Rep. Ocasio-Cortez calls on US to declassify documents on Chile’s 1973 coup

SANTIAGO, Chile — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez mentioned Thursday in Chile that it was crucial for america to declassify paperwork that might make clear Washington’s involvement within the South American nation’s 1973 coup.

“The transparency of america might current a chance for a brand new part in our relationship between america and Chile,” Ocasio-Cortez mentioned in Spanish in a video posted on Instagram alongside Camila Vallejo, the spokesperson for the left-leaning authorities of President Gabriel Boric.

The Democratic congresswoman from New York is a part of a delegation of lawmakers who traveled to the capital of Santiago forward of the fiftieth anniversary of the coup in opposition to President Salvador Allende on Sept. 11, 1973.

The delegation had first traveled to Brazil and can now go to Colombia, each of that are additionally dominated by left-leaning governments.

The aim of the journey was to “begin to change … the relationships between america and Chile and the area, Latin America as an entire,” Ocasio-Cortez informed exterior the Museum of Reminiscence and Human Rights that remembers the victims of the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, who dominated from 1973 to 1990.

“It’s essential to border the historical past of what occurred right here in Chile with Pinochet’s dictatorship. And in addition to acknowledge and mirror on the position of america in these occasions,” Ocasio-Cortez mentioned.

Ocasio-Cortez mentioned she has launched laws to declassify paperwork associated to Chile’s coup and Vallejo mentioned the same request had been made by the Chilean authorities.

“In Chile as effectively, the same request was made … that goals to declassify paperwork from the Nixon administration, notably sure testimonies from the CIA director. That is to achieve a clearer understanding of what transpired and the way america was concerned within the planning of the civil and army coup, and the next years that adopted,” Vallejo mentioned. “This is essential for our historical past.”

U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, a Democrat from Texas, mentioned after the delegation’s roughly hourlong go to to the museum in Santiago that it was necessary to acknowledge the “fact” that “america was concerned with the dictatorship and the coup.”

“In order that’s why we’re right here,” Casar mentioned in Spanish to journalists, “to acknowledge the reality, to start a brand new future.”

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro from Texas mentioned the go to to the museum was a reminder that it was necessary “to make it possible for a tragedy and a horror like this by no means, ever occurs once more in Chile or in Latin America or wherever else all over the world.”

Earlier within the day, the delegation additionally met with Santiago Mayor Irací Hassler.

Reps. Nydia Velázquez of New York and Maxwell Frost of Florida additionally traveled to South America as a part of the delegation sponsored by the Middle for Financial and Coverage Analysis, a Washington-based assume tank.

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Politi reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina.