Selected US declassified documents on Boris Weisfeiler’s disappearance
in Chile
· U.S. Embassy cable, January 23, 1985 (4 pages)
This is the first telegram sent to the Department of State with the information received by the embassy from General of Carabineros regarding discovery of a backpack belonged to Boris Weisfeiler.
· Department of State memo, ‘from the Charge’, February 21, 1985 (1 page)
The document referring to the contact that Mr. Penn had some time ago and which suggested that Weisfeiler was alive.
· U.S. Embassy memorandum, Welfare/Whereabouts: Case of Boris Weisfeiler, April 10, 1985 (1 page)
Memorandum provides information on the boundaries of Colonia Dignidad and is confirming that “at the time of disappearance Weisfeiler was either on or very near to the Colonia property”.
· U. S Embassy memorandum, Welfare-Whereabouts: case of Boris Weisfeiler. October 17, 1985 (9 pages)
In October 1985 information was received by the Embassy from a source, who suspects that Chilean police killed Weisfeiler. Mr. Jones (DCM) stated that the case “has taken a most serious turn” and requested Department of State instructions.
· U.S Embassy cable, welfare and whereabouts: case of Boris Weisfeiler. October 25, 1985 (2 pages)
The memorandum referring to the discussion of legal points of the investigation and also pointed out that Chilean law “permits a foreign Embassy on its own without supporting evidence to request the judiciary to reopen an inquest”
· U.S. Embassy cable, Welfare-Whereabouts: case of Boris Weisfeiler, November 13, 1985 (2 pages)
There has given entire text of the Diplomatic Note sent to the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ambassador Barnes repeated his request for Department’s instructions stressing out that “no action will be taken on Weisfeiler case until department’s response received”.
· U.S. Embassy Memorandum, Case of Boris Weisfeiler, April 15, 1986 (2 pages)
In the memorandum Consul General Jayne Kobliska is discussing the possibility of legal action regarding the probability that “if Weisfeiler is still alive, petitioning the court could endanger his life”. The memo also stated “real danger in this case is that we will delay action until it is too late to either save Weisfeiler’s life or determine the true circumstances of his death”.
· U.S. Embassy Memorandum, Memorandum for the Record: Weisfeiler Case, April 9, 1987 (1 page)
This memorandum, written by Ambassador Harry Barnes more than two years after Boris disappearance, provides information on the first brief discussion of the case with General Stange.
· U.S. Embassy Memorandum, Ambassador Barnes/Minister del Valle Appointment on April 10, 1987 (1 page)
Consul General Kobliska is referring to strange behavior of the Chilean Government regarding Weisfeiler case. She pointed out that “the ‘Mickey Mouseing’ around we’ve done on this case with this government is disgraceful…”
· U.S. Embassy note; Contextual Transcript of Tape Provided. June 23, 1987
Those notes for the Ambassador and DMC (Deputy Chief of Mission) provides translation of the tape with the first interview of formal member of Army patrol, who participated in kidnapping and delivery of Boris to Colonia Dignidad in January 1985 and now came to the Embassy willing to save this man life and maybe ‘many lives’. The informant stated that after brutal interrogation for a long period of time Boris was accused of being not a Soviet or a CIA spy as they assumed earlier, but a ‘Jewish spy’.
· U.S. Embassy notes, Hand Drawn Map of Weisfeiler Capture (April 26, 1985)
This hand-drawn map, made by an eyewitness during the second interview, details the location of Weisfeiler’s capture, and trip to Colonia Dignidad, the site of his detention and possible murder.
The report is summarizing latest developments in the investigation of Boris Weisfeiler disappearance. Mr. Swigert also stated “there have been rumors for over a year that Weisfeiler is alive and detained in Colonia Dignidad, a German immigrant settlement reportedly with neo-Nazi tendencies.”
That is the first U.S. Embassy cable pertaining to new information. The Embassy believed that the informant had credible information about the Chilean military participation in Boris’ disappearance. In the cable addressed to the Secretary of State, Deputy Chief of Mission Mr. Jones stated that to take no action could be equivalent to abounding an American citizen. Embassy also requested the Department’s concurrence.
·
Department of State Cable, W/W: Case of
Missing American in Chile,
July 31, 1987 (3 pages)
The department of State expresses concern about new reports claiming that Weisfeiler is still alive. They suggest that Embassy officials approach the Government of Chile about searching and investigating Colonia Dignidad.
This memo summarizes a conversation with Emilio Zambrano, in mid-1986 the head of Carabineros, investigated Boris’ Weisfeiler disappearance. The author of the memo describes the investigation, which exonerates the Government of Chile and the carabineros of any responsibility, as “sketchy”.
· Central Intelligence Agency Memorandum, “Boris Weisfeiler Case”, November, 1987 (4 pages)
This internal CIA memorandum goes over the Agency’s ideas as to what happened to Boris Weisfeiler. The memo’s author finds the theory “more plausible” that Weisfeiler was detained, “fatally beaten, then thrown into the river”, contradicting the Government of Chile’s version of the story.
In the note U.S. Embassy admitted receiving “numerous official and unofficial reports” concerning Boris’ Weisfeiler disappearance. More then three and one-half years after Boris vanished, U.S. Embassy is requesting permission to interview four Carabineros involved in the search for Mr. Weisfeiler in January 1985.
· U.S. Embassy Cable, Request for Approval of Legal Services, March 15, 1989
Almost two years after the witnesses’ testimony “post requests Department approval to obtain legal services to permit consular officers to perform duties relating to protection of U.S. nationals”
Eight month later after the initial request, the Department of State finally responds to a request by the American Embassy for permission to hire a lawyer in Chile to investigate the Weisfeiler case by refusing to fund the hiring of an attorney and stating that the embassy can do so only if they pay for it themselves.
· U.S. Embassy Memo, Funding for Weisfeiler case, February 6, 1990 (1 page)
After receiving the negative response from the Department of State, Consul William Barkell requested an Embassy’s administration for funding. The administration refuses to fund the investigation stating “there are no funds available for this project”.
· U.S. Embassy Memorandum: Boris Weisfeiler, March 22, 1990 (4 pages)
The short memo indicates receiving a report from the “source” on Boris Weisfeiler kidnapping. There also mentioned that the Embassy’s records should indicate the identity of the “source”. The report described Boris’ abduction and pointed name of the officer involved in torture. Report in Spanish and its English translation attached.
· Department of State Memorandum: Missing American Citizen Boris Weisfeiler, May 21, 1997 (1 page)
The memo provides information about U.S. Embassy’s suspicions of Weisfeiler’ fate: murder, possibly by the Colonia Dignidad members, was suspected.