Revolution in Venezuela and Chile

Meeting with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet

IT doesn’t matter what I say about our friendly meeting; some news agencies and publications will take the information and say the old man, the one convalescing from a serious illness, or some other adjective aimed at reducing the modest value of what I told my prestigious interlocutor.

Fidel Castro	Chilean President Michelle Bachelet

Michelle has the merit of having been elected president of Chile by the majority vote given to the Socialist Party that nominated her. It was the first time in recent years in Latin America that a leftist organization won such a victory, without any help from money, weapons or the yanki publicity apparatus.

That credit is due even more to the Socialist Party of Salvador Allende, who died during the treacherous direct air assault on La Moneda (Palace) and who was fulfilling that duty as the constitutionally-elected president of Chile. He did not ask for or concede a truce. He had resolved to die in his post, as he had promised. The betrayal of the sinister chief of the Chilean army, who was false toward everyone and deceived everyone until the very last, was unprecedented. Even the house where his (Allende’s) family lived, in Tomps Moro, was attacked and destroyed.

During those very difficult times, when thousands were tortured, assassinated or disappeared, a very young woman, Gladys Maron, was the leader of Communist Party of Chile, forged over dozens of years of efforts and sacrifices by the Chilean working class, which led her to that responsibility.

Gladys Maron and her party were not wrong; they gave all their support to Michelle Bachelet, thus determining the end of Augusto Pinochet’s influence. It would have been impermissible for the dictator created and placed in power by the empire to govern Chile’s destiny again.

World opinion abhorred his behaviour.

Despite that, it has not been and still is not easy to undo the legal intrigue that, with yanki help, the vengeful and fascist oligarchy uses to tie down the Chilean nation, worthy of a better destiny.

More than 100 years ago in the war of 1879, those same oligarchs robbed Bolivia of its maritime coast, which gave it extensive access to the Pacific Ocean.

Bolivia suffered an extraordinary historic humiliation in that conflict.

Not only did they take away its maritime coast and its outlet to the sea, they also deprived that country - of authentically American origin, above all Aymaras and Quechuas - of extensive lands very rich in copper, which were the largest reserves in the world. After having been exploited for 130 years, they produce as much as 5.364 billion tons annually, contributing around $18.452 billion annually to the Chilean economy. It is impossible to conceive of a modern society without copper, which tends to rise in price.

Other extremely valuable minerals and natural products, some now exhausted, and other new, extremely high-priced ones, have appeared. It is not know which of them are Chilean and which are Bolivian.

Evo Morales, Bolivia’s current president, does not bear any grudges about that; on the contrary, he offered his territory for a wide, modern highway, over which the products of Chile’s efficient industry -which is booming and developing, with its laborious and productive workers - could be sent to many markets in the world.

Chile also is particularly efficient at producing nutritious foods and high-quality lumber, on its farmland and mountains and with its privileged climate.

There is no other country that surpasses it in the efficiency of its aquaculture and high-demand products like salmon and other farmed or natural species, in its rich maritime and terrestrial waters. Today we are very close to February 15, the day of the referendum for a constitutional amendment in the fraternal Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Jose Marto was Cuba’s most profound revolutionary thinker ever and our national hero. In front of a granite likeness of that thinker, Michelle Bachelet laid a wreath on behalf of her people, and we are very grateful.

Regarding Bolovar, he (Marto) said 115 years ago, “What he left undone remains so today, because Bolovar has much to do in America still.”

“Bolivar awakens every 100 years,” the great Chilean poet Pablo Neruda said, for his part.

On the verge of the closure of the second century of his rebellion against Spanish colonialism, Bolovar is once again awakening in the revolutionary actions of Chavez. If the new leader, who is leading his combative people, does not achieve his objective, it will be hard for any other leader to do so. It would not be possible to overcome the media resources of the oligarchy and the empire.

What can be done, then, so that this planet refrains from becoming like Dante’s inferno, where a sign at the entrance demanded leaving all hope behind?

Nevertheless, I am still confident that in Venezuela, the Revolution will be victorious, and that in Chile, the ideal of socialism for which Salvador Allende fought and gave his life will finally triumph. These were the issues I discussed with Michelle Bachelet, who did me the honour of listening with interest, conversing warmly and extensively expressing her ideas.

I will always be satisfied with her friendly visit.

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