Informant38

Isabel Letelier learned more about torture than she ever wanted to know. Her husband, Orlando Letelier, served as Ambassador to the United States from Chile under the government of Salvador Allende before being called home to serve in the cabinet. His expertise in economics was needed when the Nixon administration, having failed to subvert Allende�s election and inauguration, worked to undermine the Chilean economy.

Because their first attempt to overthrow the democratically elected government of Chile by a military coup had failed, Nixon told the CIA, "We will make the economy scream."

"They did, too," Isabel said, "Our major export is copper which moved in American trucks. Manufacturers refused to give us spare parts. They subverted the economy every way they could."

A second coup, backed by the CIA, succeeded. Allende was overthrown by General Augusto Pinochet and the military. Orlando Letelier was tortured, beaten, his fingers broken. He was sent to Dawson Island, a concentration camp near Antarctica. Pressure from friends and colleagues led to Letelier�s release and deportation, first to Venezuela, then to the United States. In Washington he continued to speak out against the Fascist regime. He received numerous threats.

Anonymous callers told Isabel she was not a wife but a widow. When a dead chicken was found in her front hallway, she called the police.

"It�s a chicken," an officer said. "What do you want us to do?"

"It�s a threat," she said. "They are planning to kill my husband."

"It looks fresh," the officer said, pointing to the blood pooling from its headless body. "Maybe you can eat it for dinner."