Tion revealed the whole paradox rity. In the name of the working captured the decisive apparatus ent. But the bourgeois state, and repression, stayed intact. remained the final guarantor of of the right wing and They tolerated the Allende r a while; but when it looked as if ass was getting out ot control, for the kill aning of 1973 pressure from the up. Middle class students from Jniversity demonstrated against of the bourgeoisie clamoured for ervene and overthrow the 'MarxThe military carried out hunagainst left-wing strongholds towns where the poor and left-wing political offices. ation was one of crisis. 1973 a section of the army led by Souper attempted a coup. he Second Armoured Regiment presidental palace and ence. But only a small part of es joined the coup. - it was easiforces who remained "loyal' to med that Souper had jumped the in of the workers to the attempspeedy. During the day, as the h in Santiago's streets, the parUnity met and decided to the workers. On the evening nore than a million workers n the streets of Santiago against ende addressed them he 'hit the reactionaries hard' plotters. The left demanded Do been disten earler should be distribute guns and his government this was The defeated coup put the right guns. During the day many cupied their factories and they them. It was the decisive moand Popular Unity acted in posite way. Instead of taking to strike hard at the right wing, decided that the only way out ther concessions. ted a wide range of right-wing his cabinet, in particular the ocrats. When they demanded also be brought in, Allende ugust. sty and desperate concessions, ignalled his weakness to the ary became convinced that they him without too much of a September the blow was struck.
the darkness of military dicpression. Chile Solidarity Campaign two of its closest allies.
ternationally propriate response to General Haig has responded predictably, with a Soviet Union who he claims are inciting the El Salvadoran people, and indeed all those struggling for freedom and democracy in Latin America, to a revolutionary position would not otherwise be taking. This argument is wearing extremely thin.
Reagan cannot win support for his policies towards Latin America his allies, except for support of the British government. So Reagan has turned to the dictatorships of America, just as the jeopardising US long term interests in Africa, he the over their invasion of Angola.
Precedent In response to the FrenchMexican initiative on El Salvador, nine Foreign Ministers issued a communique describing this 'very serious precedent' which 'far contributing solution to the problem, by trying to bring it to international attention, promotes its worsenin The nine are no surprise: the Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, ombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, Republic and Venezuela. Significantly, the US evell here, in that the most imporlail nation In wall America, Brazil, would not sign the communique. to The dictators of America must be pleased that Reagan is not only supporting their internal fights they grating them into a continent- 'Communism' wide 'bastion of freedom'. is because they realise the impetus to all opposition fighters provided by the victory and the possibility of victory in El Salvador.
Alliance in August, US Ambassador to the United Nations, Jeanne Kirkpatrick, toured America to establish this continental alliance. . In some cases she went too far. Costa to fight against terrorism. Nem with son raning tOP press some training for ure bonce Such training would presumably be similar to that given to other police forces in Latin america, such as the notorious DINA in Chile (now renamed CNI).
Senor Monge, a. Social THE SUPPORT given by Mexico and France to the revolutionary movement of the El Salvadoran people, both the FDR and the FMLN, has thrown US foreign policy in Latin America into disarray.
It has startled the Reagan administration into realising its inability to control the foreign policy of More importantly for the people of Latin America, the position taken by France and Mexico has been inrecognised as a positive response to the brutality and dictatorial rule of President Duarte in El Salvador, and particularly an ap the reports last month of decapitations in both El Salvador and Guatemala.
Democrat politician tipped to vehetheir patrick's kind offer: been fighting a lonely battle so far. Costa Rica offers a great they opportunity for States to show that the prowith democratically. people not to take the Marxistwestern the passive them an alternative. Favourable Latin at risk of more favourable response, is fully the military regimes of Chile, Africans Uruguay and ponding warmly to the idea of Brigade' rule merely be stepping up the visers they President Pinochet's loyalty Santiago in November usual DINA team coming Col Washington - and so did not prevent Embassy Row Dominicar Popular Unity Minister Orlando Letelier, in September 1976. : failed The Chilean Government is Latin America. excellent example Latin CHOLICE ot fear the effects of the unsuppressable demands of the people on their against inte- internal security Pinochet position of monetarist policies This was going very well, necessary repression that went in with it was being efficiently and ago he introduced a new ConSOLACON Chilean people to rule for the rest of this century with himself at the helm This year, events in Central America Latin Chilean more strongly than at any other time since the military Rica that they are not prepared to let this happen. position are now working close.
Kirkpatrick Trade - the illegal Union *Committee approaching workers in Chile).
In June the Trade Union Coordinating presented to Pinochet tional Petition of Chile, spelling out the basic demands of the workers. Pinochet has been and logical the United to defend dictatorial 'adalready have proDuarte. the assassination in of former It provides-an how the revolutionary felt that his imunable to to RoDen national which sentencea ine dictatorial the General inspired by the But as the SOWE prisoned, take their place.
The political : 00° Exiled National Coordinating visit to Chile, (which represent millio: porting Committee 'Nasion.
Even Millions of books, periodicals, papers in flames silence the his rule that reflects and has encouraged It is now assumed in Chile demonstrations executive the Trade Union Coordinating Committee were arrested, anc Secretary President are still being held.
• soon as some activists are taken and tortured, imbanished to remote tion areas of Chile or exiled, others (2.30pm Just after Mrs Kirkpatrick's chucal tinne Pinochet exiled pouring dine almands of the vince demands tion of the trade unionists. Included in the four was a Christian Democrat, Jaime Castille, who is President of the Human Rights Commisand Pinochet cannot America. stretch to calling him a puppet of International Communism Pinochet has spent the last eight years assuring the worlo of the stability of his rule, anc the crisis of the Chilean dietatorship reflects the threatened state of all repressive regimes in the continent. Support The National Demonstraon Sunday 20 September organised by the Chile Soliarit Campaign with the support of the other Latin America Committees therefore comes at a It will serve to further con: the Reagan administrabankruptcy of its towards Latin America, and will show that the British labour movement supports the struggle for freedom democracy in Latin By a massive turnout on the 20th we can show the Thatcher government the opposition in Britain to their support for dic tatorial regimes Latin America and demand that they stop harassing the governments of Nicaragua and Grenada. Challenge British foreign policy has for too long been something that has gone unchallenged Now is the time to stop this. In the demonstration September we must show the present government we are no prepared to sit back and watch them fund fascism and fight against democratic revolu tionary movements In the Labour Party Specia Conference on Foreign Polic on 7 November we can start to ensure that the next Labour reflect the foreign policy of the labour movement. oi the multinationals and the USA.
Socialist Challenge 17 September 1981
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