Italian newspaper La Repubblica has published a Wikileaks cable that shows that the Vatican communicated with US diplomats in October, 1973, and expressed support for the Pinochet coup in Chile.
In the communication, between Vatican second in command, Secretary of State Giovanni Benelli, and US diplomats, Benelli expressed, “grave concern, and to Pope Paul VI regarding the successful leftist international campaign to completely distort the realities of the situation in Chile”.
Benelli also expressed concern about an alleged terrorist leftist campaign purposing to demoralize the Board of Governors in charge of the country after the September 11 coup.
Of the aftermath of the coup, Benelli said, “we must admit that there has been bloodshed in cleansing operations in Chile, but the embassy in Santiago, Cardinal Silva and Chilean bishops in general have assured Pope Paul that the board is doing everything possible to bring the situation back to normal and that the international media stories that speak of a brutal crackdown are unfounded”.
Benelli also stated, “The Vatican is convinced, and the Nunciature has confirmed that during the last months of the Allende government, the Embassy of Cuba was serving as arsenal to distribute weapons made in Eastern Europe to the Chilean workers.”
La Repubblica is a newspaper related to Wikileaks in its function of spreading previously secret cables throughout the world.
By Day Blakely Donaldson
Source: