2023-09-09 12:16:58
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 once morest the Twin Towers are rightly considered an event of global significance, the images of which have traveled the world many times. Conversely, the collective memory has somewhat forgotten that 25 years earlier, on September 21, 1976, Washington, the federal capital of the United States, was the scene of a terrorist attack sponsored from abroad, targeting Orlando Letelier, a former minister of Chilean President Salvador Allende.
The three texts proposed on this subject are all very contemporary with the attack since they date from September 1976, thus making it possible to shed light on the facts and the underlying story of this tragedy.
The facts: a bomb placed under the car of Orlando Letelier, while he was going to work on the morning of September 21, 1976, caused the death of Allende’s former minister as well as his collaborator, the American citizen Ronni Moffitt, on a major avenue in Washington. The attack is not claimed, but the newspaper ” The country “ (doc.1) is not mistaken in mentioning an attack organized by Pinochet’s political police, the DINA. The investigation would later prove that the attack was personally approved by General Pinochet. We salute in passing the balancing act of the Chilean ambassador to the United States firmly condemning terrorism and calling for the opening of a judicial investigation… (Doc.2) The underside of the affair: the attack once morest Letelier, bears the trademark – the car bomb – of that organized by the DINA in Buenos Aires, in September 1974, once morest General Prats, former commander in chief of the Chilean army. In both cases, the victims were, at one point, General Pinochet’s superiors. But it would be simplistic to see in these assassinations a form of personal vindictiveness by the dictator once morest people who are undoubtedly more brilliant than him. The extract from the decree depriving Orlando Letelier of Chilean nationality (doc.3) gives us the key to this assassination. Orlando Letelier had been under Allende and one of the president’s main collaborators: Minister of the Interior, Minister of Defense and above all Ambassador of Chile to the United States. A young man of 44, an experienced politician having established multiple contacts abroad, Orlando Letelier was undoubtedly the one who might have united, from abroad, opposition to the dictatorship. For General Pinochet, whose ambition was to remain in power, it was urgent to eliminate such a danger…
Former Chilean minister assassinated in Washington
A new opponent of General Pinochet, the former Chilean Minister of Defense and Foreign Affairs Orlando Letelier, was assassinated yesterday in Washington. The automobile in which the former Allende minister was traveling with two friends was destroyed by an explosive device, probably activated by radio. Letelier and one of his companions were killed instantly.
Letelier – who had run a political studies center in Washington since his release following a year in prison by the military junta that overthrew Allende – had received death threats and was recently deprived of his Chilean nationality due to of his political activity, opposed to General Pinochet. He then declared: “I was born Chilean and I will die Chilean. They were born fascists and they will die fascists. »
The brutal assassination shocked North American political circles. In Congress, a senator from South Dakota said that “Chilean tyranny is reaching the United States.” The House of Representatives condemned the attack and called for a federal investigation into the incident.
Among Chileans in exile in North America, the assassination is attributed to the DINA, Pinochet’s political police, which is said to have agents in the Chilean embassy in Washington, and to which the journalistic media have always attributed the assassination of General Prats, in Buenos Aires, in September 1974, and the attack which almost cost the life of the Christian Democratic politician Bernardo Leighton, in Rome, in October last year.
Journal The countrySeptember 22, 1976, page 1
Statement from the Chilean Ambassador to the United States following the attack once morest Orlando Letelier
My government strongly denounces the scandalous act of terrorism that cost the life of a former Chilean ambassador to the United States and one of his collaborators.
This deplorable fact only highlights the need to combat terrorism in each of its aspects because it reveals the extent to which hostile elements will go to achieve their unspeakable objectives.
On behalf of my government, I urge that a full and rigorous investigation be launched so that all the elements and circumstances relating to this brutal act are sought and the culprits prosecuted.
Terrorism and violence must stop before they claim more innocent lives.
Manuel Trucco Gaete, Chilean ambassador to Washington, September 21, 1976
Excerpts from the decree of the Government of Chile depriving Orlando Letelier of Chilean nationality
Considering:
1 […]
2 – That the Ministry of Foreign Relations has brought to the attention of the Supreme Government that Orlando Letelier Del Solar, who in the past administration held the positions of Minister of State for the portfolios of Foreign Relations and National Defense, leads an campaign abroad aimed at achieving the political, economic and cultural isolation of Chile.
3.- That, in the concrete case of his actions in the Netherlands, he incited the port workers and transporters of that country to declare a boycott of goods to or from Chile and incited the Dutch government to hinder or prevent the investment of Dutch capital in Chile.
4.- That the behavior described above constitutes a serious attack on the essential interests of the Chilean State insofar as it is intended to paralyze the development of national economic activities, causing shortage for the entire population, with serious and painful and serious consequences that are easy to predict.
5 – […]
Vu :
Antecedents which irrefutably demonstrate that the above-mentioned individual has seriously undermined the essential interests of the State from abroad […]
I decree:
deprive Orlando Letelier Del Solar of Chilean nationality for the reasons referred to in Article 6 No. 4 of the Political Constitution of the State.
Augusto Pinochet Ugarte
army general
President of the Republic
Decree promulgated on September 10, 1976
Orlando Letelier, photographed in 1976 by Marcelo Montecino (Museum of Memory and Human Rights, Santiago, Chile) Original version in Spanish
Document 1: Former Chilean Minister Orlando Letelier assassinated in Washington
A new opponent of General Pinochet, former Chilean Minister of Defense and Foreign Affairs Orlando Letelier, was assassinated yesterday in Washington. The car in which he was traveling with two friends, Allende’s former minister, was destroyed by an explosive device, probably activated by radio. Letelier and one of his companions died instantly.
Letelier – who had run a political studies center in Washington since he was released following a year in prison by the Military Junta that overthrew Allende – had received death threats and had recently been deprived of Chilean nationality because of of his political activity, contrary to General Pinochet. He then declared: “I was born Chilean and I will die Chilean. “They were born fascists and they will die fascists.”
The brutal murder has shocked North American political circles. In Congress, a senator from South Dakota stated that “Chilean tyranny is coming to the United States. The House of Representatives has condemned the attack and has requested a federal investigation into the events.
Among the Chileans exiled in North America, the murder is attributed to the DINA, Pinochet’s political police, which would have agents in the Chilean embassy in Washington, to which the murder of General Prats in Buenos Aires was always attributed in the media. September 1974, and the attack that almost cost the life of the Christian Democrat politician Bernardo Leighton, in Rome, in October of last year.
EL País, October 22, 1976, P.1
Document 2: statement by the Chilean ambassador to the United States following the attack once morest Orlando Letelier
“My government categorically repudiates the outrageous act of terrorism that has cost the lives of a former Chilean Ambassador to the United States and one of his collaborators.
The deplorable fact only emphasizes the need to combat terrorism in each of its aspects because it is indicative of the extent to which hostile elements will go to obtain their unspeakable objectives.
On behalf of my government I urgently request that a full and rigorous investigation be initiated so that all facets and circumstances pertinent to this brutal act are investigated and the culprits prosecuted.
Terrorism and violence must be stopped before there are more innocent victims.
Manuel Trucco Gaete, Ambassador of Chile, Washington, September 21, 1976
Document 3: extracts from the decree of the Chilean government withdrawing Chilean nationality from Orlando Letelier
Considering:
1 […]
2 – That the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has informed the Supreme Government that Orlando Letelier Del Solar, who during the last administration held the positions of Minister of State in the Portfolios of Foreign Relations and National Defense, is carrying out a campaign abroad aimed at achieving the political, economic and cultural isolation of Chile.
3.- That in the specific case of its actions in Holland, it has incited port workers and transporters of that country to declare a boycott on merchandise destined for or originating from Chile and has induced its Government to hinder or prevent investment of Dutch capital in Chile.
4.- That the conduct described above constitutes a serious attack once morest the essential interests of the Chilean State since it has had and is intended to paralyze the development of national economic activities, causing the consequent shortage of supplies for the entire population, with the painful and serious consequences that are easy to foresee.
5 – […]
View :
The background that irrefutably demonstrates that the aforementioned individual has seriously attacked the essential interests of the State from abroad. […]
Decree:
Orlando Letelier Del Solar is deprived of Chilean nationality for having occurred in the cause contemplated in Article 6 No. 4 of the Political Constitution of the State.
Augusto Pinochet Ugarte
army general
Republic President
Translation proposed by Gilles Legroux
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