Declassified CIA Docs Reveal Surveillance of Chicano Activists
Among the individuals scrutinized by the CIA were Denver-based activist Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales.
Newly declassified CIA documents obtained by Axios shed light on the agency's surveillance of Chicano activists during the 1960s and 1970s, confirming long-standing allegations of governmental monitoring of civil rights movements.
The documents, released in late December at the request of Reps. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) and Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), span from 1968 to 1983 and reveal a detailed effort to track key figures and groups within the Chicano movement.
Among the individuals scrutinized by the CIA were Denver-based activist Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales, a prominent leader in the Chicano rights movement, and farmworker union icon César Chávez, both of whom are well-known for their advocacy for Mexican-American communities.
The agency also kept tabs on student activists involved in the Chicano civil rights movement, particularly in Arizona, California, and Colorado, with reports showing that undercover agents infiltrated student organizations in these regions.
The documents further show that the CIA closely monitored figures like Salvatore H. Castro, a teacher who played a pivotal role in the 1968 Los Angeles high school walkouts, which were sparked by discrimination against Mexican-American students.
The agency also tracked members of the Brown Berets, a militant group that emerged in the late 1960s as part of the broader Chicano movement.
These revelations provide new insights into the extent of governmental surveillance during a period of heightened social and political activism within minority communities.
Read the full column at Axios and follow the Daily Chela to keep up with the latest in Chicano news and culture.