Washington, United States.
Australian spies clandestinely collaborated with the CIA in Chile to destabilize the socialist government of Salvador Allende, overthrown in a coup in 1973, according to documents declassified this Friday by the U.S. National Security Archive.
Documents show that during the Australian government of Liberal Billy McMahon, the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) responded to a request from the CIA and established a clandestine office in Santiago of Chile in the spring and summer of 1971, during the first months of Government of Allende.
The operation lasted 18 months, during which time the Australians were tasked with interacting with Chilean informants who had been recruited by the CIA and drafted intelligence reports that reached the CIA headquarters directly. in Langley (Virginia, USA).
According to documents, the Australian spies left Chile in 1973 after the coup that gave rise to the bloody regime of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990).
At the time, in Australia, the Liberal government Billy McMahon (1971-1972) had been replaced by the Labor Administration of Gough Whitlam (1972-1973), who appointed the director of intelligence services To put an end to operations in Chile.
Whitlam was “uncomfortable” with Australia’s involvement in these espionage operations because, if discovered, it would be “extremely difficult” to justify it, according to one of the declassified documents on Friday.
The ASIS office closed in July 1973, but it is believed that at least one agent remained in Chile after the coup, which is not yet confirmed by the declassified documents today.
The writings, in fact, contain few revelations about the activities of Australian spies and their collaboration with the CIA.
Most documents focus on logistical issues, such as staffing, monthly expense reports, and housing arrangements for undercover agents.
The United States declassified secret documents on how to do so two decades ago and supported the Pinochet regime, but many questions remain about the performance of its partner, Australia, in the prelude to the coup against Allende.
The questions have been unanswered for decades because of the legal mechanisms the ocean country has to protect its unlimited secrets in time.