and heat and power procus. houses schools improving health care.
In short, planning national spending for need not private profit. In Britain, incalculably wealthy by Central American standards, our government claims not to be able to afford to build houses, health centres or even maintain the existing number of hospitals.
The over-riding imDICAS OSAS one of deter mination. Every public building is festooned with posters proclaiming the fourth anniversarv of the Sandinista victory 'Todas los atlas People continually ask whv thev are now being lectured by the United States about the need for free elections when the Somoza dictatorship spent nearly fifty years denying the people basic freedoms and certainly never allowed a free choice of government.
The obsession of the US administration with military and economic encas achieved an eciect oy has achieved an effect uniting most un e population in determinatron to keep, despite all the shortages and tribulations, undeniable gains and a
NEXT Sunday marks 1oth anniversary military coup in Chile. The coup sent shock through the workers moveconstitutional road' shattered. Here, concluding our series on Unity government, eban, a member of the Partido Socialista tionaria, the Chilean section of the Fourth International, discusses the day of the coup itself.
At six o'clock in the morning Salvador Allende was awakened with a telephone report that troops were advancing on the Moneda, the presidential palace. He there quickly accompanied by his personal guard of twenty, armed with automatic rifles, submachine guns and a bazooka. they organised their defensive positions.
At 9am the president addressed the country. By that time the army had captured 27 of Santiago's 29 radio stations. But through the remaining two, 'Allende was able to broadcast his final message. called on the workers to go to the The Moneda Palace bombed by the air force on the day of the coup the the: further instructions.
waves unmistakable admission of farewell to the Chilean workers.
He said:
were the Popular justice, who gave his the Constitution and the law.
Eastmemory will be.
Revoluthan cater the great later, ter society.
with death.
Crushed Once there been expecting.
The tories and tri to wall tor instruchols.
He Socialist Action 9 September 1983. factories, occupy them and wait for The first part of his speech seemed to be calling on the workers to prepare for combat. But the second part was an defeat, a 'People of my country, I want to thank you for the loyalty which you have always shown, the trust that you have placed in a man who was only the interpreter of the great desire for word to respect will always be beside you, or at least my I have faith in Chile and her destiny. Other men will overcome this grey and bitter moment. May muCh soone the great avenues through which free men will pass to build a betLong Live Chile!' army nad been broadcasting a communique explaining the reasons for their action, and warning that resistance would be punished Thousands of workers rushed to their workplaces to occupy the posts in which they expected the final battle with the class enemy. After all, Popular Unity had been threatened many times during its three years in government, aid guns if the need occurred pris mised guns if the need occurred. morning looked like the battle they had navy, workers blockaded the factones around Santiago. Popular Unity to fortify the shanty people on the ground told the workers The workers demanded guns instead, and were pro. mised they would be distributed. Many thousands of workers were slaughtered Salvador Allende with army generals in their factories still waiting for the guns which never came.
By 10am the had given an ultimatum to Allende at the Moneda palace to surrender and to hana over his post to the combined force of army, and militia which was carrying out the coup They that if he refused the Moneda would be attacked at 1lam.
Just before noon the began. Two Hawker Hunter streaked across the Santiago skyline, making sortie after sortie against palace. As the planes' rockets exploded the smoke and fire at the Moneda could be seen miles away. The 42 people inside palace against the aircratt attacking troops broke in and murdered Allende.
warned norkers in the factories. issued distribute guns, or even tell the workers attack to esist with whatever they could g Jets The leaders Unity parties simply disappeared as if swallowed up by the earth. they have not explained their desertion the Socialist to fire a shot.
The followed Warned Many continued to resist hundreds of troops, tanks Parliament, 2pm the Still the Popular Unity parties had instructions They failed to capitulation to of the Popula they • To this dar at such a crucial moment It is true that a few individuals from Party and Communist Party leaderships joined the workers in the factories, but that does not alter the stigma of the terrible betrayal of these leaderships as a whole - they left the workers to their own devices and failed jalalys. of the reformist eaders of Popular Unity was a fun tion of the political line which they had for three years before the coup. After three years of manoeuvering at a governmental level, it was im possible to make a turn-around on the day of the coup itself.
of the HOSI advanced workers had resented the inclusion of warned - ted couven June 190 (the Tance?)
demanded closing the election of f a Popular Assembly and the arming of the people in Talcahuano had warner Popular Unity as early as August 1973 of the organisation o tionary officers. But the response of th Allende government capitulation While on the one hand they said expected the reactionaries organise against them, right up to the last moment they tried to engage Chris
AEDIENDS RANCARR ELPASO MIR
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ment around the world - the hopes of Allende's peaceful,