ARREST OF SPANISH COMMUNIST FRANCISCO GABARAIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R002200650010-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 11, 1999
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: December 12, 1948
• Content Type: REPORT

CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL
Approved For Relea? 0l~ftBd 8AM8~R002200 Af NO. SO 2050
INFORMAW K IE -R'' CD NO.
COUNTRY Argentina DATE DISTR. 28 January 1949
SUBJECT Arrest of Spanish Carmunist FranU5co 4abaral&NlA2g NO. OF PAGES 2
25X1A6a
PLACE
ACQUIRED
20ATWF IN
B-2 1. Francisco Gabarain, a Spanish citizen, member of the Communist Party of
Spain (CPS) in Argentina, and an administrative employee of the CPS organ
Espana Independiente, was arngW on 1 December by four Buenos-Aires
plain-clothes policemen and ke the Orden Oremial section of the
central police department, comment. The Orden Oremial section
is headed by a Comisario Ool o e- most important police offi-
cials investigating Communist acties in Argentina. His assistant is
Comisario Americo J. Insaurralde, also very well-informed on communist
activities in the.oountry. This section receives postal intercepts every
day from local post offices each of which is supplied with a list of people,
including aliases and names of members of their families, In rhnm the police
department is interested. Some sixty percent of the names on the list are
said to be Communist leaders. The Orden Gremial section also has a large
library of Communist literature.)
2. After a preliminary interrogation by the Orden Gremial section about E
Independiente, Gabarain was placed under the custody of two members a
cc on Especial of the Federal Police and taken to their headquarters.
There he was badly beaten and subjected to-the "picana electrica", or
"electric stinger". He was again interrogated with regard to Espana
Independiente and asked repeatedly to name the source of the organ's funds,
it~Iea rs, and the connection these leaders had with the Communist
Party of Argentina (CPA). Refusing to answer these questions, Gabarain was
beaten day and night and finally put into solitary confinement. He was re-
leased on 11 December. During his period of imprisonment, Gabarain was
denied permission to communicate with his family and friends. Efforts of
his family to locate him were in vain.
Gabarain,-according to source, is afraid to leave his home and has warned
friends not to communicate with him sine he believes himself to be under
constant police surveillance. He is frightened especially by the police
threat to send him and his family to Spain if he mentions his treatuent at
the Seccion Especial,
CLASSIFICATION CONFIDIE'NTIAL
Approved For Release 1999/09/09 : CIA-RDP82-00457R00
Document No.
NO CHANGE. in Class.
DECLASSIFIED
Class. CHANGED TO: TS $
DDA Memo, 4 Apr 77
QDD.0-SEG. 77(1763
Date: 1,~ 3By: b2 --
 Approved For Release 1999/09/09 : CIA-RDP82-00457R002200650010-9
25X1A2g
Fs-L L.
during Gabarain's confinement the S ish
ba sy in Buenos Aires expected to be called upon by the tine
t ent t to assist in Gabarain's de rtation to S in.
the gen nee are
increasinL; their persecution of foreign Communists and, in aome cases,
rather than deport those arrested, are arranging for their "elimination"
(presumably by murder).
Approved For Release 1999/09/09 : CIA-RDP82-00457R002200650010-9