Petition against Allende visit

Press, 28 April 1980, Page 16

Petition against Allende visit

Sir, — T.I.F.F. advocates, petitioning against Isabel Allende’s visit,’ when questioned;- know as little about

Chile as they do about freedom. Even Chile’s far-Right admit that President Allende was democratically elected. For the records: 30,000 Chileans have been killed; 2500 have disappeared; 1,000,000 are in exile; there are no elections and no freedoms of press, speech or assembly; Na z i-style concentration camps and torture centres abound, including Colonia Dignitad with its sophisticated torture equipment and laboratories for experimentation on human subjects. The notorious D.1.N.A., one of over 10 secret police organisations had to rename itself (C.N.1.) after the international outcry over murders such as those of General Prat (1974) and Orlando Letelier (1976), D.I.N.A.’s adviser is Walter Ruff, a Nazi SS former colonel, convicted at Nuremburg but never extradited from Chile. This hardly adds up to freedom. T.I.F.F.’s “allegiance” to freedom is either very confused or extremely dangerous. Contempt seems the only logical response. — Yours, etc.,

D. J. CASEY. April 25, 1980.

Sir, — Frank Smith’s categorisation (April 23) of systems of government according to the extent to which a government exercises its power rather than the way in which it is exercised is dangerously misleading. So too is the notion that “free enterprise” can lead to anything other than monopoly capitalism. Chile’s history shows that; monopoly capitalism has sufficient power and backing to overthrow a democratically elected government and repress an entire nation. It also shows that the interests of multi-national corporations stand in such direct opposition to the interests of working people that the exercise of this power is necessary. New Zealand’s energy reserves and political leaders are attracting the same multi-nationals that operate in Chile. The choice New Zealanders face is not between “free enterprise” and “communism” but between self government and exploitation. Democracy is New Zealand people making this choice. Who chose the National Development Act? — Yours, etc.,

DAVID SMALL. April 23, 1980.