Cuban packages
Encyclopedia
The Cuban packages was a Chile
an smuggling scandal, involving President Salvador Allende
, his Minister of the Interior, Hernán del Canto and the Director of the Civil Police Eduardo Paredes. It was cited by the authors of the Chamber of Deputies' Declaration of the Breakdown of Chile’s Democracy as one of the instances of government officials' illegality. It turned out that they contained automatic weapons, grenades and ammunition destined to form a small "revolutionary" army in Chile. These specific packages were just the tip of the iceberg of a constant smuggling of weapons from Cuba that were delivered regularly twice a week via Cubana de Aviación
, hidden inside the diplomatic pouches.
arrived normally to Pudahuel Airport
on the afternoon of March 11, 1972.
Nonetheless, as soon as the airplane touched ground, a caravan of cars and police patrols entered the runway and surrounded the plane. From the cargo hold they removed 11 big and heavy packages that were loaded onto the cars and sped away. Customs officials stopped the cars and insisted in processing the packages before they could be removed from the airport perimeter. Eduardo Paredes, director of the civil police, who had arrived from Cuba
in the same plane (and who claimed the packages as his personal cargo) refused the officials' request for access and ordered them to withdraw. When the customs officers in turn refused to allow them to proceed, they received a personal call from the Interior Minister, Hernán del Canto, who ordered them to let the packages be interned without further ado.
The bypassing of customs was organized by Canto and Congress later succeeded to impeach him.
The news leaked immediately into the newspapers. During the following weeks the government, attacked by the press, Congress
and the National Comptroller, gave several contradictory excuses about the content of the packages. They said that they were books, food, cigarettes and crafts; later they explained that they were paintings for a Cuban art show that was to be mounted at the National Museum of Art. Even later they mentioned technology for the civil police (to explain the presence of their director at the airport) and even Mango icecream sent by Fidel Castro
as a present to Salvador Allende
.
Allende in person decided to put an end to the speculations and the political pressure. He declared in a public interview that "...in fact, the flight... that arrived to Pudahuel, transported some gifts that were sent by the Cuban Prime Minister personally to me as well as to other Chilean authorities" Later it was found that the packages contained heavy Cuban weaponry for Allende's militant supporters. At least 3000-4000 ak-47s were delivered this way.
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an smuggling scandal, involving President Salvador Allende
Salvador Allende
Salvador Allende Gossens was a Chilean physician and politician who is generally considered the first democratically elected Marxist to become president of a country in Latin America....
, his Minister of the Interior, Hernán del Canto and the Director of the Civil Police Eduardo Paredes. It was cited by the authors of the Chamber of Deputies' Declaration of the Breakdown of Chile’s Democracy as one of the instances of government officials' illegality. It turned out that they contained automatic weapons, grenades and ammunition destined to form a small "revolutionary" army in Chile. These specific packages were just the tip of the iceberg of a constant smuggling of weapons from Cuba that were delivered regularly twice a week via Cubana de Aviación
Cubana de Aviación
Cubana de Aviación S.A., commonly known as Cubana, is Cuba's largest airline and flag carrier. The airline was founded on 8 October 1929, and has its corporate headquarters in Havana. Its main base is at José Martí International Airport...
, hidden inside the diplomatic pouches.
History
The regular flight of Cubana de AviaciónCubana de Aviación
Cubana de Aviación S.A., commonly known as Cubana, is Cuba's largest airline and flag carrier. The airline was founded on 8 October 1929, and has its corporate headquarters in Havana. Its main base is at José Martí International Airport...
arrived normally to Pudahuel Airport
Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport
Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport , also known as Pudahuel Airport and Santiago International Airport, located in Pudahuel, north-west of downtown Santiago, is Chile's largest aviation facility and the busiest international air passenger gateway to the country...
on the afternoon of March 11, 1972.
Nonetheless, as soon as the airplane touched ground, a caravan of cars and police patrols entered the runway and surrounded the plane. From the cargo hold they removed 11 big and heavy packages that were loaded onto the cars and sped away. Customs officials stopped the cars and insisted in processing the packages before they could be removed from the airport perimeter. Eduardo Paredes, director of the civil police, who had arrived from Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
in the same plane (and who claimed the packages as his personal cargo) refused the officials' request for access and ordered them to withdraw. When the customs officers in turn refused to allow them to proceed, they received a personal call from the Interior Minister, Hernán del Canto, who ordered them to let the packages be interned without further ado.
The bypassing of customs was organized by Canto and Congress later succeeded to impeach him.
The news leaked immediately into the newspapers. During the following weeks the government, attacked by the press, Congress
Chamber of Deputies of Chile
The Chamber of Deputies of the Republic of Chile is the lower house of Chile's bicameral Congress. Its organisation and its powers and duties are defined in articles 42 to 59 of Chile's current constitution....
and the National Comptroller, gave several contradictory excuses about the content of the packages. They said that they were books, food, cigarettes and crafts; later they explained that they were paintings for a Cuban art show that was to be mounted at the National Museum of Art. Even later they mentioned technology for the civil police (to explain the presence of their director at the airport) and even Mango icecream sent by Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
as a present to Salvador Allende
Salvador Allende
Salvador Allende Gossens was a Chilean physician and politician who is generally considered the first democratically elected Marxist to become president of a country in Latin America....
.
Allende in person decided to put an end to the speculations and the political pressure. He declared in a public interview that "...in fact, the flight... that arrived to Pudahuel, transported some gifts that were sent by the Cuban Prime Minister personally to me as well as to other Chilean authorities" Later it was found that the packages contained heavy Cuban weaponry for Allende's militant supporters. At least 3000-4000 ak-47s were delivered this way.