| Olga Weisfeiler 56 Beecher Place, #1 Newton, MA 02459 January 25, 2002 | |
Dear Senator Kerry:
My name is Olga Weisfeiler. I am the sister of former Professor of Mathematics at Penn State University Boris Weisfeiler who disappeared in Chile while on hiking trip in January 1985. Boris is the one American citizen out of 1100 Chileans who remain disappeared from the repression of the Pinochet military government.
I have contacted your office before requesting your assistance in August 2000 after the U.S. Department of State declassified documents regarding Boris' disappearance. Together with Peter Kornbluh of National Security Archives, we had meeting with Celes Hughes. I appreciate your attention to the case. I am hoping for your personal interest and professional involvement in the fate of my brother Boris Weisfeiler.
The declassified U.S. Government documents show that Boris was probably kidnapped by a Chilean military patrol. An informant told U.S. Embassy officials that my brother was taken to an enclave in Southern Chile, Colonia Dignidad, which had reported ties to the Chilean secret police. Boris was seen alive in Colonia Dignidad in 1987, more then two years after his disappearance. He has not been heard from since. The judicial case has been reopened in the Chilean's Courts for more then two years now but the investigation is barely moving forward. Very frustrating for my family is the fact that there appears to be little or no current interest or involvement of the U.S. Government in pursuing the fate of an American citizen. The Chilean's Army officials are still withholding key information regarding Boris disappearance.
The current negotiations over the Free Trade Pact with Chile afford an excellent opportunity to direct the attention of both the Chilean and the U.S. Governments to this unresolved case of Human Rights and terrorism. I would like to request your assistance to express your concern to the Government of Chile, as well as to alert our own Government that Chile's commitment to solve this case should be a condition for any major trade initiative. U.S. Government should demand a full Army's cooperation with the investigation and the release of the Chilean Army's files in a connection with kidnapping of my brother and holding him in Colonia Dignidad.
There remains a very real possibility that my brother Boris is still alive and is living as a prisoner in Colonia Dignidad (see the enclosed article published in Geneva, Switzerland in May 1998).
Thank you in advance for your attention to this request. You may find some additional information regarding ongoing investigation in Chile at http://weisfeiler.com/boris If your staff has any questions, I can be reached at olga@weisfeiler.com
I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Olga Weisfeiler