CONFUSION WITHIN THE CHILEAN COMMUNIST PARTY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R002700090001-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 19, 1999
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 12, 1949
• Content Type: REPORT

.... MV. M1.4A
SEPT.1948
L1..1 A TI, 1 }!.1 )TTO
Approved For Releas 1999/09/0 ..S1l RDP82-00457R002700090001-6
I N `O AIM AT,_
COUNTRY Chile
In
SUBJECT Confusion Within the Chilean Communist Party
PLACE
ACCUIRE[
25X1A6a
DATE Of INFO.
This document is hereby r to
1. The reorganization of the eadersh.p of the Communist Party of Chile
(PCCh) h'is'been marked by confusion over the political line to be followed
ael.ls then orders to be carried out, At present there is no effective
direction of Party affairs.
2. Shortly after the 6 March elections, the Regional Committee of Santiago
queried the Secretax at oi` the Party on the form which the defense of
`rente Nacjonal,Demo ratico (FND} candidates should take, and on what
line the Party, will follow after 21 day. The Regional Committee has
been, 'told..y that "something" is being planned for 1 May, but no ad
rance instaructio?as.have been given,
3. Thet rovirciia1 organizations also have no effective leadership, and what
ins, 6 y receive from Santiago are delayed and contradictory.
During the recent electoral campaign, El Pueblo printed the supposed
Party line, which then was contradicted by-the Party. In one instance
E. .. e
state,, that the'ND was w?thdxawd ng its candidates in certain
ec ns, d wo l throw ts support to the FRAS candidates. This state-
merit was evercon ix'med by the PCCh directorate, and on the day of the
election the Qp jm nist voters were sti ,a. acerta .n what action was ex
pected of` them, As a result, FRA}?S candidates lost by only a few votes,
when they could have won had proper instructions been given.
!t. Another e:~ample of lack of coordination between Santiago and the provinces
dited by source was the campaign of Marmaduke Grove. Vhen Comtnuni.at
senator Iiai,ero Crnevara was sent by the Party to direct Grovegs cam-
aign, he 'ound that the Party had no votes in Copiapo and Coquimbo. When
he ,nfornaed 1 adquarters of the situation, he was merely told "to proceed".
The Party candidate received only 00 votes, although Guevara had been as-
sured in Santiago that there were 3000 votes available in the region if he
would work on? the laborers. The regional directors have been extremely
disturbed over the situation, and they claim that the orders from Santiago
were gbsurd and given in either bad faith or ignorance. Source states
that similar instances occurred in,almost every province.
CONFIDENTI Ce with the
GD NO,
QA i E U l 511129 , ~
NO. OF PACES 2 25X1A2g
October 1978 from the
Director of Central Intelligence to the
Archivist of the United States.
25X1A2g
 25X1A2g
No further instructions have been given for the General Congress
originally scheduled for April. These congresses are usually held in
Q IC were
b t 1 d ll in advance If the Con
a
a
a
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Approved For Release 1999/09/09: CIA,RDP82-00457 R002700090001 -6
ys prep
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held before 21. May, Carlos Contreras Labarca could attend as a senator,
but upon the xpiration of his term on that date, his only chance of at-
tending would be as delegate of his commune.
6. The removal of Contreras Labarca from the Political Commission* has not
been well..rece1ved in some'circles, but no'cell or local committee has
made any formal protest. The cell members hesitate to take a step cen-
suring the actions of the directorate, about which they know little,
Contreras Labarca was required to make a statement professing his faith
in the Party and its leaders, and'this 'statement was mimeographed and
eircul.ated thr?ughout the cells.
.25X1A2g
* cf.
Approved For Release 1999