Speaker Emerita Pelosi Highlights the House’s Leadership in Uncovering America’s Role Surrounding 1973 Chile Coup
Washington, D.C. – Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi delivered remarks on the Floor of the House of Representatives to call attention to the role of the House in shining a light on the United States’ activities surrounding the 1973 coup in Chile, following the observance of the 50th anniversary of the coup last week. Below are the Speaker Emerita's remarks.
Speaker Emerita Pelosi. Mr. Speaker, this month we observed the 50th anniversary of the coup in Chile. It is important to note the role that the House played in declassifying documents relating to the United States' role in the coup of Allende and the Presidency of Pinochet.
In 1999 – and I rise to pay tribute to our former colleague, Maurice Hinchey. He introduced legislation to declassify documents related to the coup in Chile. Following his leadership, I took his legislation to the House Committee – House Intelligence Committee conference discussion. In our markup of the conference report of the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000, I was successful in getting the amendment passed in the committee that mirrored the Hinchey legislation. This language was sustained on the Floor, and when the FY 2000 bill was signed by President Clinton, it became law.
The legislation stated that no longer than 270 days following enactment – we wanted a shorter period of time, they wanted a longer period of time, this was the compromise – 270 days following the enactment, the CIA had to submit a report on all of its activities and various events in Chile in three categories: the assassination of President Salvador Allende, the ascension of Pinochet to the Presidency and the violation of human rights committed by the henchmen of President Pinochet.
In 2001, therefore, the CIA prepared 16,000 documents for declassification, and since then, thousands more documents, making it up to 23,000 documents, have been declassified. During the debate on the FY 2000 legislation, it was argued that the search for documents related to human rights violations in Chile – we're talking about murder, disappearances, imprisonment, torture, we're talking, that's what we're talking about when we're talking about human rights violations – directed by the National Security Council, was sufficient. They said, 'We did that. It's sufficient.' They said nothing further was needed and raised the question of how much money will this cost and how much time will it take for the Director of Central Intelligence to produce an adequate report?
But Mr. Hinchey argued, Maurice Hinchey argued, in these words: 'It is time that the Central Intelligence Agency accounted for its role in the military coup that toppled the democratically elected government – Salvador Allende's government – and led to his death. The American people need to know how our government supported the rise of Augusto Pinochet, a ruthless dictator who systematically murdered and tortured his enemies.' Those were the words of Maurice Hinchey.
In May of 2016, I had the privilege of leading a bipartisan – a strongly bipartisan Congressional delegation to Chile. When we visited the Museum of Memory and Human Rights – and I recommend that if you get to Chile, you certainly see that – it was emotional and gratifying for some of us to see the documents that we had declassified under Maurice Hinchey's leadership, helping bring the truth to light.
To this day, in Chile, there is still great sadness about the loss of life and other crimes against humanity perpetrated by Pinochet's henchmen. Last week in Chile was the 50th anniversary, and at the observance, an event marking 50 years since the coup, President Gabriel Boric spoke eloquently about the importance of reconciliation and democracy. Democracy, democracy. He said it again and again. Thankfully, the President had also called for a plan to find the nearly 1,500 people who are still missing, unaccounted for – for them, for their families. It is my hope that this spirit will lead to more revelations and accountability.
As we mark 50 years since the coup, I salute the leadership of Maurice Hinchey, Congressman Hinchey. He was a champion of justice not only in Chile but in Argentina and other countries suffering under similar despotic regimes, including those affected by Operation Condor. Operation Condor was how all of these vicious dictators coordinated their activities. He saw the connection and coordination among the dictatorships in the death and violence in their country, and in relentlessly speaking out against it, he made a difference. His family is still active in the civic life of New York State. He passed away on November 22, 2017, but his leadership in the fight for truth and justice continues to be an inspiration to us all.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.