COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN COQUIMBO

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R004200320008-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 30, 2001
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: February 1, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION iJ
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Approve NTRALe Te LLOG WM 6: E AGENCY REPORT No .=
INFORMATI
COUNTRY Chile
M REPORT
UONFIDENTIAt I DATE DISTRZ, FEB 5C3
SUBJECT Cotimunist Activities in Coquimbo NO. OF PAGES 2
PLACE
:ACQUIRED
DATE OF
INFO.
NO. OF ENCL. .
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
1. There are reportedly approximately five thousand Communists in the Province of
Coquimbo in the north of Chile, whose center of activity is La Serena, the
native city of President Gabriel Gonzalez Videla. Some 1500 Party members
are said to work in the Juan Soldado Cement Plant in La Serena?
2. The four police officers assigned to this region to check on Cofnunist
activities allegedly are encountering serious difficulties. Although the
majority of the formerly well-known Communist leaders of this province have
been arrested and relegated, a new set of leaders has replaced theme The
new directors hide their affiliations by being ostensibly members of the left-
wing Socialist or other legal political parties. For example, Armando Tapia,
the head of Corm unist propaganda activities in La Serena, was recently arrested
and found to be in possession of quantities of Communist propaganda material.
However, he was released when he showed documents indicating that he was a
member of the Popular (left-wing) Socialist Party.
3. In the Province of Coquimbo there is no branch of the Chilean Pro-Peace move-
ment or of the Comite de Solidaridad y de llefensa do las Libertades Fublicas
(CSDLP). However, the Communists under arrest and the families of those rele-
gated are given aid by Father 'Tanuol Cortes, the parish priest of La Serena,
and by local leaders of the Popular Socialist, Falangge, and other political
parties opposing the government.
4. The newspaper L " nagg, the successor of the Communist E Si.g o de CogRi i o,
was published in La Serena until it was closed by the authorities in late 1949.
The printing equipment, which consists of one flat press, mate, and type of
various sizes, is still at the disposition of the Party since it was listed as
the personal property of Eulogio Iriarte, a resident of Ovalle, Coquimbo,
whose Communist connections are not widely known. At present this printing
equipment is stored at Calle Arturo Prat 455, La Serena, while Iri.arte in arrang-
ing to rent it to Jaine Varola Chadwick, of La Serena, for a period of three
years and under the following conditions:
ia. As rent for this oquiV-ent, Varela Chadwick is to pay twenty per cent of
the monthly proceeds obtained from the now pro-Falange I3acional and anti-
government newspaper which he intends to publish;
CLASSIFICATION 8EIRPT5 i IAL
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STATE IvsRS~~ LL_
DISTRIBUTION
ARMY --- _FP
This document is hereby regraded to
CONFiDEN: ,AL in a';nordnnce with the
letter of 13 Cc[ :,cr 1)73 from the
Director ir.':e'Ikgence to the
e. ,a es.
Archivist L
Next Approved, For-, Release
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6 I DP -00457R004200320008-6
 + Approved For Release 2001/11/26 : CIA-RDP82-00457R004200320008-6
C0P?3r IM, 172 TAL 25X1A
b, Varela Chadwick is to assure the obligation of paying the 80,00C owed
by the Co:rr1unist Party on this equipment; and
c. Varela Chadwick has until 1 June 1950 to start publication of the new
newspaper and to begin paying rent on the equipaent u
Con. It is noted that lriarte and the Coznanist Party do not
wish to sell the newspaper equipment but prefer to rent it on an incorr sharing
basis.
Approved For Release 2 1 1 CrA RDP82-00457R004200320008-6