“I want to tell you and my friends back home that I made this decision to avoid becoming a political murderer, to be able to look you and them straight in the eye, and to show you and others the path to freedom.” – Ion Mihai Pacepa for Radio Free Europe
Pacepa fled Romania in July 1978, a move seen as a major blow to the Ceaușescu regime, being the highest-ranking communist official to defect to the West. A few years later, he published “Red Horizons,” a book detailing the lives and activities of communist leaders, including Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu. Pacepa’s interviews and testimonies reveal that he fled to avoid becoming a political murderer, criticizing the regime for assassination orders and attacks against opponents, including the staff at Radio Free Europe.
After his defection, opinions about Pacepa were divided. He was seen as either a hero, a traitor, a spy genius, or a repentant man. His departure had significant consequences. Externally, it damaged the image of openness to the West that Ceaușescu was trying to build. Internally, it led to administrative changes in the Security Institution, tightening control and professional secrecy norms.
Pacepa died in February 2021. Today, some researchers view him as someone who managed to expose the rot of the Ceaușescu regime, contributing to its weakening. However, perceptions remain divided, with some considering him a traitor and others a hero of rediscovered conscience.
Visit the Museum of Communism in Bucharest (6 Covaci) to discover more truly fascinating stories from the communist period in Romania.
