When Salvador Allende came to power, Schäfer had his community turn the compound into a fortress in fear of dispossession. He smuggled weapons from Germany knowing that containers for his charitable organization were not checked by customs, including machine guns which were soon copied in his machine shops. Schäfer invited Roberto Thieme, son of a German Nazi, and other opponents offering them the Colonia as a centre for planning a coup against Allende. During this time Schäfer started treating children with electric shocks, also to their genitalia, to keep them in line.