Berrutti file: secret offices reveal unknown collaboration between Chilean and Uruguayan military intelligence in 1973

In October 1973, shortly after the military coup in Chile, intelligence services of both Chile and Uruguay engaged in a covert collaboration, exchanging information obtained through torture of Uruguayan detainees held at the National Stadium. This revelation emerged from newly accessible documents housed in the Berrutti Archive, which were reviewed by CIPER. The files disclose how intelligence officers from both nations shared data gathered under duress, including addresses of safe houses, lists of political asylum seekers, and transcripts of interrogations, though the latter were withheld due to their sensitive nature. The documents, part of thousands of microfilmed records discovered during Azucena Berrutti’s tenure as Uruguay’s Defense Minister from 2005 to 2008, remained classified for nearly two decades before being made available for scrutiny. These materials have since been integrated into the “Papeles de la Dictadura” platform, a joint initiative by CIPER and the Center for Investigative Journalism (CIP). The archive provides unprecedented insight into the period of authoritarian rule in Chile, offering a detailed look at state surveillance and repression. Among the key findings is the identification of a network associated with the Tupamaros, a left-wing urban guerrilla group founded in the early 1960s by Raúl Sendic and José “Pepe” Mujica, who later became Uruguay’s president. Intelligence agencies in both countries had long monitored the movements of Tupamaros members, tracking their connections to the Chilean Revolutionary Left Movement (MIR) and their travel within and beyond national borders. However, it was following the 1973 coup that intelligence operations between Chile and Uruguay intensified, leading to more systematic collection of intelligence on the group's infrastructure. One of the earliest discoveries was the existence of a location known as “La Guacha Chica,” a laundry facility named “Uruguay” located at the intersection of Jofré and Lira streets in Santiago. This site served as one of the Tupamaros' safehouses. Further intelligence led to the identification of two additional properties linked to the Uruguayan exile community, one situated in the San Borja Towers and another near London Street, though the exact addresses of these locations remain unspecified in the documents examined by CIPER. The collaboration between Chilean and Uruguayan intelligence reached a critical turning point on October 16, 1973, when Major Mario Lavanderos, responsible for overseeing foreign detainees at the National Stadium, defied orders by handing over 54 Uruguayan prisoners to the Swedish embassy in Chile, represented by Ambassador Harald Edelstam. This act disrupted the intelligence-sharing process, prompting retaliation. On the morning of October 18, Major Lavanderos was assassinated by Colonel David Reyes Farías, an incident that would later become the subject of a legal proceeding. The case was finally resolved in 2015 when the Supreme Court upheld a conviction against Reyes Farías, though he received no actual prison time. The revelations underscore the extent of cross-border cooperation in human rights violations during the era of dictatorship, highlighting the role of intelligence agencies in facilitating repression. As the documents continue to be analyzed, they offer a chilling glimpse into the mechanisms of control and the complex relationships between states during periods of political turmoil.