This artificial collection of materials consists of documents that:
- relate to former Chilean president Augusto Pinochet
- are from the National Security Council (NSC), Latin America Country Files series (boxes 777-78) among the Nixon Presidential Materials
- are located in a NSC series that has not been reviewed and released to the public in its entirety
- met the search guidelines of the investigation
- have been subjected to a declassification review and released in accordance with the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act (PRMPA) and its implementing regulations [See Also: Federal Regulations]
About These Documents
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) released these documents in response to a National Security Council tasker, "Declassifying Documents Related to Human Rights Abuses in Chile," issued on February 1, 1999, on behalf of President William J. Clinton. This tasker requested cooperation from all national security agencies in undertaking "a compilation and review for release of all documents that shed light on human rights abuses, terrorism and other acts of political violence during and prior to the Pinochet era in Chile (1973-1990)."
The Pinochet Files are contained in one box that was previously classified within the National Security Council Files. The box contains copies of the President’s Daily Briefings, telegrams from the U.S. State Department, reports from U.S. Ambassador to Chile, Edward M. Korry, and briefings from the Central Intelligence Agency. These documents were included in a comprehensive release by NARA of all Pinochet-related documents in the Presidential libraries, in records of other U.S. Government agencies, and in legislative records.
The documents included in this collection were reviewed as part of the NSC's Chilean Human Rights Abuses Review.
Primary correspondents include President Nixon, Henry Kissinger, Edward Korry, U. Alexis Johnson, Nathaniel Davis, David Popper, and Kenneth Rush.
These documents illustrate the United States’ knowledge of the Chilean military coup d’état led by General Augusto Pinochet to overthrow President Salvador Allende’s Popular Unity government in 1973. They also reveal a line of communication between high-ranking U.S. government officials and Chilean military personnel loyal to General Pinochet.
Topics within each of the files consist of a variety of different subjects, including: the election of Salvador Allende to the presidency of Chile in 1970, efforts to prevent Allende from taking office through political means ("Track I") or by giving aid to a military coup ("Track II"), U.S. economic and business relations within Chile, and U.S. military assistance programs created for Chile. Also included in the files are a series of reports from the U.S. embassy in Santiago regarding different events during the September 1973 coup, such as human rights abuses toward political prisoners and the assault on Cuban civilians. Finally, the files further elaborate on the responses from around the world, such as the Soviet Union, Cuba, and Mexico, calling for immediate investigations of General Pinochet and his military junta in regards to the coup and the actions that led up to President Salvador Allende’s suicide.
Types of Documents
The records consist of correspondence, reports, memorandums, and cables.
Primary correspondents include President Nixon, Henry Kissinger, Edward Korry, U. Alexis Johnson, Nathaniel Davis, David Popper, and Kenneth Rush.
Topics include:
- the election of Salvador Allende to the presidency of Chile in 1970
- efforts to prevent Allende from taking office through political means ("Track I") or by a military coup ("Track II")
- U.S. economic and business relations with Chile
- U.S. military assistance program to Chile
- events surrounding the September 1973 coup that deposed Allende
- human rights abuses concerning political prisoners during Pinochet's reign
- Linear feet of materials: 0.4 linear feet, approximately 400 pages
How the Documents are Marked
In some instances, documents contain national security information which could not be declassified at this time.
- If an entire document has been withheld, a withdrawal notice has been inserted in the file in place of the document.
- If only a portion of the document remains classified, the deleted portion is marked Sanitized.
Other Documents about Pinochet and Chile
There is additional documentation relating to Pinochet and Chile among the Nixon Presidential Materials:
- White House Central Files: Subject File category "Country" (CO 33)
- White House Special Files: Subject File category "Country" (CO 33)
- National Security Council Files, Presidential Correspondence: contains one folder "CHILE Pres. Allende Corres" in box 751.
- National Security Council Files, Kissinger Office Files contains one folder "CHILE WRAP-UP AND POST-MORTEM March 1971 The President" in box 128.
- The following folders in the National Security Council Files, Institutional Files:
- NSSM 97 "Chile"
- NSSM 93 "Policy Towards Chile"
- NSDM 139 "Fishing Negotiations with Chile, Ecuador, and Peru re Response to NSDM 122"
- NSDM 147 "Fisheries Dispute with Ecuador, Peru, and Chile"
- NSC meeting - Chile 11/6/70
- Senior Review Group - Military Assistance to Israel - Chile (97) 8/19/70
- Senior Review Group - Chile (NSSM 97) 10/14/70
- Senior Review Group - Chile (NSSM 97) 10/17/70
- Senior Review Group - Chile (NSSM 97) 10/29/70
- Senior Review Group - Chile 11-19-70
- SRG Meeting - Chile 12-7-70
- SRG Meeting - Chile 12-23-70
- SRG Meeting - Chile 2/17/71
- SRG Meeting - Middle East/Chile 2/25/71
- SRG Meeting Chile 6/3/71
- SRG Meeting - Chile 9/9/71
- SRG Meeting Chile 4/11/72
- WSAG Meeting Chile 9-20-73
- WSAG Meeting Chile 9-14-73
- WSAG Meeting Chile 9-12-73
In addition, the State Department has made digital copies of the documents released under the Chile Declassification Project available in its electronic FOIA Reading Room.
A selection of documents are available as PDF files HERE.