June 30, 1999
Release of Papers Relating to Human Rights Abuses in Chile, 1973-1978
Today the Department of State, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the National Archives are releasing newly declassified and other documents related to events in Chile from 1973-78. These documents are part of a discretionary review of U.S. government files related to human rights abuses, terrorism, and other acts of political violence prior to and during the Pinochet era in Chile. National Security Council staff are coordinating this interagency effort on behalf of the President.
Virtually all of the documents in the initial release cover the period from 1973-78, which corresponds to the period of the most flagrant human rights abuses in Chile. The process of review continues, and additional documents from 1973-78 will be released later this year, along with documents dated 1968-1973. In a subsequent phase, agencies will review and release documents from the later years of Pinochet's rule.
This initial release consists of over 5,800 documents, including approximately 5,000 from the Department of State, 490 from the CIA, 200 from the National Archives, 100 from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and 60 from the Department of Defense. A limited number of documents have not been released at this time, primarily because they relate to an ongoing Justice Department investigation of the murder of Ronni Moffitt and Orlando Letelier. Information also has been withheld from some of the released documents to protect the privacy of individuals, sensitive law enforcement information, and intelligence sources and methods; to prevent serious harm to ongoing diplomatic activities of the United States; or as otherwise required by law.
A complete set of the released documents is available for public review at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland at noon today. They also are being released simultaneously in Chile. In the near future, copies of the documents will be available on the internet at http://foia.state.gov.
The documents will be available in the Textual Research Room at the National Archives facility in College Park, MD, located at 8601 Adelphi Road. Researchers will be limited to one box at a time.
Research Room hours are: Monday and Wednesday 8:45 A.M. - 5 P.M.; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8:45 A.M. - 9 P.M.; Saturday 8:45 A.M. - 4:45 P.M. Research cards are required. Personal property, i.e. notebooks, briefcases, purses or fountain pens, is not allowed in the research room. Lockers are available. Debit cards may be purchased for the photocopying machines.
DIRECTIONS:
BY CAR the new facility is approximately 40 minutes from downtown Washington, DC. Take North Capitol Street north, turn right onto Michigan Avenue, (Michigan Avenue becomes Queens Chapel Road in Maryland,) continue to East West Highway, turn left on Adelphi Road and follow it to the Archives II entrance on the right. Parking is available.
BY SHUTTLE from the National Archives in Washington, DC, board the bus on 7th Street between Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues. The shuttle leaves on the hour, from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M., returning to the downtown building from Archives II on the hour. Researchers may use the shuttle on a space available basis with National Archives staff members receiving priority boarding.
For additional PRESS information, please contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at (301) 837-1700 or by e-mail.
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