September 11, 1973 in Santiago, Chile, aircraft bombed La Moneda, the presidential palace
in which refugee President Allende.Son government was overthrown by a military coup led by
General Pinochet, marking the advent of a authoritarian to boot the United States. After
three years of Popular Unity regime has tried to avoid social confrontation, the
"revolution" democratic Allende and without violence, is drowned in a bloodbath by the
army. ---- Since 1970, Chile has been governed by the Unidad Popular ("Popular Unity",
UP), a coalition of the Socialist Party (PS), the Communist Party (PC), the Radical Party
and the People's Action Movement Unit (MAPUs ) from the left of the Christian Democracy.
Its candidate, Salvador Allende [ 1 ], is elected after six years in office of the
Christian Democrat Eduardo Frei, marked by an increase in social struggles.
But from the beginning the UP government with the fear of a coup. Allende said in 1971: "
For us, if the army out of the law, it is civil war. It is Indonesia. Do you think the
workers leave off their industries? Farmers and their land? There will be one hundred
thousand dead, it will be a bloodbath. "
In the weeks that followed September 11, 1973, the death toll is estimated at 30,000. The
coup and the dictatorship of the junta led by Augusto Pinochet's ambition is to completely
destroy the labor movement: all leftist organizations and trade unions are banned all
political activity is suspended, 300,000 layoffs are ordered in one year (10% of
employees), the army decreed compulsory tracked, any employee by his boss and
concentration camps were hastily organized (three months after the coup, 18,000 people
were there). Until the end of the dictatorship in 1990, more than 38,000 people were
tortured and at least 3,200 were killed or missing [ 2 ].
Allende and most of the UP, the "Chilean road to socialism" must take place exclusively
within the democratic framework, which represents a significant difference with various
socialist movements and / or Latin American revolutionaries who favored strategy
guerrilla. This peaceful way requires an alliance with all progressive sectors of Chilean
politics.
Marching towards socialism!
If it happens well ahead of the 1970 election, Allende has only 36.3% of the votes ahead
of Jorge Alessandri, the candidate of the National Party (right) and Radomiro Tomic of the
Christian Democracy (DC). This is the convention [ 3 ] which shall elect the President and
the UP is minority.
The CIA, which had already begun before the elections work to destabilize UP will then
push for DC postpones its votes to Alessandri [ 4 ]. But Allende negotiating with DC and
received his support in exchange for an agreement called "warranty status Liberties" which
provides for the tenure of officials (thus maintaining the administration of former
President), limited mobilization popular respect for republican institutions and
explicitly limits the role of popular organizations " neighborhood associations, workers
centers, unions, cooperatives and other social organizations [...] can not claim to
represent the people or replace it or attempt to exercise powers belonging to the
political authorities. "
October 24, Allende is designated by Congress as president. But UP is a relative majority
in Congress, before the DC and the National Party.
Despite this, Allende manages to complete the agrarian reform of its predecessor: 100 000
farmers have received land (but 30% of the peasantry remains landless). In 1971, he took
over the nationalization of large companies to bring out a "social and mixed sector" in
which the UP promotes a system of worker participation in management.
At the end of the year, 90% of the financial and banking sector, and almost all mining and
the steel industry was nationalized, social ownership of other sectors of the Chilean
economy has also been extended (energy, transport, etc..). Total state control nearly 70%
of the gross national product, which allows the government to launch the great "battle of
production."
Finally at the same time comprehensive reforms are undertaken to improve the lives of the
masses, increasing the salaries of about 35 to 100% by creating housing, continuing
reforms of the education system, etc.. One of the most popular at the time action is the
distribution by the State of a pint of milk per day per baby. To finance these reforms the
government relies on copper mining considered the true " wage of Chile "by Allende.
Allende enjoys significant popular support. The only relatively large left party which
remains outside of the UP, the Movimiento de Izquierda Revolucionaria (Movement of the
Revolutionary Left, MIR, an organization Castro type) provides critical support to the UP.
Single union, the Central Unica de Trabajadores (Single Confederation of Workers, CUT),
which brings together nearly 700 000 people in 1970 (about 2.8 million people) is under
the control of the PC.
But to get the nationalization law, Allende must negotiate with the DC for the majority in
Congress. It must grant a reduction to 91 the number of companies involved instead of the
245 included in the program. These are the important popular mobilizations, including a
large number of factory occupations, which will force the UP to eventually nationalize 202
companies instead of 91 5. Of these 202 companies nationalized, 152 were occupied by
workers before any government approach [ 5 ].
A revolution "from below"?
When the economic situation deteriorated in 1972, primarily due to a significant decline
in copper prices, the social struggles are growing. To fight against inflation and avoid
the black market, the government appealed to the people asking him to be a "junta for the
supply and price controls" (JAP).
But unions, associations of people living in settlements and slums ( settlers ) and farmer
organizations far beyond this role. In May 1972, the strikes are increasing, especially in
the private sector for integration into the social sector. In June, the peasants occupy
Maipu 150 areas, and exhibit together with the working men and women of the neighboring
town of Cerrillos (Santiago suburb). On this occasion is created the first "industrial
belt", an organization bringing together delegates from various popular movements (unions,
parties, neighborhood organizations, JAP...) territory. This cable meets the shortcomings
of the CUT, the various unions are very remote and bureaucratic, which greatly limits
contacts and exchanges at the base.
Face tensions, the government decreed in June 1972 a pause in the march towards socialism.
A decree shall return to their owners occupied factories. The right opportunity to launch
a commercial strike. Militia of the fascist organization Patria y Libertad ("Fatherland
and Freedom", P & L) or employers militias prevent the police and administration to reopen
the businesses. A coup is foiled, but at the continuing seeming threat, CUT UP and call
for the establishment of committees of defense in case of coup.
Dress rehearsal
In October 1972, the right renewed the offensive by launching a "strike" of closing
factories and block transport to sabotage the economy. On October 11, the strike spread to
the liberal professions, traders, transport companies. The strike fails through popular
mobilization in the form of self-defense, industrial cords or communal commandos
committees, provides transportation, distribution, supply and even production in occupied
factories or operation of hospitals.
His side the military government includes ministers in January 1973, and that two
ministers (socialists and communists) from the CUT, and resubmit a bill to restore to
their owners 43 companies occupied.
Somehow this lockout has reinforced the popular movement, generalizing cords, but also UP:
elections of March 1973 give it 43.7% of the vote, allowing him to gain few, but achieve
an absolute majority. At the same time, the DC clearly joined the right: parliamentary
vote is still more secure than before and the climate is increasingly violent.
Commandos P & L detonate the premises of the left and a new coup planned for June 27 is
discovered. The arrest June 26 general instigators will only extend the deadline to 29.
While the presidential palace was attacked by tanks, CUT demand for workers to occupy the
factories and UP stands ready to arm "when needed". Popular mobilization is rapid
occupation of hundreds of factories and rural areas, strengthening defense committees,
creating a coordination of all industrial countries cords... The management of the
remaining mostly faithful army, under the command of General Prats, she obtained the
surrender of the mutineers. The UP will retain this episode loyalty of the army. But on
the side of the coup, it draws lessons: General Pinochet said later that 29 June was as
the finger of God pointing to the weaknesses of his plan.
Allende once again request the return of occupied factories to their owners.
The army commands
During the summer, the strategy of tension set up by the right is increasing (P & L
attacks, strikes truckers, traders or doctors). But it is especially the army basking in
the success of 29 June, which begins operations preparatory to his coup of September 11.
Under the pretext of avoiding a civil war, it leads, with the agreement of the President,
search operations in large organizations left exhaust factories, raids on popular weapons
research areas (in under a law on gun control passed by the UP in October 1972), always
with a massive deployment of troops, and FILING examination of all activists present.
Despite this, President Allende does not lose the support of the left. On 4 September
1973, more than 700,000 people march in support to his palace. The next day coordination
leads writing to ask him how to defend himself and threatens to stop supporting the
government: " You will be responsible for having taken the country, not to a civil war,
since it is already course, but a cold killing, planned, the most conscious working class
and best organized of all of Latin America. "
During the night of September 10 to 11, the fleet returns to port of Valparaiso after
throwing overboard all the sailors who oppose the coup, then assumed control of the city.
Warned 6:30 Allende fails to join Pinochet and therefore called the carabinieri to defend
Moneda. At 8 am, he speaks on the radio, calling for the loyalty of the army, but as soon
as the junta is expressed in turn on the air, the majority of carabinieri leaves the palace.
The parties UP decide not to call the people to a fight that seems too uneven to be won.
The palace was bombed at 12:30 and overcomes the assault of the last defenders 20 to 14h.
Allende committed suicide.
Popular power?
Across the country, the defense committees meet, occupy factories or public places,
waiting arms as rumored. After a few hours or days, demobilization is fast, weapons do not
come and the few places that try to resist with low arms, like plant SUMAR are swept by
aerial bombardment.
Still massive popular support to the President and the significant degree of organization
of the proletariat Chilean military had been thinking that it would take days or even
weeks of fierce fighting to end the UP. Yet after a few days, everything was settled, and
the majority of Western governments recognize the new regime of the junta before the end
of the month.
Despite the revolutionary potential and strength of popular movements, they remained
dependent on political parties who chose a strategy of "revolution by stages", assuming
the integration of certain strata of the bourgeoisie in a popular national alliance which
would develop a self-centered capitalism. Despite its failures, this strategy directly
from the XXth Congress of the Soviet Communist Party, has yet been followed through with
the obsession to ally with Christian Democracy and thus does not frighten him. People
power was talking about the PC or Chilean PS should remain an auxiliary democratic
institutions. Participation in enterprises in the social sector has been limited to a few
elected union officials, although it has often been the cause of dynamic control at the
base for a real democratization of the plant [ 6 ].
Despite the emergence of this popular power, there has never been a situation of dual
power in Chile since the cords have never been able to act independently from the
Government of UP.
Guillermo (AL Angers) and Renaud (AL Alsace)
[ 1 ] Salvador Allende, MD, is the founder of PS, former Minister of Health in 1939 the
Popular Front government of Pedro Aguirre Cerda and Senate president from 1966.
http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/spip.php?article5511#nh1
[ 2 ] These figures established by the new Commission on Human Rights in 2011 (from 32,000
testimonials) are challenged by the victims' families since two thirds of evidence have
been excluded. The figures are well below the reality.
[ 3 ] The Congress is composed of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
[ 4 ] 4. Franck Gaudichaud, Study on the dynamics of the Chilean urban social movement
"people power" and industrial cords during the government of Salvador Allende (1970-1973),
PhD thesis at the University of Paris 8.
[ 5 ] See Frank Gaudichaud, "The single central workers, the labor movement and industrial
cords during the Popular Unity (1970-1973)" in Dissidences No. 14/15 October 20003-January
2004.
[ 6 ] Frank Guichaud, in Dissidences op. cit.
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