UNREST AMONG THE ARMY AND POLICE IN CHILE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R002000530007-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 28, 2000
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: November 10, 1948
• Content Type: REPORT

CLASSIFICATION 3 z.F 2bX1A
Approved For
2
COUNTRY Chile
DATE DISTR. 10 '~ovc~ ber 1 948
SUBJECT Unrest lmonf the Army and a in Chile NO. OF PAGES
25X1 C
(1k LIBRARY
25X1X
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
25X1A
SUPPLEMENT
REPORT NO.
1. Thera were various unfounded r-rr1ors about rovol,ntionary activities in Chile
during mid-Augetst 1948. The police issue-1 an official statement branding as
false the rumor which irp'.i cated Senator ?Llfredo Duhalde in a conspiracy
--
against the Government. On 28 Au rust the Falange Nacional received a tale
gran, from San -,uis, :irgentina, inquiring whether the rumor that President
Gabriel Gonzalez Videla was no longer in power had any foundation. La
t1oneda and the Bureau of Investigations received anonymous telephone calls
on the same day :stating that the Iaturana Regiment and some units from the
Canton Province were marching on La t.oneda. Although the Bureau of Investi-
gations was mobilized, the report proved to be unfounded.
Activities of Jan a Lar in and he Part* o Aerario Labori-ta(PAL).
2. During the latter half of Aur^ast the PAL closed its annual convention with
severel meetings. Various retired military men were present at the meetings.
R non Vergara T:ontero, former mayor of Santiago and former Commander of the
Air Force, who is running for deputy in Santiago, was among them. Jaime
Larrain made a speech at one of the meetings which in reality was an appeal
to the 'irrsed Forces asking them to participate in politics. Alfonso uintana
Burgos, :"insister of the interior, who had been advised of a conspiracy to
remove him from office and replace him with Vice-'I`dniral Ilol ger, called this
conspiracy to the attention of Larrain, Carlos Ibanez del Campo, a PAL-member,
Julio von Mulenbrock Lira, General Secretary of the PAL, and the Party
headquarters. Five days later, however, 2uintana Burgos resigned from the
Cabinet and Larrain and his friends sent a declaration of loyalty to Ilolger,
in which they said that they now could have faith in the Government". This
public declaration made it evident that Larrain and his group had participated
in activities intended to provoke a disturbance within the Government, which
would cause the resi?nation of Burros and the recall of iolger.
I,cti~rio of Conraido I3os Gad ardo and Carlos Ibanez d?1 13,amo
3. Rios Gallardo continue,1 to consnire, hold meetings, and put out feelers among
25X1 A his friends in the military clique which was formerly close to Ibanez.
C e . These individuals have organize,' conspiracies against every
Government in Chile since August 1940, when they trial to overthrow Pedro
Aguirre Cerda.) Rios Gallarclo, Jorge Berpino Meneses, Ibanez, riosto Herrera,
Vergara, and others participated in those meetings. Miguel Serrano, writer
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25X1A
end author of La An rIda nc~ other to hs and articles entitled "Social
Christians and Free Masons", was also a member of the group. President
Gabriel Gonzalez Videla, who had met Sorrano on a trip to the Antarctic,
read one of the articles and congratulated the author on it. The con--
g;ra tulations affected Serrano so much that he withdrew from the co-spiracy
and informed the President about the plot. Gonzalez Videla, who was well
acquainted with the plotters, decided to take im-ediate action. He called
Rios Gallardo on the telephone and cautioned him against continuing his
activities. The President then ordered the iureau of Investigations to keep
a close watch on Rios Gallardo, Ibanez, Herrera, Vergara, and Larrain, asking
that an especially close watch be kept on Be 4eneses because of his 25X1 A
frequent trips to Buenos Aire, Argentina. r o Comment. This plot can
be considered abandoned, but it is interesting to note that Rios Gallardo
has participated in at least twenty plots during his lif etb o, none of which
has been successful.)
4. During a convention in October, Rios Gallardo stated that a great deal of
unrest existed within the ranks of the Army because so many have been
employed as servants and policemen. He added that they were also dissatisfied
with their role of controlling the Cotr_unists, since they felt that it was
not their job, but that of the police. The removal of General Jorge
Carcnona from the High Command had also provoked discontent, according to
Rios Galiardo.
Acs ies ofd I''.aldonda and the Police
5. The police lieutenants are discontented because a majority of their superior
officers do not retire. This is caused by the fact that the Government has
had to retain trusted individuals, who thus remain in positions which would
normally be filled by lower ranking officers. Retired General Eduardo
?aldonado, a member of the Liberal Party and alderman of the Municipality
of c rovidencia, was aware of the dissatisfaction. Maldonado is well thought
of by the police, who have little affection for General Reynaldo Espinosa,,
the present Director General of Police. Maldonado was named Ambassador to
Paraguay because the Government felt that he might cause troible. With his
departure, the police lost an able political advisor.
6. Rafael I4ontero, First Lieutenant and Sub-Comr?issar in the Third Commissariat
of Santiago, has stated that the lieutenants are asking for a raise in
salary or at least an increase in the number of higher ranking officers,
because at present the grades are frozen and salaries do not even cover the
cost of uniforms. He added that press support would assist in calling the
attention of the Government to their problems as well as to those of the
rilitary. Ile emphasized that while the police would not make any specific
requests of the press, they had reminded the lrinister of Interior of their
existence. !Tonfero claimed that the Government did not recognize their
problems, in spite of the fact that the police are always in danger and that
many have lost their lives. He also cited the fact that no provision was
made for the families of policemen who lost their lives on duty.
General Jo e. C r-:~ona axad~l r ~C cars
7, Retired General C?armona, former Chief of Staff who was retire-' because of
Us political activities, was also believed to be involved in a plot. 11"25X1 X
wields considerable influence among may officers and., according to the
25X1A Director of Servicio General Quosada Calvo, he has held many meetings at
the Club Iiilitar. ?C ern . Quesada Calve is
another individual who has s. great deal of influence among Arrq officers.
This is illustrated by the fact that, when he was only a lieutenant colonel,'
he was named President of the Club Militar.) General Carmona; s connection
G#R0E L
Approved For Release 2001/03/05: CIA-RDP82-00457R002000530007-8
 Approved For Release 2001/03/05: CIA-RDP82-00457R002000530007-8
O~~`?~~/~1 5X1 A
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s f. i,-L Id I'rI. ,IG:.... E AGAWO
rti?th the plot has not b eon proved. and the Governr.ient's susDic sta. is blow ed on
.7r ., -r'yltty which has, x steel between Horacio Arancibia Lazo end the
moral.
' - _ jr% "t?f en(iine as started f3arinf ? ar riea of inci fonts which euL t d es5 th the
c entian of Sonia t epan and Josef ina Ca-tro Hu1r_ obro, who were accu:.?d of
:.cog ~ cv ot arents while wor'cinr? for the General Staff.
.