stationary for an extended period. Security forces entering the building found the apartment empty and the tracking device abandoned. Officials noted that the monitor had been tampered with to continue transmitting constant body temperature data, delaying detection of its removal. Explosives specialists were summoned to inspect the discarded device before confirming it posed no physical threat, according to the Argentine newspaper Clarín.

The escape occurred as Italian media reported that Bertulazzi's extradition to Rome was imminent, following the rejection of his final legal appeal. He was first apprehended in Argentina in 2002 while attempting to cross the border from Chile with a fraudulent passport. Although granted refugee status in 2004, his legal standing was revoked and he was re-arrested in 2024 under the administration of President Javier Milei. At the time of his 2024 arrest, the Argentine government stated that Bertulazzi is responsible for crimes that undermined democratic values and the lives of many victims.

Bertulazzi spent decades as a fugitive after being convicted in absentia by an Italian court for his involvement in the 1977 kidnapping of naval engineer Pietro Costa in Genoa. Costa was detained by the far-left militant group for 81 days before being released upon payment of a ransom. Proceeds from that abduction were used by the Red Brigades to purchase a safehouse in Rome, which was subsequently utilized in 1978 for the kidnapping and murder of former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro. Argentine law enforcement agencies continue search operations across the country.

Written by Martina Kirchner martina.kirchner@alpineweekly.com