Editing Brazilian Advanced War College (section)

==Connections to Operation Condor==
===Operation Condor Overview===
[[Operation Condor]] was a U.S.-backed, CIA conducted, campaign of political repression and state terror, formalized in November 1975, involving coups installing military dictatorships in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay (later joined by Ecuador and Peru). Coordinated by Chile’s DINA (Dirección de Inteligencia Nacional), Condor aimed to eliminate leftist activists, dissidents, and perceived subversives through cross-border intelligence sharing, kidnappings, torture, disappearances, and assassinations. It resulted in an estimated 60,000–80,000 deaths and 400,000 political prisoners across the region.
===Brazil’s Role in Condor===
Brazil was a formal member of Operation Condor, with its military regime (1964–1985) actively participating in intelligence coordination and repression. Key aspects include:

Initial Meetings: A declassified CIA document from June 23, 1976, notes that security officials from Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia met in Buenos Aires in early 1974 to plan coordinated actions against “subversive targets,” with Brazil’s involvement formalized by May 1976.

Repression Activities: Brazil contributed to Condor’s intelligence-sharing network, [[Condortel]], and its computerized database, which stored information on thousands of suspected dissidents. Brazilian military and police units abducted and transferred activists, such as Norberto Habegger (1978) and Mónica Pinus de Binstock (1980), to Argentina for detention and likely execution.

Alleged Poisonings: The 2013 documentary Dossiê Jango implicated a Condor-linked bacteriological warfare laboratory in [[Colonia Dignidad]], Chile, in the poisoning of Brazil’s deposed president João Goulart (died 1976).

Limited Engagement: Brazil’s participation waned by 1977, as a CIA document from December 28, 1977, indicates Brazil withdrew its observers from Condor after attempting to assert leadership at a 1976 meeting in Santiago, facing resistance from other members.
===ESG’s Connection to Condor===
The ESG’s connection to Operation Condor is significant, rooted in its role as a training ground for Brazil’s military elite and its ideological alignment with Condor’s anti-communist objectives:

Training of Condor Operatives: ESG graduates were assigned to Condor units, the school trained many officers who led Brazil’s military regime during Condor’s peak (1975–1985). For example, General Ernesto Geisel (president, 1974–1979) and General João Figueiredo (president, 1979–1985), both ESG alumni, oversaw Brazil’s participation in Condor. The ESG’s emphasis on counterinsurgency and psychological warfare mirrored Condor’s tactics, as noted in CIA reports on Condor’s “non-violent activities” like propaganda campaigns.

Ideological Foundation: The ESG’s National Security Doctrine provided the intellectual framework for Brazil’s repressive policies, justifying the targeting of “subversives” as a national security imperative. This doctrine aligned with Condor’s goal of eradicating leftist movements, fostering a mindset among ESG-trained officers that supported cross-border repression.

Regional Cooperation: The ESG promoted hemispheric defense concepts, advocating for coordination among Latin American militaries, a principle reflected in Condor’s multinational structure. A 1968 statement by U.S. General Robert W. Porter, cited by historian J. Patrice McSherry, emphasized U.S. efforts to foster “inter-service and regional cooperation” in Latin America, with institutions like the ESG serving as hubs for such collaboration.

SOA Overlap: Many ESG instructors and graduates attended the SOA, where Condor operatives from other countries, such as Chile’s Manuel Contreras, also trained. The SOA’s curriculum, including torture and interrogation techniques, was disseminated to ESG-trained officers, potentially influencing Brazil’s Condor-related activities.