His name was Jose Ignacio Lopez de Arriortua, and in 1992 he defected to Volkswagen, with rumors swirling that he had stolen GM secrets.

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The convictions of Jose Manuel Garcia Yeres and Hector Palomino Lopez fell far short of what prosecutors were seeking, reports the BBC's Gideon Long in Chile.

BBC: Two jailed for 1973 Anglo-Chilean priest disappearance

CNN's Mariano Castillo in Atlanta, Rey Rodriguez in Mexico City, Jose Manuel Rodriguez in Buenos Aires and Juan Carlos Lopez in Washington contributed to this report.

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