Operation Condor: The CIA, and the Cold War’s Covert Campaign in Latin America
Operation Condor was a secretive and coordinated effort led by right-wing dictatorships in South America during the Cold War, with the backing and support of the United States. This transnational operation, initiated in the mid-1970s, aimed to eliminate left-wing insurgencies and political opposition through extrajudicial killings, torture, disappearances, and other forms of state terror. While its stated goal was to combat communism, it resulted in widespread human rights abuses and thousands of deaths. Below is a detailed account of its genesis, major players, key events, and lasting consequences.
Origins and Context
The origins of Operation Condor trace back to the Cold War dynamics between the United States and the Soviet Union. After World War II, the U.S. became increasingly concerned about the spread of communist ideology, particularly in its backyard, Latin America. By the 1950s and 60s, several revolutionary movements—such as Cuba’s 1959 revolution—heightened Washington's fears that other countries in the region might follow suit. In response, U.S. policymakers supported right-wing military regimes that promised to maintain capitalist economies and resist communist influence.
The groundwork for Operation Condor began with a clandestine meeting in Santiago, Chile, in November 1975. Representatives from the intelligence services of six South American nations gathered under the invitation of Chilean dictator **Augusto Pinochet**, who had seized power in a bloody coup in 1973. Present at the meeting were officials from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay—all countries under authoritarian rule.
The agreement formalized a collaborative framework for intelligence sharing, surveillance, and counterinsurgency operations. Condor's primary target was not only the armed guerilla groups but also anyone suspected of left-wing sympathies: labor leaders, academics, journalists, students, and even priests.
Major Players and Leadership
1. Augusto Pinochet (Chile)
- One of the primary architects of Operation Condor, Pinochet led the Chilean military dictatorship from 1973 to 1990. His regime was responsible for thousands of killings, disappearances, and acts of torture, especially in the immediate aftermath of the coup against the democratically elected president Salvador Allende.
2. Jorge Rafael Videla (Argentina)
- Videla came to power in Argentina following a military coup in 1976, becoming one of the principal leaders involved in Operation Condor. Under his rule, Argentina saw the infamous "Dirty War," during which tens of thousands of dissidents were killed or disappeared. Videla was a staunch anti-communist and a firm believer in the necessity of a region-wide crackdown on leftist movements.
3. Hugo Banzer (Bolivia)
- Banzer ruled Bolivia from 1971 to 1978 after overthrowing the leftist government of **Juan José Torres**. He was an active participant in Condor, helping to stamp out leftist insurgencies in Bolivia and offering refuge to other Condor nations’ operatives.
4. Alfredo Stroessner (Paraguay)
- Stroessner, a military dictator of Paraguay from 1954 to 1989, was instrumental in allowing Condor operations to use Paraguay as a safe zone and intelligence-sharing hub. His regime was responsible for countless disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
5. Ernesto Geisel (Brazil)
- As Brazil’s president from 1974 to 1979, Geisel oversaw Brazil's participation in Operation Condor, focusing on targeting leftist dissidents within Brazil and cooperating with neighboring regimes to suppress revolutionary movements.
6. Juan María Bordaberry (Uruguay)
- As a civilian president-turned-dictator (with military backing), Bordaberry played a key role in Uruguay's participation in Condor. Uruguay was known for its brutal methods of repression, especially against the Tupamaro guerillas.
U.S. CIA Involvement
Although Operation Condor was led by Latin American dictators, the United States provided crucial logistical and intelligence support. Declassified documents reveal that the CIA, under the leadership of **Henry Kissinger**, who served as National Security Advisor and later Secretary of State under Presidents **Richard Nixon** and **Gerald Ford**, was well aware of Condor's activities. The U.S. saw these right-wing dictators as essential allies in the global fight against communism.
Through training programs such as those at the **School of the Americas**, U.S. officials taught Latin American militaries counterinsurgency tactics, many of which involved brutal interrogation techniques, torture, and methods for tracking political opponents. The **CIA** also provided intelligence-sharing platforms that allowed the Condor nations to communicate more effectively.
One of the most infamous U.S.-linked incidents was the **1976 assassination of Orlando Letelier**, a former Chilean diplomat, in Washington, D.C. The operation was orchestrated by Chilean intelligence agents in coordination with Operation Condor, underscoring the international reach of the campaign.
Key Events
- **November 1975**: Founding meeting of Operation Condor in Santiago, Chile, formalizing the agreement between the intelligence agencies of six nations.
- **1976 Argentine coup**: General Jorge Videla seizes power in Argentina, initiating the most violent phase of the "Dirty War." Argentina became one of the primary contributors to Operation Condor's missions.
- **Assassination of Orlando Letelier (September 1976)**: Former Chilean diplomat Letelier, a vocal critic of Pinochet, was killed in a car bombing in Washington, D.C., organized by Chilean intelligence agents under Condor.
- **The Disappearance of the Montoneros**: In Argentina, many members of the leftist Montoneros guerrilla group were captured, tortured, and disappeared. This period marked the apex of Condor’s repression in Argentina.
- **Cross-border assassinations and disappearances**: Throughout the late 1970s, Condor nations exchanged intelligence and operatives to eliminate political dissidents who fled across borders. Many were kidnapped, tortured, and murdered far from their home countries, underscoring the operation's international coordination.
Impact and Legacy
Operation Condor is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths, disappearances, and widespread torture across South America. Some estimates suggest that between **30,000 and 80,000** people were killed or disappeared across the continent as part of Condor's operations. Most of the victims were not armed insurgents but rather intellectuals, students, trade unionists, and other civilians deemed a threat by these regimes.
The operation remained largely secret during the Cold War, but after the democratic transitions of the 1980s and 1990s in many of these countries, its full extent became clearer through the release of declassified documents and judicial proceedings. **Argentina’s "Dirty War"** saw significant trials, including the prosecution of **Videla** and other key figures.
Conclusion
Operation Condor represents one of the darkest periods in Latin America's history, marked by brutal state-sponsored repression. It underscores the lengths to which Cold War-era dictatorships were willing to go to maintain power and eliminate perceived threats. The involvement of the U.S. government further highlights the global dimensions of Cold War geopolitics, as Latin American countries became battlegrounds for ideological struggles between superpowers.
Today, the scars of Operation Condor remain visible across the continent, with ongoing efforts to account for the disappeared and to bring justice to the perpetrators of these crimes. Many families of the victims continue to seek answers, while survivors and human rights organizations work to ensure that such a period of terror is never repeated.