The 35 Years Since the Fascist Military Coup of 1973

Chilean Communist Party (Proletarian Action)

In a few days it will be 35 years since the fascist military coup of 1973. The Chilean Communist Party (Proletarian Action) – PC (AP) – pays homage to the victims of fascism and to the fighters for the popular democratic revolution.

It has been 35 years since September 11, 1973, the day on which local reaction, the same old exploiters, their political, religious and business representatives, at the command of the Yankee imperialists, brought the Armed Forces and police into the streets and neighbourhoods, into the factories, fields and towns where the workers and popular masses live, work and study. They were sent to drown in blood and fire the perspective of the social and national revolution that grew in the people and was demanded by society, to erase the democratic and social political conquests reached under the government of Salvador Allende. We consider it necessary above all to state that:

1) We must expose the political and social reality of the country, where the political parties stand by their politics and practices, both those that are directly part of the government, as well as those that share the power and the administrative, economic and legislative management from the position of a so-called opposition and those that call themselves leftist and try to appear ‘red’ on dates such as September 11.

2) Chile is living under the domination of the neo-liberal capitalist model and of the Political Constitution of 1980, inherited from the fascist military dictatorship of Pinochet. The model and Constitution have been perfected and adapted by successive (new right) ‘concertationist’ governments in unity with the (old fascist right) ‘alliance’ governments.

We are living under the domination of the political, social and economic objectives established by reaction which, after September 11, knife in hand, assaulted the government, bathed the country in blood, left the popular masses hungry and sold the economic and political sovereignty of the country to the imperialist powers.

The Chile of today not only has not broken with the aims of the military coup of 1973; rather it has established them broadly, thus totally unmasking the supposedly ‘democratic’, ‘progressive’ and even ‘leftist’ character of the ‘concertation’, which has administered the State for almost two decades.

3) We are living under the dictatorship of the monopolies and of imperialist capital, the alienation of our national and social sovereignty, the deepest social differentiation, the denial of the national rights to the indigenous peoples. We are living under open, police and media repression of the social mobilisations, which are ignored and criminalised; finally, we are witnessing the rule of the continuation of the dictatorship under a ‘democratic’ disguise.

4) In the heart of the peoples and popular masses of the country, most recently, the resistance to the dominant politics has had and continues to take various forms. The subcontracted copper workers, the traditional fisherfolk, temporary workers, peasants in agro-industry, employees and workers in the public sector, the Mapuche people, the students, neighbourhood residents and others have all shown a great deal of combativeness on a mass scale.

Without a doubt we can state that today, the increase in the cost of living, the low salaries and terrible conditions of work, unemployment, the insufficient and unequal benefits for health, education and housing, the corruption, the large shady deals (Transantiago, railroads, ports, highways, privatised jails, etc..) are clear examples of the anti-worker, anti-popular and anti-national character of the dominant policies and the rise of new and higher phases of the popular struggle and uprisings, in search of a Popular and Democratic solution.

5) It is clear that the neo-liberal model is contrary to national independence, popular sovereignty and social justice. It is being rejected by the broad popular majority, as is seen in the powerful social mobilisations (even though they are lacking in political clarity). This is understood by the ‘concertation’, which combines repression of the popular struggle with the buying off of those leaders and organisations who call themselves of the ‘workers’, of the ‘people’ and even of the ‘left’. It is also understood by the ‘alliance’, which shamefully and with unlimited demagogy, is using the effects and consequences of its own model to fight for greater interference and power in the state administration itself.

From a point of view of Popular Democratic and Socialist interests, it is most urgent to reconstruct the broadest popular unity, along its own road, of resolute struggle that goes beyond the old ‘unities of the left’ in all aspects. These have not been able to take up the political demand of our time, the struggle to throw out the whole neo-liberal model and its false ‘democracy’. It begins by imposing a National Constituent Assembly and developing a new Political Constitution that reflects the political, economic and social aspirations of the majority of the people of the country. Therefore, we call for the building of a great Popular Democratic Broad Front, which by its programme and politics and its organic expression, cannot be just a platform to enter into pacts with the administrators of the national and social exploitation.

6) Thirty-five years after September 11, 1973, after 35 years of anti-national, anti-popular and anti-worker regime, of national and social super-exploitation, we pay homage to those who have given their lives for the rights of the people, yesterday under open dictatorship and today under a false ‘democracy’. We communists of the Communist Party (Proletarian Action) – PC(AP) reaffirm and call on others to reaffirm the road of consistent struggle of open battle against imperialism and its neo-liberal political forms, both the ‘concertation’ and the ‘alliance’, and not of ‘making agreements’ with them.

Our call goes out to all those who say they are of the workers and peoples of Chile, but mainly to the social organisations, the rank-and-file comrades, to not prettify those who are going around seeking recognition, crumbs from the system, the non exclusion of part of the administrators of the capitalist system in its neo-liberal version.

It is time to break with the model imposed by blood and fire by the fascist military dictatorship and administered by the ‘concertation’, in close association with the ‘alliance’. It is the time to really advance to the dismantling of reactionary institutions, of the Constitution of 1980 and to develop a new economy at the service of the independent development of the country and of the realisation of the popular demands in all spheres. It is the time for a new, Democratic and Popular Chile.

Let us pay homage to the anti-fascist fighters by struggling today against the fascist heritage and those who administer it, by breaking with the false ‘democracy’!

Let us form a great Popular Democratic Broad Front, an essential tool to open the way to the correct leadership of the revolutionary and popular movement!

It is the time to fight and not to make pacts with the neo-liberals and their political groups!

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