Chilean election

[Magda Hassan]

The following letter is in the current context of the upcoming Chilean election. Both candidates are known to each other since childhood. Both fathers were in the Air Force. I will leave it to Otto from Inca Kola to explain some of the background of the candidates:

In November we have the Presidential election in Chile. To the left (whatever politically "left" really means in Chile, which is up for debate) is Michelle Bachelet, that's the easy one. More complicated is to the right, as the winner of the primary who was due to go forward and contest the election was Pablo Longueira but he surprisingly stood down last week citing "personal reasons", which almost certainly include a medical depression brought on by the cancer currently suffered by his son. Therefore turmoil ensued in the party ranks but now we have a candidate who's come forward to challenge 'Chelle, namely Evelyn Matthei, the Minister of Work (Employment) in the current Piñera government. With that the scene is set, now here come the strange family coincidences.

• Evelyn Matthei's father, Fernando Matthei, was a military man and a general in the Chilean Air Force. He supported the Pinochet coup, rose through the political ranks of the dictatorship and after important posts in the Military Junta government (including Heath Minister for two years) was made Commander in Chief of the Air Force, a post he held from 1978 to 1991 during the Pinochet years. Now aged 88, he's alive and well and living in Chile.
  

• Michelle Bachelet's father, Alberto Bachelet, was also a military man and a general in the Chilean Air Force. However his fate was slightly different, as he dissented against the Pinochet military coup in 1973. He was arrested, tortured and eventually "died of a heart attack" while imprisoned in 1974.
  

Also interestingly, the first place he was held after his arrest was the Chilean Air Force Academy and the boss man there at the time was one Fernando Matthei. All in all, should make for an interesting campaign trail, methinks.

OPEN LETTER TO SENATOR EVELYN MATTHEI, SENATE OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHILE

Lima, September 22, 2004

Honorable Senator:

I do not watch TV because it upsets me and disgusts me to hear and see so much infamy, but last night, almost by accident I saw you defend your father and stayed a while watching and listening. It seems very honest and noble of you to defend your father, doing your duty as a daughter, but no causes that are indefensible and illogical arguments and contradict with the stubborn facts.

You stated that violence appears in Chile with the Socialists. That is absolute falsehood false. General Ramon Freire, Mapuche (Indigenous people) exterminator, back in 1818, was not socialist. The military paid for by the British crown who made the revolution against the Constitution and against the constitutional President of Chile in 1891 and murdered and dismembered Constitutionalist military (as General Orozimbo Barbosa) were not socialists. General Silva Renard, that murderer of 3,600 defenseless workers in a school in Domingo Santa María de Iquique, in 1907, was not socialist. The military workers killed in 1925 in northern Chile, from office to San Enrique Morusia were not socialists. (2500 Corunna workers killed. Those who remained alive, some 300 workers were killed the next day in San Enrique). General Gamboa, winner of the slaughter that he himself called and so I published El Mercurio, "Battle of Santiago" on April 2, 1957, was not socialist. General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo, dictator of Chile in 1925 and the first to use the technique of the missing and throw the bodies into the sea, was not socialist.

If you are referring to the violence that occurred in the last quarter century you should clarify that the the murderers of Commander in Chief of the Army, General Schneider, were Patria Y Libertad, a terrorist organization created and directed by Pablo Rodríguez Grez, a known genocidal lawyer as Marcos of the Philippines and Pinochet of Chile. These murderers were advised and armed by senior members of the Armed Forces and the planned kidnapping had permission of President Eduardo Frei Montalva. I'm not making this up. He told me personally, a few days after the fact, in Castelldefels, Jorge Hinojosa, the same 7th Line. You claim that there airmen defendants in cases of violation of human rights, but were stuck from the beginning in the DINA and all law enforcement agencies. Remember, honorable Senator, who were airmen who bombed helpless targets as the Moneda Palace and the House of Presidents of Chile (which was not owned by Dr. Allende). The bodies of the defenders of the Moneda Palace, killed in the Tacna Regiment were first buried in the grounds of the Air Force. Four days before the coup moved to a colonel from Santiago to Punta Arenas, because it was the best bombing and gunnery instructor in 'The Condors' of Iquique. Guess you thought white?

You have to be very good daughter to pretend that your father was not involved in human rights violations. It's possible, and I give the benefit of the doubt that your father has not tortured or killed anyone directly and personally. But it is impossible not to know what was happening in Chile. If you knew me, with details and from the early days, living in Spain and not go to Chile from 1969 to August 1977. And believe me I have not spoken by the mouth of Goose. I've been everywhere and talked to many people. On my first trip to Chile take General Leigh secret documents sent to him by the Consul of Barcelona and talked to his assistants, Air Force colonels, who invited me to a bingo attended by General Leigh and talked with several colonels and I can swear to you that everyone knew exactly what was happening in Chile. How could your father ignore this? And if you knew what was happening, it was at least as an accomplice and abettor of Human Rights violations. If pleads ignorance, then you are saying that your father was a fool, because only a mental retard could have ignored, being on top of power, what was happening.

Honorable Senator, for good governance, is tested and proven (by official documents of the USA) the shortages and violence were planned in the Oval Office of the White House by Nixon and Kissinger, with the help of bad Chilean traitors to the Homeland, as Augusto Edwards, well before the coup. This same beat was planned in the United States of America, by the President of that nation and his assistants and was executed by generals treacherous and crawling, to benefit the interests of civilians who now "are running" and have interests in transnational companies and the United States. The motive was the theft of social property area, about one hundred billion dollars. The Air Force participated in this loot and airmen charged under the pretext of a war nonexistent double wages for 17 years. Not content with that stayed with thousands of miles of land owned by all Chileans and not yet returned. I regret to inform you that your father, if not an actor of such crimes, was an accomplice and abettor.

Sincerely,

Máximo Kinast

Maximo Kinast is a consultant to businesses and a human rights activist.

[Magda Hassan]

It has been alleged by at least 3 victim of torture that General Fernando Matthei was personally present at torture sessions. It is also alleged that Evelyn Matthei was one of the people involved in the kidnapping of Pineras son. She has intimately close relations with the Chilean intelligence and is their choice to be the front puppet for Empire. The family concerns which caused Pablo Longueira to abruptly withdraw from the Presidential nomination, which he comfortably won, are more likely of an outside nature and a warning off. It is going to be a deadly election.

[Magda Hassan]

Unfortunately only in Spanish and no sub titles, though I have asked for them, but this video has some amazing revelations about the coup in Chile. The only channel that screened it was on after midnight and normally of a crude variety nature but they have been moving to more political subjects recently. Most media wont go near the coup. The man being interviewed was a very high ranking Air Force officer. He is now about 90 years old. This is his first public interview. He was a defender of the constitution like General Leigh. Some one with prior knowledge of the coup to be unleashed sent him to a remote northern area of Chile to do a mundane task transporting a group of sportsmen. Not some thing he would normally do. Reminds me of Fletcher Prouty being sent to Antarctica in 1963. While he waited for orders from the government he was placed under arrest with about 100 other people with him. He said of the people he knew in the Air Force that 95% of them would have supported the constitution. He was shocked when he was placed under arrest and imprisoned together with Michele Bachelet's father and Teitlebohem the head of the communist party. He was a witness to the torture and murder of General Bachelet. He also identifies General Matthei and others of being knowing of the torture of himself and General Bachelet and while not physically participating he was administratively permitting it, knowing it and consenting of it. Gen Matthei did nothing for his friend and a willing collaborator. He identifies Gen Matthei's daughter as the choice of that regime to continue their power. But he says it is not a manipulated contest between 2 women but between 2 systems. Bachelet will win. There is no possible way she cannot. Matthei has no popular support just from the military people and arch reactionaries. He gives heartfelt thanks to the students who have been protesting and boycotting en mass for the last few years. They have been led by Camila Vallejo who is now running for congress. She has managed to get Michele Bachelet to promise to get rid of for profit business out of education at all levels and to provide free education to all Chileans. Some thing they already had under Allende but which Pinochet and the Chicago boys took away from the people. The right wing are furious but out numbered and they have nothing to offer and are quiet.... for now.

[Jan Klimkowski]

The man being interviewed was a very high ranking Air Force officer. He is now about 90 years old. This is his first public interview. He was a defender of the constitution like General Leigh. Some one with prior knowledge of the coup to be unleashed sent him to a remote northern area of Chile to do a mundane task transporting a group of sportsmen. Not some thing he would normally do. Reminds me of Fletcher Prouty being sent to Antarctica in 1963. While he waited for orders from the government he was placed under arrest with about 100 other people with him.

He said of the people he knew in the Air Force that 95% of them would have supported the constitution. He was shocked when he was placed under arrest and imprisoned together with Michele Bachelet's father and Teitlebohem the head of the communist party. He was a witness to the torture and murder of General Bachelet. He also identifies General Matthei and others of being knowing of the torture of himself and General Bachelet and while not physically participating he was administratively permitting it, knowing it and consenting of it. Gen Matthei did nothing for his friend and a willing collaborator. He identifies Gen Matthei's daughter as the choice of that regime to continue their power. But he says it is not a manipulated contest between 2 women but between 2 systems. Bachelet will win. There is no possible way she cannot. Matthei has no popular support just from the military people and arch reactionaries. He gives heartfelt thanks to the students who have been protesting and boycotting en mass for the last few years. They have been led by Camila Vallejo who is now running for congress. She has managed to get Michele Bachelet to promise to get rid of for profit business out of education at all levels and to provide free education to all Chileans. Some thing they already had under Allende but which Pinochet and the Chicago boys took away from the people. The right wing are furious but out numbered and they have nothing to offer and are quiet.... for now.

Looks like a conspiracy to me.

Oh, it was an American elite conspiracy, known as Operation Condor and run by Nobel Peace Prize winner Henry Kissinger and Thatcher's favourite fascist general, Pinochet.

So, official American and western history will present this as the military legitimately murdering and torturing the people to protect South America from communism...

[Magda Hassan]

There has been an enormous amount of coverage in Chile of the 40 th anniversary of the US backed coup that overthrew the democratically elected Allende government and installed Pinochet. In fact it is pretty much the first time it has hit the MSM there. The coup has not been taught in the school history curriculum and it is actually unknown to far too many people there unless they have a relative who was involved. These revelations have been something of a huge social upheaval there. People have lost their fear. The Pinera government has realised that they are unelectable and are trying to make as many changes as possible to make them more palatable to the voters. One move is to move the military prisoners from their comfortable jails where they have staff and jacuzzis and bbqs and place them in the ordinary criminal prison system where they will be treated as just another prisoner. Some are not coping too well with the news.

Chile 'Caravan of Death' general commits suicide

The former general committed suicide at home while on release from prison
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A former Chilean general and director of intelligence during Augusto Pinochet's rule has killed himself while on weekend release from prison.
Odlanier Mena, who was 87 years old, was serving a six-year jail term.
The crimes were allegedly part of the "Caravan of Death" - a military operation thought to have killed more than 100 opponents of the 1973 coup.
On Thursday, President Sebastian Pinera announced plans to close the jail where Mena was being held.
A lawyer representing Mena said his client had been worried about having to be moved from Cordillera to another military facility at Punta Peuco.
Mena is said to have shot himself in the head at home on Saturday. He had been due to return to prison the following day.
At Cordillera, prisoners have access to the internet, cable TV, a tennis court, gardens and a barbecue area.
"He had been terribly upset by the move. It affected him a lot that in Punta Peuco he would not have the medical attention he needed," Jorge Balmaceda told 24 Horas TV.
The comfortable conditions at the prison have been sharply criticised by many in Chile, including former Presidents Ricardo Lagos and Michelle Bachelet.
Mena's lawyer said his client was upset about being transferred From Cordillera
Critics say military prisoners should not be given different treatment to others serving prison terms.
President Pinera's decision to move the prisoners of Cordillera to Punta Peuco also follows a controversial interview by one of its 10 inmates, the notorious former head of Pinochet's intelligence agency, Manuel Contreras, on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the 1973 coup.
Contreras told reporters there was no torture at the Villa Grimaldi, one of the secret police's main complexes, and that all of the dead during the Pinochet dictatorship were killed in armed confrontations with security forces.
More than 3,000 people died or disappeared in Chile between 1973 and 1990 and nearly 30,000 are believed to have been tortured.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-24319770