DINA Formally Established — Secret Police Created

Decree Law No. 521 formally creates the Directorate of National Intelligence (DINA), a secret police force answerable directly to Pinochet. Led by Colonel Manuel Contreras, DINA operates secret detention and torture centers across Chile. DINA agents infiltrate opposition organizations, universities, and labor unions. At its peak, DINA employs 4,000+ agents and an extensive network of informants. It becomes the primary instrument of state terrorism under Pinochet.