Chileans recall Allende

Press, 26 June 1978, Page 16

Chileans recall Allende

Today is the 70th anniversary of the birth of the late President of Chile, Dr Salvador Allende. Chilean refugees in New Zealand have commemorated the anniversary in a number of centres.

The national executive of the New Zealand Committee of Solidarity with the People of Chile, held a meeting in Wellington on Friday in memory of Dr Allende and of the example he gave throughout his life to help the people of Chile. Delegates to the meeting came from Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch.

The members of the executive remarked on the fact that their meeting, one of thousands held all over the world, came at the same time as the United States Government recalled its ambassador from Santiago because it knows that General Pinochet’s D.1.N.A.-C.N.I. agents murdered, in Washington in September 1976, the former ambassador of Chile, Mr Orlando Letelier. the members of the national executive pledged that the New Zealand committee will further strengthen and extend the acts of solidarity with the _ valiant Chilean people which it has undertaken to date.

The meeting condemned the criminal actions com-

mitted by the fascist military dictatorship in Chile —• especially violations of human and trade union rights and freedoms, arbitrary detentions, detentions without trial and acts of torture — as crimes against humanity.

The meeting demanded an immediate end to such unjustifiable actions, that the whereabouts of missing persons be made known, that they and all other political prisoners be released immediately and that democratic rights and freedoms be restored and guaranteed so that all Chilean people may live in their country under conditions of peace, democracy and freedom. The committee declared that the struggle of the people of Chile will not mean that General Pinochet will be replaced by another general, as the Carter Administration pretends. But “sooner than later” the committee recalled President Allende saying, while fighting against the fascist generals, “free Chileans will walk through the streets of Chile.” The resolutions were carried unanimously by the national executive ’ and recommended to all local committees of solidarity for their support on June 26. In Christchurch, the anniversary was marked by a

gathering on Saturday night at which Chileans resident in Christchurch welcomed members of their own community and New Zealanders. The most touching moment of the evening came when six Chilean children, while performing traditional Chilean folk dances, unfolded a large flag of Chile while each carrying in their hands smaller New Zealand flags. Folk songs written by a Chilean folksinger who was murdered by the military in 1973, were also sung to the gathering.