Former US Secretary of State Henrique Kissinger left a dark legacy in Latin America by supporting the dictatorships of the Southern Cone and the so-called Plano Cóndor and the 1973 coup against him by Salvador Allende in Chile.
Documents released by the United States, as well as references from Latin American politicians and historians, clarify Kissinger’s crucial role in promoting dictatorial regimes in the region and even plotting against left-wing movements that led to human rights violations.
Former Uruguay President Julio María Sanguinetti (1985-1990 and 1995-2000) told EFE on Thursday: Kissinger was “a rare case” of a pragmatic chancellor who was “a great theorist and historian.”
“He gave the United States a policy of light and shadow, but some of the first ones were very relevant, such as leaving Vietnam and establishing relations with China,” he emphasized.
While Kissinger celebrated his centenary in May this year, Chileans prepared to commemorate him in September, 50 years after the military coup against Salvador Allende.
In Chile he is known for his controversial statement: “I don’t understand why we have to wait and allow a country to become communist.” because of the irresponsibility of his own people,” he said before socialist Allende became president.
According to declassified documents in the United States about Richard Nixon’s administration after Allende’s victory in November 1970, Kissinger sent a memorandum analyzing in detail the situation in Chile and describing it: “One of the greatest challenges this continent has ever faced has had.”
Years later, Kissinger met then-dictator Augusto Pinochet in Santiago de Chile in 1976, where he thanked him for his “great service to the West in overthrowing Allende.”
According to the declassified documents, Kissinger also influenced the so-called ‘Condor Plan’, an operation believed to have been coordinated by the US to destroy opponents of the dictatorships of the Southern Cone (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay) between 1970 to prosecute. and 1980.
In Argentina, Kissinger is fundamental to understanding the US role in the 1976 coup and the military dictatorship that lasted until 1983, historian Leandro Morgenfeld said in a study for the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (Conicet) and in the chapter about the South American country that wrote the book “Only the good die. ‘young’, about the figure of the American.
The former US Secretary of State began a policy of “duplicity” by publicly expressing concerns about human rights abuses and privately sponsored state terrorism in Argentina, giving him diplomatic and political cover within the US State Department.
The American spoke during two meetings between Kissinger and Argentina’s then foreign minister, César Augusto Guzzetti, in June and September 1976. He pledged his support for the regime’s dirty war.
The first meeting took place in Chile, two days after the Kissinger-Pinochet meeting, where the then US Secretary of State praised Guzzetti for Argentina’s fight against subversion and terrorism.
“We understand that you are going through a difficult time. It is a strange time with political, criminal and terrorist activities taking place, which tend to merge without clear separation. We understand that you have to establish authority,” Kissinger told Guzzetti.
In 1978, as criticism of human rights violations in Argentina increased, Kissinger took part in the World Cup hosted by the South American country.
The American then visited the players’ dressing room with dictator Jorge Videla after the host team’s scandalous victory over Peru. Argentina won its first title.
For Morgenfeld, Kissinger’s appearance with Videla at the World Cup was “a strong sign of support” that was “clearly” aimed at neutralizing pressure on then Secretary of State for Human Rights Patrícia Derian.
Sanguinetti just remembered that football Kissinger was enthusiastic about the sport and once told him that football was “a very revealing cultural expression” of people’s character.
Kissinger and his relationship with Mexico
Kissinger’s government agreed with the governments of Mexico by Gustavo Díaz Ordaz (1964–1970) and Luis Echeverría (1970–1976), leaders accused of using the military and paramilitary groups to suppress dissent.
According to documents released by the National Security Archives Association and other documents leaked by WikiLeaks, Kissinger expressed his admiration for Mexico’s one-party system, i.e. the then hegemony of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).
Documents show a close relationship with Echeverría, with whom he met several times at the presidential residence of Los Pinos in Mexico City.
On the other hand, archives show that left-wing organizations accused him of involvement in the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre, in which state forces murdered hundreds of students in Mexico City. Kissinger expressed concern that the use of American security equipment could fuel anti-American sentiment in the country.
As for Cuba, Kissinger initially spoke out in favor of improving relations between the two countries, but after the so-called Operation Carlota, the Cuban military intervention in the conflict for Angola’s independence and the civil war that followed, the American was ruthless against politicians. and left-wing groups in the region.
The most famous diplomat of the 20th century He died on Wednesday at the age of 100. In Connecticut (USA) he remained active as a political advisor until the end and frequently commented on current topics such as the war in Ukraine and artificial intelligence. (EFE)
Source: La Neta Neta
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
