- Title: Chile publishes details of Nazi spy rings in World War Two
- Date: 22nd June 2017
- Summary: SANTIAGO, CHILE (JUNE 22, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** ARCHIVE DOCUMENTS RELATING TO POLICE INVESTIGATION DURING WORLD WAR TWO THAT UNCOVERED HOW NAZI SUPPORTERS IN CHILE AIDED THE THIRD REICH VARIOUS OF BOOKS AND PHOTOGRAPHS THAT FORM OF INVESTIGATION, EXHIBITED IN ARCHIVE AND MUSEUM DEPENDENCIES (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL ARCHIVES, EMMA DE RAMON, SAYING: "It can't be possible that secret documents still exist in Chile. So this activity, this gesture by the Investigation Police (of Chile) to give us these documents goes exactly in that line and that is why we accept it with such joy." HECTOR ESPINOSA, GENERAL DIRECTOR OF POLICE INVESTIGATIONS IN CHILE, DELIVERING ARCHIVE DOCUMENTS, TO RAMON (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ACTING DIRECTOR OF LIBRARIES, ARCHIVES AND MUSEUMS, JOSE CORTES VERGARA, SAYING: "A country, a town without memory, can't have a definite history. It can't build, can't recognise itself. And this is a gesture." VARIOUS OF ARCHIVE DOCUMENTS BEING EXHIBITED (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CENTER-LEFT LAWMAKER GABRIEL SILBER, SAYING: "There were operations of logistic deployment of intelligence of the Nazi regime in our country, with many resources available. And these 80 volumes obviously account for the existence of this network that operated in our country, either digitized from Germany, but also, unfortunately, with the support of political figures, prominent families, where some genuinely sympathized with this regime and others, unfortunately, were betting that Germany was finally going to win the Second World War."
- Embargoed: 6th July 2017 19:55
- Keywords: Chile Nazi World War Two archives
- Location: SANTIAGO, CHILE
- City: SANTIAGO, CHILE
- Country: Chile
- Topics: Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA0016MD3807
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Chilean police made public on Thursday (June 22) archive documents relating to its investigation during World War II that uncovered how Nazi supporters in the country aided the Third Reich, including supplying information and plans to bomb mines in Chile.
Young members of families of German descent in southern Chile underwent paramilitary training, while Nazi supporters in the country routinely sent Germany information about the routes of Allied merchant vessels, the documents showed.
The discovery comes the same week that a cache of Nazi artefacts was found hidden behind a bookcase in Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital.
There was significant support within Chile and Argentina of the Axis powers during World War Two. After the war, many leading Nazi officials fled justice in Europe to hide out in South America.
Chilean police had arrested around 40 people as a result of their investigation, the documents showed, and found code books, radios and weapons, as well as plans to bomb mines in northern Chile.
The 80 files of documents were officially handed over to the country's national archives office on Thursday and will be available for public viewing. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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