Argentina offers 20 million pesos for Red Brigades fugitive who fled house arrest

Leonardo Bertulazzi, 74, escaped house arrest in Argentina on Tuesday, prompting authorities to launch a nationwide search and offer a reward of 20 million pesos, approximately $13,000, for information leading to his capture.

Police officials confirmed to the Associated Press that the former member of Italy’s far-left Red Brigades remained at large as of Wednesday. The escape involved a harness and rope used to descend from a fifth-floor apartment to a second-floor terrace of a neighboring house. From there, Bertulazzi climbed to a first-floor terrace, crossed a vacant lot, and climbed over a gate to reach the street.

The fugitive avoided immediate detection by tampering with his electronic ankle monitor. Explosives specialists examined the device and found it contained a thermal blanket to maintain temperature. Grease or animal fat was also placed inside the monitor, likely to keep moisture in and preserve the electronics. The setup was designed to resemble an explosive device, which delayed the discovery of the missing prisoner.

Bertulazzi faces extradition to Italy to serve a combined sentence of 27 years. He was convicted in absentia for his role in the 1978 kidnapping and death of former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro. Argentine court records indicate he belonged to the Red Brigades’ Genoa branch and handled logistics for the kidnapping.

His legal status in Argentina has been a point of contention for years. He was first arrested in Buenos Aires in November 2002, but an Argentine judge rejected Italy’s initial extradition request in 2003. The court cited that Italian law did not guarantee him a new trial after an absentia conviction. He was granted refugee status in 2004.

The situation changed in 2024 when right-wing President Javier Milei revoked that status. Bertulazzi was re-arrested in August of that year, and Argentina’s Supreme Court approved his extradition in 2025. The recent escape interrupts the final stages of this long-standing legal process.

Wanda Ferro, an undersecretary in Italy’s Interior Ministry, told local television that Argentine police are responsible for ensuring Bertulazzi is handed over. She expressed certainty that every effort would be made to recapture him and hoped the extradition could take place very quickly if he is found.