Telex C-227/6P, dated 6 September 1973 (Clear and Ciphered), sent from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DIPLOMACIA) to the Embassy of Uruguay in Argentina (URUBAIRES), in response to the query transmitted in Telex C-481. It instructs that, should the interested party (Mr. Michelini) visit the Consular Section of the Embassy, he must be informed that they lack the authorisation to issue new documentation.
Telex C-481/25, dated 6 September 1973 (Clear and Ciphered), sent from the Embassy of Uruguay in the Republic of Argentina (URUBAIRES) to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DIPLOMACIA), transmits a query from the Consular Section of the Embassy regarding whether, in the event of a further request from Mr. Michelini, he should be informed that the request to issue him new documentation has been denied, or that the Consulate has not yet received authorisation to proceed.
Telex C-465/5, dated 30 August 1973 (Clear and Ciphered), sent from the Embassy of Uruguay in Argentina (URUBAIRES) to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DIPLOMACIA), reporting that after repeated efforts to ascertain the status of Mr Erro and Mr Michelini, the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs verbally confirmed that they are provisional asylees. It states that written confirmation is pending.
Telex C-460/3, dated 28 August 1973 (Clear and Ciphered), sent from the Uruguayan Embassy in Argentina (URUBAIRES) to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DIPLOMACIA), reporting that on 26 August Mr Zelmar Michelini had visited the Consular Section of the Embassy to request the renewal of his passport (issued on 3 April 1968). The Embassy requests “urgent instructions” to be conveyed to the Consular Section.
Note Verbale H12-1/1973 (2105), dated 21 August 1973, sent from the Uruguayan Embassy in the Republic of Argentina to the Directorate-General of Policy of the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, seeking information on the status of Uruguayan citizens Zelmar Michelini and Enrique Erro in order to confirm whether they are political asylees. If so, it further requests the dates of the resolutions granting them political asylum in Argentine territory.
Note A6-1/972 (1310), dated 14 June 1972, sent from the Uruguayan Embassy in the Republic of Argentina to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr José A. Mora Otero, reporting information gathered by the Argentine Government which would demonstrate the existing connections between the Tupamaros movement of Uruguay and Argentine terrorist groups, as well as those from other countries on the continent.
This report on the murders and abductions of Latin American refugees in Argentina between 1974 and July 1976 is being made available to the public for the first time. Rafael Noboa and Enrique Rodriguez Larreta Martínez compiled this information, as these crimes were unfolding. After being released from Uruguayan prisons, Rafael and Enrique had settled in Buenos Aires in 1974, where they continued mobilising against the dictatorship in their country. Enrique was kidnapped on June 30, 1976, and on August 5, Rafael was granted asylum in France.
Victims of Operation Condor were persecuted in 13 countries: eight in Latin America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay), four in Europe (France, Spain, Italy, and Portugal), and the USA. Nevertheless, most operations were perpetrated within a single country, Argentina, where 70% of the crimes were committed. Only 2% of the victims were targeted outside of South America.
Due to Condor’s top secret nature, there are no official lists of victims. However, recent research has indicated that there must have been at least 805 victims of transnational repression in South America between August 1969 and February 1981. The victims came from diverse backgrounds: most of them (40%) were political and social activists; 36% were members of revolutionary armed groups; 13% did not have any affiliation; and 5% were individuals with official refugee status.
The Condor founding agreement was signed by military intelligence representatives from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay on 28th November 1975. This is the formal start date of Operation Condor. However, these countries had previously collaborated in transnational repression in more informal and ad hoc ways at least since 1969. Operation Condor, as a multilateral forum for transnational repression, stopped working in late 1978, although informal and bilateral operations continued until February 1981.
