Charges.Canada supports Chile junta Brief blasts government The Canadian Labor Congress and several other organizations, ‘including the Canadian Council of Churches, on Oct. 9, protested to the Government of Canada over its “inadequate” response to the plight-of Chilean refugees, and its “support of a fascist or - near-fascist regime,” the military junta. Stating that “in the last week of July, over 12,000 people were arrested by the military junta in a three-day period,” the joint brief continued, “we trust that the rumors that the Canadian Government intends to close the Santiago immigration office in October are false.” The brief said there is “evidence” that the junta “may be willing to release a certain number of persons de- tained in its concentration camps and prisons provided that they ~ leave Chile immediately.” The brief castigated the “in- nate suspicion” evidenced by Canadian officials toward those Chileans who have been perse- cuted by the military junta. “We find this inexcusable and we are , frankly tired of this attitude,” which the brief charged had been experienced “for over a year.” Rey. Floyd Honey, general sec- retary of the Canadian Council of Churches said only 1,000 Chi- leans had been accepted in Can- ada compared to thousands from Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Uganda. : Allow 10,000 Joining the CLC and the Coun- cil of Churches supporting the brief were representatives of the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CNTU); the Lutheran, Anglican, Presbyterian and Unit- ed churches; university student organizations, Oxfam, and oth- ers, with unofficial participation by the Canadian Catholic Con- ference and Amnesty Interna- tional. ; The brief was presented to Ex- ternal Affairs Minister Allan MacEachen and Minister of Man- power and Immigration, Robert Andras. It recommended broadening the Chilean refugee program “to allow 10,000 persons to enter Canada under relaxed criteria... assisted passage, and basic as- sistance upon arrival.” Reporting that “the groups represented today have all re- ceived personal and well-docu- mented accounts of the present reign of terror — arbitrary ar- FREEDOM FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS rests, detention without trial, systematic torture and summary executions,” the brief listed doc- umentation. = “Canadian policy toward Chile has been inadequate to the hu- man emergency,” it charged. “In the case of Chile, the image and the reality of Cana- dian policy are two different things,” said the brief, noting Canada’s “cultivated image” of support for the United Nations and “a spirit of sacrifice and goodwill . . . A concern for so- cial justice is not adequately borne out...” Business Interests Canada has also “collaborated with multilateral organizations (dominated by the USA) to ex- tend economic assistance to the junta,” the government was re- “minded. The groups urged “an authentic concern for the strug- © gles of the Latin American peo- ples toward justice and liberty, rather than the interests of the Canadian business community.” Within only weeks of the coup (which murdered President Sal- Workers Union. Miner's Federation. department. - Postal Workers Union. Union. : men’s Union. Junta murders unionists Since the military coup and assassination of President Salvador Allende on Sept. 11, 1973, the Chilean junta has - murdered- thousands of workers and their leaders who said “no” to fascism. Here is.a small sample of an incomplete list of murdered trade union officials: © Cerefino Santis, leader of the CUT (United Confedera- tion of Labor) and_national executive member of the Textile ® David Miranda, general secretary of the National @ Juan Martinez, former national executive member of the Leather and Shoe Workers Union. ® Ricardo Garcia, former head of the CUT technical @ Herman Castillo, national executive member of the ® Alejandro Rodriguez, former president of the National Confederatién of Copper Workers. @ Benito Tapia, leader of the COBRESAL workers federa- ®@ Hector Rojo, leader of the San Antonio Seamen's Union. ® Jose Cordova, leader of the Iquique Longshoremen’s @ The Farias brothers, leaders of the San Antonio Fisher- @ Ivan Cordillo, CUT executive member, Antofagasta. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1974—Page 10 vador Allende and opened a pe- riod of terror against trade unionists and anyone expressing democratic ideas) the Govern- ment of Canada recognized the military junta, the brief re- calls. There have been “brutal consequences” for the Chilean people in the junta’s outside support. The brief continues: Millions for Junta “We deplore the action that Canada has taken in the past year to finance the military junta through aid, credit or investmént programs operated by the Cana- dian Government and its agen- cies, or through multilateral in- stitutions: a) the Sept. 1973 Export De- velopment Corp. credit of $5- million for the purchase of De- Havilland airplanes, b) the Jan. 1974 decision of the International Monetary Fund to grant Chile a $95-million stand-by credit, : c) the Feb. 1974 Paris Club re- negotiation of the Chilean debt, d) the Apr. 1974 decisions of the Inter-American Development Bank to grant the junta two loans totalling almost $100-mil- lion, e) the announced investment seminar for Andean Pact na- tions, including Chile, an under- taking by the Canadian Interna- tional. Development Agency to be held this month, even amidst conflict among the Pact nations regarding Chile’s new foreign in- ‘vestment policy.” : The brief urged an embargo on both direct aid and that through multilateral organizations, “that the funds of Canadian taxpayers should not be used . . . in the support of a fascist or near- fascist regime,” Expressing concern that ‘the private sector may also be com- plicit in the support” of the junta, the brief said “several Canadian banks have already Participated in multi-million dol- lar loans to the junta,” and “Fal- conbridge Nickel Mines Ltd., is Considering a $300-million in- vestment . ... “Canadian policy toward Chile must be restated in word and act,” the brief declared, and all Chilean patriots. democracy. junta. The working people of Canada and above all, trade unions, have it within their power to compel the Ca adian Government to withhold economic and financial as: sistance to the junta and to stop monopoly interests in Can ada from exporting capital into Chile. eh, Canada must not be allowed to remain an accomplice a the CIA and of. U.S. imperialism in the crushing of Chilean Release Senator Luis Corvalan and All Chilean Patriots The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Canae@ calls upon all members of our Party, on all Canadian demo- crats, to redouble their efforts and strengthen the wom | wide campaign to bring about the release of Senator Luis Corvalan and all other Chilean patriots who are prisoners the fascist military junta in Chile. These men and women whose only crime. was that of su port of the Allende Administration and the struggle for ful damental ‘social reform are in great danger. International solidarity saved the lives of many Chile democrats. It can and will compel the release of Corvald® The battle for their release must be joined to the coun wide campaign for the restoration of Chilean democracy: Canada’s voice must be added to all other countries @ peoples who say “no truck or trade” with the fascist militd 1, the The Communist Party of Canada calls upon all demo atic Canadians to join harids in a continuing campaign W' can finally lead to the defeat of the fascist military and the restoration of democracy in Chile. do al Central Committee, Communist Party of Canae® 7) Resolution, Oct..13, 1974 hich junta i Save the life of jailed MIR resistance leadef An. international campaign is on to save the life of Carmen Castillo Echeverria, taken _pri- soner Oct. 5 by the Chilean military junta in Santiago. ' Carmen Castillo, a leading member of the Movimiento Iz- guierda Revolutionaria (MIR — Movement of the Revolutionary Left), was captured following a battle in which a handful of Chilean -patriots for two hours, in a house in the San Miguel dis- trict of Santiago, resisted a siege by all four branches of the Chilean armed forces. During the artillery, infantry and bombing assault, Miguel En- riquez Espinosa, general secret- ary of MIR, was killed. Carmen Castillo, the wife of Miguel Enriquez and in the last months of pregnancy, was in- jured before being captured. Declarations by the junta have stated that she was gravely wounded, but sources of the Release Rodney Arismendi and General Seregni The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Can- ada calls upon the Bordaberry Government in Uruguay to immediately -release Rodney Arismendi, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Uruguay and General Seregni of the Broad Front. Their arrest and the dicta- torial and semi-fascist meas- ures undertaken against the trade unions and other public bodies by your Government, is not only an attack on democ- ratic rights in Uruguay, it is an affront to democratic opi- nion in our country and throughout the world. We call upon your Govern- ment to restore the rights of all democratic organizations which have been declared ille- gal, and to immediately re- lease all political prisoners in Uruguay. This meeting calls upon all democratic Canadians, the trade union movement, the NDP and other public bodies. to join in this protest. - Central Committee, Communist Party of Canada Resolution, Oct. 13, 1974 < Carmen Castillo Echeve™ ; Ss resistance emphasize that of false and that she is only °° ly injured in the arm. pout The junta’s statemem {,., Carmen Castillo’s bee ously injured” may !€. for oreir subsequently rortut or assassinating her. pee -All_ member parties °44 Chilean left have issu mig! ments on the death of : Enriquez. Rodrigo Rojas, member %, political commission of t cl munist Party of Chile 4 Mig “The death in combat of ces Enriquez against the ae the fascist dictatorshiP tutes a severe blow” é movement which he led, 4 the entire Chilean left - °, a task of honor for t cratic, anti-fascist and orld tionary forces in the We ye save Carmen Castillo Een the companera 0 a ated leader, from t of the assassins who sumed power in Chile. JUNTA AND LABOF Since the fascist coup O° tall 11, 1973, 75% of chile unions have been outla 058 decree, The 25% left are 4 organizations or fascist led “unions”. UnemPr | has risen from 3% to OV of the work force.