A completely updated edition—based on recently declassified archives and judicial investigations—of the story of the covert, U.S.-backed “anti-terrorist” network responsible for South America’s worst human rights abuses
First published nearly twenty years ago, distinguished journalist John Dinges’s “scrupulous, well-documented, and indignant” (Washington Post) Condor Years blew the lid off a secret intelligence-sharing, torture, and assassination program named Operation Condor, which helped Latin American dictatorships stay in power for a decade—all with the blessing of the United States.
In the ensuing years, Dinges has closely tracked a series of groundbreaking judicial investigations—and resulting trials of military officers—in Argentina and Chile, and gained access to the largest-ever trove of CIA and FBI files on Latin America, which were declassified in 2019. Delving into the full documentary record of this most pivotal period in Latin American history, Dinges undertook a major revision of his original book, creating this riveting new edition, of which over 75 percent is completely new material.
A “major contribution to the historical record” (Foreign Affairs), The Condor Years is now the definitive story of Latin American dictatorships and repression, with extensive new material on the U.S. role, new revelations about targeted assassinations and collaboration between different nations’ security and intelligence services, and the fullest accounting to date of the victims of this global program of terror. It is crucial reading for anyone who is seeking to understand Latin America today and the U.S.’s enabling of autocratic governments in our neighbors to the south.
Success of original edition: This is a fully revised and updated edition of a classic, critically-acclaimed book, reframed for a new generation of readers. The Condor Years sold over 10K in all editions.
New and newsworthy material: Three quarters of the new edition is totally new material based on access to newly declassified FBI and CIA archives, including whole new chapters on the U.S. involvement in the assassination scheme. The story of the book itself is newsworthy, as evidence of Condor continues to be uncovered in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, and in the United States.
Revived interest in Chile: The nation’s radically democratic constitution is in the news, including the front pages of the New York Times, following the success of a left-wing coalition last year.
Newsworthy: Describes how authoritarian regimes collaborate with one another to go after their enemies; author is eager to speak about the relevance to today—from Russia to China and beyond.
Author platform: Dinges is the leading expert on authoritarian regimes in Latin America, widely published in mainstream media, and is renowned among human rights experts for first exposing Operation Condor.
Endorsements: We will add new endorsements for this edition from prominent authors including Philippe Sands, Greg Grandin, and Eduardo Galeano.
