HUMAN RIGHTS REVIEW: THE FIRST SIX

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88G01117R001104730002-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 24, 2011
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: July 26, 1986
• Content Type: CABLE

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CONFIDENTIAL
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86 1636437 SCO
PAGE 001
TOR: 260026Z JUL 86
NC 1636437
SANTIA 04882
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ZNY CCCCC ZOC STATE ZZM
UTS8542
00 RUEHC
DE RUEHSG 44882/O1 2060000
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
0 252354Z JUL 86
FM AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO
TO SECSTATE OASHDC IMMEDIATE 7150
8T
C 0 N F I D E N T I A L SANTIAGO 04882
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PHUM,PREL.,KPRP,CI
SUBJ: HUMAN RIGHTS REVIEi: THE FIRST SIX
MONTHS OF 1986
1. ENTIRE TEXT CONFIDENTIAL
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2. THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN CHILE DURING THE
FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 1986 OAS VERY MIXED. FOLLOWING
A BRIEF RESPITE DURING THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE
YEAR, AS BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE OPPOSITION
TOOK THEIR SUMMER BREAKS, THE P
OLATIONS WHICH
6
MONTHS OF 1985 WAS REAMED. NT E SECON12-j.UAR R OF
1986 SHOWED INCREASES IN THE NUMBER OF DETENTIONS,
S 0 ORTURE OR MISTREATM , A NUMBER OF
OTHER VIOLATIONS OF 9ASIC CIVIC RIGHTS, ACCORDING
-To--p ROVI .AL. FIGURES AVAILABLE FROM THE VICARIATE
OF SOLIDARITY, THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 3x300 PEOPLE
DETAINED BY SECURITY FORCES FOR PARTICIPATING IN
POLITICALLY MOTIVATED DEMONSTRATIONS DURING THE
FIRST 6 MONTHS, 4ITH APPROXIMATELY 2,700 OF THESE
CONFIDENTIAL
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STATE
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OCCURRING IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF THE YEAR. BY
COMPARISON DURING THE LAST SIX MONTHS OF 1985, THE
BEST PERIOD OF COMPARISON SINCE THE STATE OF SIEGE
WAS IN EFFECT FOR THE FIRST HALF OF 1985,
A TOTAL OF 3,920 WERE DETAINED FOR SIMILAR REASONS.
3. CHARGES OF TORTURE CONTINUE TO BE MADE BEFORE
THE COURTS, WITH AT LEAST 14 SUCH CASES BEING REPORTED
AS OF THE END OF MAY IN SANTIAGO ALONE, OTHER CASES
HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTRY,
BUT FIRM EVIDENCE ON THESE CASES HAS NOT AS YET
BEEN RECEIVED BY THE VICARIATE OF SOLIDARITY,
IN ADDITION,;ALJEAST_22 PEOP1 1AVE BEEN KNOWN
TO HAVE DIED AS THE RESUTpF VIO N _ASS_Q. A-TAD
WITH POI.ITICA JNTi?ST. THIS INCLUDES THE B PEOPLE
JK DFTM-UURTN'G---T-RE JULY 2-3 GENERAL STRIKE, AS
WELL AS THE MEMBERS OF THE SECURITY FORCES MHO HAVE
BEEN ASSASSINATED DURING THE FIRST 6 MONTHS.
C 0 N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 05 SANTIAGO 04882
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PHUM,PREL',KPRP,CI
SUBJ: HUMAN RIGHTS REVIEW: THE FIRST SIX
4....DNE_OF THE MORE DISTURBING FEATURES OF THE HUMAN
RIGHTS ARENAHAS BEE' --TNT RETURN OF`_'T EU-SE- OF- MASSIVE
SW-EEPS--OF POOR NEIGHBORHOODS By SECURITY FORCES.
BEGIN N L RIL,, THE GOC HAS CONDk1CTED
AT LEAST 12 SUCH SWEEPS AFFECTING 36 DIFFERENT
NE ...,HODS. THE USUAL MANNER IS FOR THESE SWEEPS
TO BEGIN IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS WITH THE
MILITARY SURROUNDING THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH TANKS,
ARMOURED CARS, AND ARMED SOLDIERS DRESSED IN BATTLE
GEAR AND WITH THEIR FACES COVERED WITH CAMOUFLAGE
PAINT. ON OCCASIONS THE ELECTRICITY AND TELEPHONE
SERVICE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS CUT OFF.
DURING THESE SWEEPS ALL MALES BETWEEN THE AGES OF
16 (SOMETIMES 14) AND 60 ARE TAKEN TO A NEARBY OPEN
SPACE, OFTEN A FOOTBALL FIELD, WHERE THEY ARE
DETAINED UNTIL THEIR IDENTITIES HAVE BEEN CHECKED,
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AND THEY ARE CLEARED OF ANY PENDING CHARGES BY THE
POLICE OR OTHER SECURITY FORCES.- THESE 12 SWEEPS_____
RESULTED IN SOME 129,000 PEOPLE BEING TEMPORARILY
AFFECTED, EITHER BY BEING 3UESTIONED ABOUT THEIR
IDENTIFY OR BY HAVING THEIR HOUSES SEARCHED.
WHILE REPORTS VARY, MANY OF THOSE AFFECTED HAVE
CHARGED THAT THE MANNER IN WHICH THE SWEEPS ARE
CARRIED OUT HAVE BEEN DEHUMANIZING AND HARSH.
ACCORDING TO FIGURES GATHERED BY HUMAN RIGHTS
GROUPS, OF THE 129,000 AFFECTED, 22,393 MERE
DETAINED FOR QUESTIONING, 1,733 WERE HELD FOR
FURTHER QUESTIONING, AN.O__e NER-E_U Y
ARRESTED FOR VARI- ARGES. (THE VICARIATE
OF SOLIDARITY, HOWEVER, PUTS THE NUMBER OF ARRESTED
AT 7. WE HAVE NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THEIR
FIGURE ON THIS DIFFERS FROM THAT OF THE CHILEAN
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION.)
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5. _THE GOC JUSTIFIES THESE S f~P~_AS.__~lECE9SAR-X.--TO
SEARCH FOR TR QRI$I.~__AhD--T4EIR ARCS CAC*ES- WHICH
ARE GENERALLY JIDDEN N H :OUTS IRI _.-_OFTHE CITY.
:HPFE BEEN PRESS REPORTS OF SEVERAL.. SUCk!_
ARMS CACHES BEING DISCOVERED DURING THE_SE__31E.EPS.
THE GOC ALSO NOTES THAT THE SWEEPS ARE CARRIED
OUT IN A MANNER WHICH REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF
BOTHER TO THE INNOCENT. IT ALSO CLAIMS THAT MANY
OF THE SWEEPS ARE THE RESULT OF PLEAS BY NEIGHBORHOOD
LEADERS CALLING FOR STRONG GOC ACTION TO STAMP OUT
DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS. _MUMA-N-_.-
RIGHTS GROUPS CHARGE THAT THE SNEERS _AREDISCRIMINATORYr
lx~7'F T:TREY ___ _ - OUR.-.AR AS OF THE
CITY. THEY FURTHER CHARGE THAT THE SECURITY
FORCES_US U NECC33Ai~Y=VIQJJN.C .IN _DETAINING THE
MALES IN--fiREA, AN_0 IN .5EARCH.I&t& THE HOMES.
OFTEN--TRES-E-F CES' ARE CHARGED WITH STEALING THE
FE - OSSESSTIIN3 -UV'1ED__8Y_THESE POOR PEOPLE, A
CRA GE WHICH THE GDVERNMENT STRONGLY -DENIES AS
C 0 N F I D E ti T I A L SECTION 03 OF 05 SANTIAGO 04882
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PHUM,PREL,KPRP,CI
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SUBJ: HUMAN RIGHTS REVIEW: THE FIRST SIX
COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA. FINALLY, THE HUMAN RIG-HIS
GBQUPS CHARGE THAT THE :INTENT OF THE SWEEPS
THE GO
ND I
FEw. ARREM_-To -a-UP .ORT.._.IIS CLAIM THAT THE SWEEPS
ARE AIMED AT TERRORISTS.
ANOTHER NOTABLE FEATURE OF L0-*WA4*4- -RIGHTS
ARENA SINCE MARCH HAS BEEN THEAPPEARA 4,Lr -OF
ARMY PERSONNEL IN BATTLEGEAR AND PAINTE-D-FACES
T. PAR TIONS. THE
EPITOMY OF THIS WAS THE DEMONSTRATION CARRIED OUT
BY THE ARMY ON MAY 20, WHEN THEY CUT OFF ALL
ACCESS INTO AND OUT OF THE CENTRAL PART OF SANTIAGO
AS PART OF AN EFFORT TO CONTROL THE POSSIBILITY OF
VIOLENT INCIDENTS ASSOCIATED WITH AN INTERNATIONAL
MEETING OF PARLIAMENTARIANS. -----
PERSONNEL, WHO ARE REPORTEDLY UNTRAINED IN_ HANDLING
M CIVILIANSr_HAS__~ -3- __
W EAp CRITICISM OF THE MILITARY. .AxD_._.HA3__LED
TO THE CHARGE THAT THE ARMY APPEARS TO_-8_E AT WAR
T11 TRUR~BT-0T-THE-_~NATI0V. A NU48ER OF DEATHS
- - c.--p .GENT SY-$1-ANDERS, HAVE
BEEN BLAMED.--.O L_THES_E-_I-R0OPS..
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7. ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, THE GOVERNMENT DID ANNOUNCE
EARLIER IN THE YEAR THAT IT WAS ALLOWING THE OPPOSITION
TO BEGIN PRINTING ITS OWN DAILY NEWSPAPER ON MARCH 11,
1987, THE GOVERNMENT ALSO RELAXED THE BAN ON THE
REPORTING OF NEWS CONCERNING THE ACTIVITIES OF
POLITICAL PARTIES, WHICH WAS A RECOGNITION OF THE
FACT THAT THE MEDIA HAD BEEN REPORTING THESE EVENTS
ANYWAY. THE GOVERNMENT ALSO ESTABLISHED A HUMAN
RIGHTS COMMISSION TO ADVISE THE MINISTER OF INTERIOR AND
TO INVESTIGATE INCIDENTS INVOLVING TORTURE, ILLEGAL
ARRESTS AND TERRORIST ACTIONS. AE VIEW THIS A _
POSITIVE STEP IN RECOGNIZING THAT THERE ARE
PROBLEMS IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS AREA, BUT WILL RESERVE
CONFIDENTIAL
0, FEAR IN THE
IN THESE POOR AREAS, NOTING THAT
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ANY FINAL JUDGEMENT ON __THE EFFICACY JF THIS
C I A L SECTION 04 OF 05 SANTIAGO 04882
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PHUM,PREL,KPRP,CI
SUBJ: HUMAN RIGHTS REVIEW: THE FIRST SIX
COMMISSION UNTIL IT HAS HAD TIME TO FUNCTION, FINALLY,
CHILE HAS BEEN VERY OPEN TO VISITS BY A WIDE VARIETY
OF HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS, 4HO HAVE ALL HAD READY
ACCESS TO THE PRISONS, TO LOCAL HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS,
AND TO ALL OF THOSE 4HO MAY HAVE COMPLAINTS IN THIS
AREA. THE IMPRESSION GIVEN IS THAT CHILE IS NOT
A CLOSED SOCIETY TRYING TO HIDE SOMETHING, BUT
IS RELATIVELY OPEN IN ALLONING OUTSIDERS TO PROBE
BENEATH THE SURFACE TO ESTABLISH EXACTLY WHAT IS
HAPPENING IN THE COUNTRY.
8, -WHILE THIS REVIEW WAS TO HAVE CflYE. LD- OAtLY THE
FIRJT SIX MONTHS OF 1986, THE __.VIT JULY HAVE
IN MANY WAYS OVERSHADO EO___T tL E_VENT.S Off' THESE SIX
_THE GENERAL STRIKE OF JULY 2 AND 3, AND
THE RESULANT DEATHS OF 8 PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE
THE HUMAN RIGHTS SCENE, THE SCRIMMAGES WHICH TOOK
(#)
BEEN LOST IN THE EMOTIONAL UPROAR CREATED IN THE
AFTERMATH OF THE GENERAL STRIKE. THE DETENTION
OF THE 16 LEADERS OF THE NATIONAL CIVIC ASSEMBLY
ON CHARGES THAT THEY MAY HAVE VIOLATED THE STATE
SECURITY LAW, AND THE REFUSAL OF THE COURTS TO
RELEASE THEM ON BAILi THE DETENTION OF THREE
DOCTORS AND A VICARIATE OF SOLIDARITY LAWYER FOR
HAVING AIDED A WOUNDED MAN WHO WAS REPORTEDLY
INVOLVED IN A TERRORIST ACTION WHICH KILLED A
CARABINERO; HAS BEEN CONTRASTED NEGATIVELY WITH THE LENI-
ENT TREATMENT OF THE MILITARY PERSONNEL WHO WERE
APPARENTLY INVOLVED IN THE BURNING DEATH OF A
LONG-TIME U,S. RESIDENT ON JULY 2. THE PRESENT
MOOD IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMUNITY IS VERY DEPRESSED,
WITH A GROWING FEEDING OF HOPELESSNESS DUE TO THE
FAILURE (AS THEY SEE IT) OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM
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TO SHO" SOME DEGREE OF IMPARTIALITY IN ALL OF THESE
CASES. THERE IS A GENERAL ACCEPTANCE OF THE VIEW
THAT THE GAINS MADE IN LATE 1985 IN THE JUDICIAL
AREA, SUCH AS THE INVESTIGATIONS BEING CARRIED
OUT BY JUDGES CANOVAS AND CERDA, HAVE ALL BEEN
DESTROYED BY MORE RECENT RULING OF THE SUPREME
COURT AND BY JUDGE ECHAVARRIA'S DECISION ON THE
BURN CASE, AS JESUIT PRIEST RENATD HEVIA HAS
DESCRIBED IT, THERE IS INCREASING FRUSTRATION BEING
VOICED BECAUSE THE OPPOSITION NOW FEELS THAT THE
POSSIBILITY OF USING THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM TO HELP
BRING ABOUT A PEACEFUL CHANGE IN THE GOVERNMENT
APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN DASHED.
90 SHE GOC'S RESPONSE TO THE VO} RjPORT_.DOES
LITTLE T AN POSSIBILITY _QE__C-p1AYGE__IN
DE TOWARDS-HUM-AN RIGMTS,v._-__T_HE
,THE GOCIS RESPONSE BASICALLY A LENGTHY, TDOCUME.NTED
15EFENSE OF HE GOC'S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD, ,eLFL_CN_-_-
V LY FRO H SLAW TO SHOW THAT HUMAN
RICH VIOLALS S ARF_ AQ ALLOw D_TO TAKE PLACE IN_
C^ 0 N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 03~01~ _05 S~CN TACO 04982
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PHUM,PREL,KPRP,CI
SUBJ: HUMAN RIGHTS REVIEWS THE FIRST SIX
CHILE- THE ENTIRE 4-8 -S-A-JD-4$-41-
ERRONEOUS SINCE IT IS BEING-DIRECTED BY-I-RIERNATIONAL
MMUN SM N AN EFFORT TO SLBVERT tHE_c4ILEAN
GOVERNMENT. TFRRO~I$M.__.D C4 O- I*~fR' T`I~?NAL
QOmMUNISM IS THE CAUSE _EOR ALL... QF'-_TH.E: HUMAN RIGHTS
PROBLEMS IN CHILE, BUT THE IATERM&tLONAL COMMUNITY
-~fTSCA~~V SHE C01MUN~SY;1-__T4 MAKE THE
CiuI AT-THE VILLAIN, HEN IN FACT IT IS THE
ttC1` 4 - THIS D!TATLED~ REITERATION OF THE GOC'S
POSITION 0 AWKEAKS TO A .-THAT
HARD LINERS WITHIN THE GOC CONTINUE TO BELIEVE
fiH T --- ~~: ~--
IF FOREIGNERS MOULD CEASE SUPPORTING THIS COMMUNIST
PLOT AGAINST CHILE,
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10..,AT THIS -P~LNI~_ .-L1KEL1_40 _HAT
THE GOC WILL_CHAN
IT APPEARS T
OF A PLOT, AND THAT IT MUST STAND FIRM AGAINST
-ftefi: THE EVENTS SURROUNDING THE DEATH OF THE BURN
VICTIM, AND THE FUNERAL, HAVE OBVIOUSLY HARDENED
THE ATTITUDES OF THOSE WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT WHO
ACCEPT THIS VIEW OF THE SITUATION, AND IT WILL BE
INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO OVERCOME THIS PERCEPTION
OF THE WORLD. THUS, WE ARE INCLINED SHAT
HE REMAINDER O 1 HOW LIT-T.Lt_IMPROVEMENT
N THE HUNAN RIGHTS ARENA. IF THE OPPOSITION
FOLLOW 1H-E JAL PATTER11 OF THE PAST FEN YEARS,
THERE WILL BE A SERIES _OF ANTI-GOVERNMENT
R-RDNSTW TI_ON3 IN SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER.
THTS--wTL-C-UNDOUBTEDLY__I,EAD TO FURTHER ATTEMPTS BY
THE GOVERNMENT TO REPRESS THESE TYPES OF UNAUTHORIZED
ACTIVITIES, -ANQ_.I~IERE--MILL -40ST L-IKELY BE MORE
DEATHS AND_LNTJRIES._TO REPORT. BARNES
END OF MESSAGE
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