April 24, 2005

Honorable Condoleezza Rice    

Secretary of State

U.S. Department of State

 

 

Dear Ms. Rice,

 

With this letter I am asking for your powerful help and support. I am writing regarding my brother, Professor Boris Weisfeiler, a U.S. citizen who disappeared in January 1985 during his hiking trip in southern Chile. Declassified State Department and CIA records indicate he was detained by Chilean security forces and then was taken for interrogation into the infamous German settlement, Colonia Dignidad. Twenty years later Professor Weisfeiler remains the only U.S. citizen among 1,100 Chileans who disappeared during the Pinochet dictatorship.

 

During the years of my continued pursuit to learn the truth of my brother’s fate, I have repeatedly appealed to the Chilean and the United States political, judicial, and military authorities. On July 19, 2004, President George W. Bush spoke with President of Chile Ricardo Lagos on Weisfeiler’s disappearance. There have been no developments in the judicial investigation since then.

 

Ten days ago, however, my brother’s case was transferred to the new, the fourth judge during past five years, Judge Jorge Zapeda. The transfer corresponded to the recent arrest and deportation to Chile the fugitive leader of Colonia Dignidad, former Nazi officer Paul Schafer.  He is now charged with number of sexual abuse crimes. But the actual investigations into human rights abuses committed inside of Colonia Dignidad premises just started.

 

Despite these developments, the Chilean Supreme Court ruled that all human rights cases, including those connected to Colonia Dignidad must be closed in the coming months, July 25, 2005. The ruling vehemently opposed by human rights organizations, such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and others, as well as by members of the Chilean Parliament and some of the judges themselves. Still, the government of Chile is supporting the ruling. I personally fear that the case of Boris Weisfeiler, a U.S. citizen, will never be fully investigated in the short time left and I will never know the truth of Boris’ fate.

 

I am asking for your intervention before the Chilean government and the Chilean Supreme Court so that the investigation of my brother's case is exempt from the deadline imposed by the Chilean Supreme Court, as the case involves the life and destiny of a U.S. citizen.

 

Sincerely,

 

Olga Weisfeiler

Cc: U.S. Ambassador to Chile Craig Kelly

      Ambassador of Chile to the U.S. Andres Bianchi