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From: myers@uwvax.ARPA (Jeff Myers)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Chile - (nf)
Message-ID: <1078@uwvax.ARPA>
Date: Sat, 17-Sep-83 02:19:54 EDT
Article-I.D.: uwvax.1078
Posted: Sat Sep 17 02:19:54 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 18-Sep-83 04:02:27 EDT
References: <2814@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
Lines: 54

Ah, I was hoping someone out there knew where Chile was.  uiucdcs!grunwald
has something in common with me and many of our companero netters out there --
in 1973 we were little squirts and didn't give a damn about what little the
US media told us about events in Chile.

Mr. Grunwald's article really struck home to me,  for a set of reasons.
First, my first research paper here at the UW-Madison focused on Chile,
during which time I caught up on what I had missed when I was 14.  Second,
10 years ago last Sunday, the Presidential palace of Chile was strafed and
bombarded by the Chilean air force when it contained only Presidente Salvador
Allende and those few close advisors who chose to die with him.  He had sent
the Presidential guard and everyone he could convince to go away before the
assault began.  The brutal military coup which brought Chile Augusto Pinochet
occurred on September 11th, 1973.  Third, the entire last week here in
Madison has been devoted to a series of activities in remembrance of that
event, when the aspirations of the Chilean people to control their own destiny
was cut short.  A number of speakers have appeared; academics, a member of the
Christian Left in Allende's government (Luis Maira), Allende's Minister of
Mining and close economic advisor, various exiled members of the Chilean Left.
Fourth, I just got back from a showing of the movie "Missing", which describes
the events surrounding the execution of Charles Horman by the Chilean military
(with probable knowledge and approval by US officials then in Chile), and his
wife's and father's search for him.  What was special about this showing was
that Charlie's wife, Joyce Horman, was there to speak beforehand.  Incidentally,
she is now working in New York as, of all things, a computer analyst (whatever
that is).

Mr. Grunwald requested information about documentation on the US involvement
in Allende's overthrow.  It is extensive, and I will suggest places to look
as a start (for rabbit!jj 's benefit; I hope it makes him feel good
to be noticed).  One place to start to get an overall view of the situation
is Thomas Hauser's book, "Missing".  However, if you want to get right into
the hardcore evidence, look up the Select Senate Committee on Intelligence
Activities report on the CIA's operations in Chile.  For a laugh, read
Kissenger's memoirs.  If anyone is interested in additional references
(Mr. Grunwald in particular), I will be happy to scrounge around in my office
and provide them.  One additional point: it is not true that a VAST majority
of the Chilean people opposed Allende's government; in the 1972 elections,
after two years of Allende's administration,  44% of the votes went to the
UP coalition, up from 36% in the 1970 elections.  Allende's government was
the FIRST government in Chilean history (Chile was a democracy since about
1850) to increase its vote after two years in office.

What about Chile in 1983?  Well, it now seems certain that Pinochet's days
are numbered, but how many dead will there be before a return to democracy?
Pinochet is now universally detested, even by the CDU and the truckers who
were instrumental in his installation in the first place.  Let us hope that
true democracy returns to Chile, and that the US will not smash democracy
where it does not conform to imperialist foreign policy interests in the
future.  It is up to us to make sure that people are not slaughtered for the
well being of ITT, Anaconda copper, and Kennecott ever again.

Value life, and not rhetoric,
Jeff Myers