By VLADIMIR SIMONOV APN Political Correspondent MOSCOW — After surviving the Pinochet inferno which rob- bed him of three years of his life, this greyhaired man with an -€maciated but determined face, is again breathing the air of free- dom. He is Luis Corvalan, gen- eral secretary of the Communist Party of Chile. The air he is brea- thing is that of Moscow. _ The jailers who turned the key in his cell lock are not responsible for his freedom. On the contrary, they wanted a broken man as a symbol of the triumph of fascism Over the people of Chile. But, af- ter years of refined violation of Corvalan’s spirit, this aim re- Mained as remote as on the day of his arrest. The ‘‘Free Luis Corvalan!”’ demand had become the motto of a powerful international move- ment of solidarity with the Chi- lean patriots. It included organi- zations of various trends, people with different political and religi- ous views, all united by their hatred for fascism and their faith in the human right to. freedom of conviction. ~ Luis Corvalan, general secret- ary of the Communist Party of ~ Chile. TLL ut Thi rane This powerful pressure work- ed. Squeezed between the’ threat of still greater international isola- tion and the growing resistance within the country, the junta was compelled to deport “‘prisoner No. 1’. The Soviet people feel particularly satisfied these days as they offer traditional hospital- ity to Corvalan and his wife. There is every reason to. be- lieve that Moscow’s effective in- © ternationalism and the goodwill of Soviet public opinion had a signi- ficant, if not decisive, role in the liberation of the Chilean leader. While still in prison, Corvalan re- ceived on his 60th birthday a tele- gram from Brezhnev, in which the general secretary of the CPSU Central Committee assured him of the fraternal solidarity on the part of the Party and the entire Soviet people with Chilean democrats and patriots. The-pos- sibility of repeating these words in a personal conversation today confirms this solidarity. Three years, two months and three weeks after his arrest by Pinochet’s fascist police, Luis Corvalan, Chilean Senator and general secretary of the Com- munist Party of Chile was flown to freedom. In that long, grueling time, Corvalan endured imprisonment, brutality, and solitary confine- ment; he was shuttled from prison to prison, his health was dam- aged. Throughout, Luis Corvalan retained his firm convictions and became a symbol of Chile’s resis- tance to the fascist regime. Ar- rested on Sept. 27,1973, Corva- lan was never Officially charged. He was never tried in a court of law. On Dec. 18, 1976, Corvalan was flown to Zurich where he boarded a Soviet aircraft for : Corvalan released — freedom ~ demanded for junta’s prisoners BE Seer Moscow. The junta had agreed to his release'in exchange for ‘‘dissi- dent’? Vladimir Bukovsky. Luis Corvalan was a prisoner in the notorious Dawson Island camp. He was transferred to San- tiago’s military prison, then to Ritoque and Tres Alamos con- centration camps. During his im- prisonment Corvalan fell ill ‘and a massive international campaign forced his jailers to hospitalize him where he underwent an oper- ation. The 60-year-old Com- munist leader was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize in 1975 while in Ritoque prison. He spoke out boldy against the persecutions and tortures endured by political prisoners and his. words were heard around the world. Many former members of Sal- vador Allende’s Popular Unity Government, arrested following the Sept. 11, 1973 fascist coup, have died while in the hands of Chile’s secret police (DINA). Corvalan’s son, mistreated while a prisoner of the junta, died shortly following his release. Many others remain in jails and camps undergoing systematic tor- tures carried out by the DINA. > Luis Corvalan’s dramatic re- lease has once again focused world attention on the tragedy of Chile. Undoubtedly, his accounts and descriptions of his country under fascism will mobilize ever greater world reaction in support of the Chilean people. ~~ Corvalan MOSCOW (TASS) — Speak- ing on his arrival at Moscow air- port, Luis Corvalan, Chilean Communist Party leader expres- sed warm thanks to the Soviet Union for securing his release _ from fascist prison. ““T salute you, the people of the. USSR — workers, peasants, young people, children, young pioneers, scientists, writers and artists, It would give me great ple- asure to shake hands with each of you and thank you personally — every one of the more than 250 million Soviet people for your sol- idarity with the people of Chile. ~ “Through prison bars and the fences of concentration camps we Ly 1 e CUT OUT THE. HANDSOME YOUNG MAN AND TW Lona voNaee ROUTINE-JUST TELL ME WHERE 1 SAN LAND A DECENT 308 /7 thanks Soviet people heard the echoes of the broad movement of solidarity with Chile. We know full well that hundreds of political prisoners, seeking freedom these past three years, were released first of all thanks to the solidarity’ move~- ment, thanks to the solidarity of the Soviet Union and the other socialist lands, solidarity from governments, parliaments and democratic organizations around the world. Luis Corvalan met with CPSU general secretary Leonid Brezhnev at the Kremlin Dec. 23 during which Brehnev said that Corvalan’s release should be re- garded as a major political event | which will have a great impact on stepping up the struggle of Com- munists, all democrats and the revolutionary movement in Chile and all Latin American countries. fillated. apartheid protest. i’ called for. (“International boycott against South Africa An international boycott of all South African goods, cargo, transport and other commerce has been set for the week be- ginning January 17 by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions to which the Canadian Labor Congress is af- Mass rallies and protests to the South African government and to the home governments will also be part of the anti in the USA, the AFL-CIO, which Is not affillated with either the ICFTU or the World Federation of Trade Unions, (WFTU), has been asked to join the January protest. Its support and support from Its affiliates would be extremely helpful in ending U.S. government support for the racist Vorster regime. Also asked to take part are the many international trade federations such as the International Metalworkers Federation, to which the United Auto Workers. belongs." The protest includes labor actions such as the grounding of South African aircraft and the stopping of South African ships as well as boycotting the loading and unloading of goods im- ported from South Attica. A worldwide consumer boycottis aiso online " ian WORLD NEWS. JAPANESE COMMUNIST PARTY VOTE UP BY 330,000 TOK YO — Final figures on the Dec. 5 elections show the Japanese Communist vote up to 6,032,887 from 5,702,170 in 1972. although their percentage dropped to 10.66 from 10.88. The JCP newspaper Akahata points out that on a simple vote count only 290,000 more votes were needed to lift 32 narrowly defeated CP candidates over the top. The article says the 6,032,887 votes the Party won are equivalent to 54 seats (instead of the 19 secured) if the seats had been distributed under a democratic system proportionate to the votes cast. MARIO SOARES WELCOMED BY BRAZIL FASCISTS BRAZILIA — Premier Mario Soares of Portugal began his visit to Brazil by briefing top military leaders of this fascist regime. Soares, leader of Portugal’s Socialist Party, arrived here Dec. 15 on what was termed an official ‘‘goodwill visit’’. One of his aims is to persuade political exiles to return to Portugal. Among those who left following the 1974 coup are ex-president Spinola, ex-premier and fascist dictator Caetano and a large number of bankers and financiers who owe their fortunes to the sweat and blood of millions of Portuguese and African working people. UN VOTES TO SUPPORT PEOPLE’S STRUGGLE IN NAMIBIA UNITED NATIONS — The UN General Assembly voted 107 to six, with 12 abstentions, on Dec. 20 to support the armed struggle of the people of Namibia for liberation. The 30-item resolution condemned South Africa’s continued occupation of the country. The Assembly also decided to grant observer status at the United Nations to the South-West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO). CARTER URGED TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH CUBA WASHINGTON — A U.S. Commission has urged president-elect Carter to normalize American relations with Cuba. The commission of foreign policy experts proposed the process be gradual and reciprocal. LISTS OF RHODESIA’S POLITICAL PRISONERS PUBLISHED LONDON — The British-based International Defense and Aid Fund for Southem Africa has released a list of over 1,800 political prisoners held without charges by Ian Smith’s racist regime. The list, containing names and biographical details, was published in the form of a Special Fact Paper for distribution at the Geneva Conference on Rhodesia. IDAF charges that more than 3,000 Zimbabweans are today being held and new concentration camps are being built. The list includes details of political trials, torture, assault, prison conditions and facts on recent escalation of political repression. VIETNAM’S COMMUNIST PARTY CONGRESS CONCLUDES HANOI — The first Congress of the Vietnamese Workers Party in 16 years concluded its work Dec. 20 after electing a new Central Committee. The last session, broadcast throughout the now united country, also decided to change the Party’s name to the Vietnam Communist Party. The 1,008 delegates elected a larger Politbureau of 17 members and named Le Duan as general secretary. The Central Committee was also vastly increased with 101 full and 37 alternate members elected. WORLD BANK OKAYS $60-MILLION LOAN TO CHILE WASHINGTON — The World Bank approved two loans totalling $60-million to fascist Chile Dec. 21 despite appeals from nine U.S. Congressmen and the disenting votes by five Scandinavian nations. The United States approved the loan on ‘“‘strictly economic and financial grounds’’. iad Israeli troops arrest and beat a young Arab demonstrator during the West Bank protest strike last week. Nearly the entire population of 650,000 Palestinians were affected as shops, schools and stores closed down. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JANUARY 7, 1977—Page 7