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Fate of 18 Pro-allende Jews

December 17, 1973
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The Jewish Telegraphic Agency here has just received a report from a highly reliable source in Santiago, Chile, identifying 18 Jews who were prominent in the administration of the late President Salvador Allende Gossens and describing their whereabouts. Their “actual situation” as of October, according to the source, is as follows:

Jacques Chonchol, minister of agriculture, granted political asylum in the Venezuelan Embassy; Jaime Faivovich, Santiago Mayor, political asylum in the Mexican Embassy; Volodia Toitlebaum, Communist Senator, in Moscow; David Silberman, executive of the copper mine of Chuquicomata, serving 13-year prison term; Frida Modak, Allende’s press chief, probably in Peruvian Embassy; David Beitleman, vice-president of the agrarian reform cooperative, where abouts unknown; Heriberto Cammi, director of the National Service of Identification, resigned.

Enrique Kirberg, director of the Technical University, sent to Dawson Island in the south of Chile; Jaime Schatz, superintendent of electrical services, political asylum in Mexican Embassy; Sergio Politoff, lawyer in government, probably has asylum in some embassy; Jacobo Schaulson, member of the Constitutional Tribunal, resigned and free; Alberto Telias Esquenazi, president of division of compensation in the Ministry of Trade and Commerce, free; Enrique Testa, president of the Defense Council, resigned and free.

Oscar Waiss Band, director of “La Nacion,” Dawson Island; Gabriel Smirnoff, member of the Quimontu Editorial, asylum in Mexican Embassy; Rene Nahmias, socialist director of “La Serena,” whereabouts unknown; Benjamin Teplisky, radical lawyer, president of the Unidad Popular Party, Dawson Island; Efraim Volowsky, Communist leader, under arrest.

According to the source “there is more, based on conversations held with people, but only rumors and suppositions. The truth is that until now no Jew has been shot, and if some Jew is being sought it isn’t because he is a Jew but because he cooperated with Allende’s government.” In addition, there are no Jews among the 10 “most sought after persons in Chile,” like former leaders of left and far left parties.

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