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Among Kozak’s first movements would be to establish rigorous performing relationship that have diplomats away from sympathetic embassies

Chances are senior professionals from inside the Geneva weren’t fully conscious of what Kozak are undertaking and you will, considering specific present personnel, that they would have been worried got it identified

F rom the latest unattractive first times of the fresh coup, Kozak try determined to behave of these caught up by the Pinochet Web sitesini ziyaret et routine. The task he had been doing ahead of had been mostly mundane, creating short-size migration courses for all of us moving to South usa and you can organising transportation for brand new arrivals. Kozak realised in the beginning if he was planning to have the ability to help, however need certainly to expand the translation from his commitments which have the ICEM.

“He had to do something and not be inactive. The guy envision companies including the ICEM is render coverage so you’re able to individuals,” Kozak’s widow Silvia told you. You to meant becoming a dynamic participant regarding venture to assist those people to the researching prevent away from Pinochet’s raw crackdown. During the time, this new ICEM try a threat-averse organisation, careful of debate and scared regarding unpleasant user governing bodies.

“Roberto undertook a good task but the guy don’t do so alone,” Silvia troubled. “He was section of a system. He would features sensed it egocentric to allege obligations. He sensed their task is actually essential but the guy never grabbed centre phase. The guy lay value for money on teamwork.”

Shortly after having escorted the fresh diplomats in the strengthening, Edelstam after that gone back to bed truth be told there that nights, in order to manage the brand new Chileans wanted by program

Perhaps one of the most courageous of the diplomats, exactly who spent some time working alongside Kozak about instant aftermath of your own coup, try the new later Swedish ambassador Harald Edelstam. Within the next community conflict, Edelstam got assisted Jews getting away from Norway so you’re able to Sweden. Today, inside the Chile, he had been trying to cut people from Pinochet’s regimen.

In a single well known incident, Edelstam involved the fresh help save off a huge selection of Cuban diplomats and you can Allende supporters caught up for the Cuban embassy during the Santiago, which was below fire away from Chilean tanks and you will troops who had been getting ready to storm the structure. Holding simply a beneficial Swedish banner, Edelstam went for the embassy and assisted negotiate safer passing getting new 147 Cuban diplomats. Before the avoid off 1973, Edelstam is actually announced persona non grata and you will expelled away from Chile.

Even if Italy had slash connections that have Chile after the coup, they kept diplomats for the Santiago. The brand new Italian embassy considering sanctuary to own 750 anyone escaping persecution. The usa, at the same time, had a great conflicted way of Chile: because CIA backed new coup, particular people in the state institution was in fact appalled from the occurrences that followed.

Kozak worked with most other diplomats and you may Catholic individual rights companies, such as the Vicariate off Solidarity, to share with you directories of individuals detained by the program. With her, Kozak, the fresh diplomats as well as the Vicariate easily turned into a message section having anguished family members searching for this new missing. Kozak carry out make an effort to go to specific detention centres to locate personal inmates. The guy managed to get toward some, but is always prohibited from those who work in which the interrogations and you can torture were very raw.

To their professionals, Kozak always looked preternaturally peaceful. “He was always written. It actually was outstanding,” said Infante. “He’d come to the newest sensuous and you can stuffy 3rd floors in order to inspect the fresh files. We had been the sweating and you may he could be inside a jacket and you will wrap, cold while the a seafood. The guy advised united states your documents must be meticulously dealt regarding, which they just weren’t documents, they certainly were human lives, well worth admiration.”

Emilio Barbarani, one of several Italian diplomats into the Santiago during the time, became close to Kozak. Considering Barbarani, who’s now 76, Kozak’s fundamental character are befriending elder rates on the Pinochet regime and effective them over so you can support the release of detainees. Just after good detainee got released, Kozak then was required to organise their go to secure havens overseas from the convincing international embassies to give her or him a visa. The initial stage within this techniques sometimes in it Kozak picking right up the fresh released prisoner off beyond your detention center. It must be completed to avoid them from becoming instantly recaptured otherwise “disappeared”. Following Kozak do cover her or him in the home or office if you are he made an effort to safer the getting away from Chile.