Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 36, Number 23. 23rd September 1973

"In War One Has To Kill"

"In War One Has To Kill"

The year 1972 was one of sharp struggle between the bourgeoisie and Popular Unity. There had been the "empty pots" demonstrations organised by the right and the truck owners strike in October, But things came to a head in June of this year.

Sections of the armed forces launched a premature coup on June 29 which was put down in a few hours. Allende and the national labour federation called on the workers to seize the factories. Peasants began seizing farms in the countryside. In his first radio broadcast Allende called on the workers to stage armed street demonstrations, but one hour later, when it became apparent that the coup would fail, he asked the people to "stay in their places of work." Later in the day, at a huge workers' demonstration calls were made for shutting down the Congress. But Allende refused to do this and earned the meeting's intense displeasure.

Image of a man with glasses and a 'Viva Allende' speech bubble

The bourgeoisie replied with a coordinated offensive which was met by passivity and impotence by Popular Unity. The Christian Democrats demanded throughout August that Popular Unity form a military cabinet, disarm groups on the left and right, restore the factories and farms seized by the workers and peasants since June 29, and approve a bill that would define the private, state and mixed sectors, of the economy. This was a demand for Popular Unity's surrender. Allende refused this and reshuffled his cabinet four times in a month, bringing into it elements of the armed forces.

Working in close unity with the leaders of the National Party and Christian Democrats, the fascists launched armed terrorist raids against state property and cadres. The middle classes began their strikes. The truck owners went out in August pledged to bring down the government. Professional organisations followed them. The naked language of class struggle was expressed by the director of the medical college which supported the doctors' strike: "It is true people die for lack of medical attention. In war one has to kill." (August 28)

The armed forces and the police carried out repression against the left-wing. Despite Allende's pathetic declarations that "the armed forces of Chile are an expression of its people", the army and police disarmed, jailed, tortured and murdered militant workers and students; later they answered the fervant pleas of the bourgeoisie for "order". Late in August the Christian Democrat and National Parties passed a declaration in the Congress accusing the Popular Unity government of "serious violations of legal and constitutional order" and calling on the armed forces "to direct the government's action".

To the end Popular Unity pursued the "peaceful" path. Even as the bourgeois offensive reached its height, the government refused to arm the working class and peasantry. Despite Allende's declarations that if the bourgeoisie continued its struggle he would arm the people — a hollow threat to frighten them — Popular Unity continued to place its faith in the loyalty of the armed forces. The contemptible Corvalan had stated back in its early days that the formation of an armed people's militia " in the present situation.... would be equivalent to showing distrust in the army.... It is not a body alien to the nation, in the service of antinational interests. It must be won for the cause of progress in Chile and not pushed to other side of the barricades."