THE CIA-CHILE OPERATION

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 16032119
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: July 13, 2023
• Document Release Date: March 3, 2022
• Case Number: F-2019-02353
• Publication Date: September 15, 1970

Approved for Release: 2022/03/01 C01294480
THE CIA-CHILE OPERATION
1. The Genesis
On 15 September 1970, CIA was directed by President Nixon to try to prevent
Marxist Salvador Allende's assent to the Chilean presidency on 3 November.
On 16 September 1970 the DCI informed a group of senior Agency officers that
President Nixon had decided that an Allende regime in Chile was not acceptable
to the United States. The President asked the Agency to prevent Allende from
coming to power or to unseat him and authorized up to ten million dollars for
this purpose. Further, the Agency was directed to carry out this mission
without coordination with,and independent of, concurrent endeavors being
undertaken through the 40 Committee, Department of Defense, Department
of State and Ambassador Korry. The DDO was assigned overall responsibility
for this project with the assistance of a special Latin American Division Chilean
Task Force.
2. Special Organization
a. To implement the Presidential direction, a Headquarters Chilean Task
Force was established under the overall responsibility of Mr. Karamessines.
It was headed by two senior and highly-qualified CIA Chiefs of Station recalled
from their Latin American posts specifically for this purpose. Chief of the
Task Force was Mr. David Phillips, who at that. time was COS (b)(3)
the Deputy Chief of the Task Force was Mr. (b)(3)
A special communications channel was set up simultaneously to Santiago, Chile,
and
Force.
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or the Task
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b. It was also determined that an outside station would be established at
Santiago for appropriate contacts with the existing COS only and others in the
TRACK II project. Subsequently, an "illegal" team started filtering into Santiago.
It consisted of four CIA officers with the appearance, language, and experience
to sustain the fiction of various foreign nationalities. They were recalled from
their overseas posts to Washington, briefed, and inserted individually into Chile
In Santiago, their only U.S. contact was a CIA officer who had resided in Santiago
for some time
These "illegals"
rapidly established contact with Chilean intermediaries or principals interested
in promoting a military coup.
c. By a special (and unique) arrangement requested by CIA, the U.S. Army
Attache in Santiago was placed under operational direction of the CIA Chief of
Station there. His assistance and Chilean military contacts were invaluable in
this program.
Approved for Release: 2022/03/01 C01294480