and shot, breaking the promise to respect their lives. Only four youths managed to escape death. The bodies were facially and bodily disfigured by deep wounds from sabers and bayonets. It remains unclear who ordered the shootings. Some attested that Arturo Alessandri Palma dispatched a presidential order to "Kill them all!" Alessandri wanted it to be believed that the Nazis had killed each other, but this allegation has been widely accepted as false. Nevertheless, the accusations against Alessandri are grounded in speculation rather than tangible evidence. It's said that Alessandri himself denied giving the order even on his death bed. See also Ariostazo Chilean political scandals History of Chile List of massacres in Chile Operation Bolivar World War II by country#Chile References External links TIME article on the political aftermath Conflicts in 1938 Massacres in 1938 Fascism in Chile Presidential Republic (1925–1973) Political scandals in Chile Massacres in Chile 1938 in Chile Nazis in South America Nazism Mass murder in 1938 Attempted coups in Chile September 1938 events 1930s coups d'état and coup attempts Political violence in Chile