To everyone that has accompanied us, in Chile and beyond, in this long fight for the freedom of all political prisoners. Compañeros, family and friends, today the hunger strike achieved 60 days; two long months of insistent mobilization for the just demand for liberty.

We have made some advances towards liberty, obtaining intrapenitenciary rights for an important number of compañeros. Our wide demands, that is to say the government Bill, continue without resolution. Yesterday, once again, the powerful took their time, and broke their public commitments to vote for the bill. Yesterday, once again, Congress played with the hope of our loved ones as they postponed the voting possibly for another week.

La situación vivida ayer en el parlamento, es muestra inequívoca de la falta de voluntad que tienen los legisladores, pues se esperaba – con más o menos esperanza – que algún avance se produjera en relación al Proyecto de Ley de Indulto. Esa situación nos lleva a tomar decisiones, no fáciles, porque ya la salud está muy resentida y la vida está en peligro. Tomando en consideración estos elementos, es que hoy jueves 10 de junio, el compañero Pablo Vargas ha decidido dejar la huelga de hambre. Para él todo nuestro cariño y respeto por el largo trayecto que se atrevió a recorrer junto a nosotros. Respecto de los demás, es decir: Esteban Burgos, Jorge Espinola, Hardy Peña, René Salfate y Jorge Mateluna, la decisión es que seguimos en huelga de hambre hasta obtener avances concretos para la libertad. Y hacemos responsable de lo que pueda suceder con nuestras vidas al Estado Chileno en su conjunto, pues son ellos los que tienen en sus manos las herramientas legales para dar una solución a nuestras demandas.

Finally, we make a call once again to keep up the struggle, solidarity and mobilization. ¡Right Now! For the freedom of all and every prisoner.

¡No voice should be silenced and no raised fist be lowered!

Esteban Burgos, Jorge Espinola, Hardy Peña, René Salfate y Jorge Mateluna

[ Fotos desalojo Congreso] [Fotos en las afueras del Congreso 1I2 ] [Video desalojo Congreso][Comunicado Colectivo Lautarino en Prisión] [Llamado a la Solidaridad]

As opposition to the assembly organized by the “provida” (right-wing and conservative) institution for this Monday 3rd of May, who were making demands against abortion and the emergency contraceptive pill, groups and feminist collectives, formed a caravan of some fifty people and broke the silence of the "silent march" that was being carried out in the Plaza de la Constitution, with cries for the right to choose. In spite of the true multitude that represented the "provida", the shouts could not be kept quiet.

The struggle for the demand of sexual and reproductive rights for woman remains; the voices are raised and will keep demanding what belongs to them: the freedom to love, to feel, to act and to elect.

"¡Saquen sus rosarios de nuestros ovarios!”

[Fotos: 1 I 2 ] [ ¿Qué es la PAE? ] [ Foro salud ] [Manifestación por los derechos sexuales de mujeres y hombres ]

Work is one of the most complex bases to analyze that capitalism imposes on us: it is constituted like a base in itself same, as somewhat natural and necessary. Something that supposedly is inherent and indispensable. Something that, evidently, builds the ideology of capital and of production as a goal.

Wage-work is a modern invention, that appeared en masse with the birth of capitalism. Up to the moment of its eruption, it was still neither naturalized nor generalized, and even until advances in the Middle Ages, the act of working was considered denigrating. Now it makes us believe that "work" means the same thing as "activity", as if work was the only possible activity. Wage-work is one of the most transcendental pillars of the economy (and politics) of the market, and to support a social revolution or even an anticapitalist critique, that perpetuates the ideology of work as dignifying or other similar ideas, is undermining the revolutionary character of this critique and it’s practise.

The first of May 1886, one of so many battles against capitalism was born: for the eight hour working day which was not a reformist petition, but a radical demand against precariousness, domination and, therefore, against the ideology of the work. And it is this that is the fight against work: a forward collision against capitalism.

Since that day, the first of May in all the cities of the world has seen the growth of crowded demos making the demands of those exploited by hunger salaries, that are usually forgotton. Nevertheless, the nature of that questioning in 1886 brought capitalism to execute the "martyrs of Chicago". This questioning that went beyond the excesses of capital, to the very nature of capital. The criticism, more than of the forms in which power is exercised, to its very nature.

In that context, on Saturday, Santiago park was populated by thousands and thousands of people, workers, unemployed, and demonstrators that, radical or not in their political position, seemed to want to put a brake on this reality that does nothing more than benefit those above upper and to drown those below. Sadly, there was no lack of those who take advantage of such feeling of disagreement: organizations that on one hand claim to represent the workers, but that with the other negotiate with the state and economic powers, and that at the same time hitch and confuse with the discourse that all work is worthy, and that the struggle is to beg a salary increase, as if with a little more than money in our pockets this crap reality would be over.

Critical banners, voices raised and fists held high announce that this is not what life’s about. Demonstrators that (taking care that the remainder of the helpers don’t meet repression) destroy banks and face the police.

Here’s to the coordination of resistance and to the assemblies! We cannot abandon the mobilization or sell out to the reformism that sells us! Here’s to organization so that wage slavery and capitalism have their days counted!!

Textos sobre el trabajo: [ Destruyamos el trabajo (Bonano) I La abolición del trabajo (Black) I Manifiesto contra el trabajo (Grupo krisis) ]

A year ago, bearing a rain of tomatoes, eggs, sticks and stones launched by discontent workers, Arturo Martínez, president of the CUT (Unitary Workers Centre), called a national strike for August 13.

It would be a response to the abuses, low salaries, union persecucion, , lack of workers participation in the negotiations, the management abuse, the refusal to abide by the labor law of flexibility and the privatization. Millions were spent in preparation for the strike, which was seen as a success by the leadership of the CUT (although for many the popular protest was what was really felt), nevertheless not one of its objectives were achieved.

Yesterday Martínez has called again for a national strike on July 29 if 14 demands are not met and there was calm. Many of those present changed their shouts of "general strike" of last year to "national strike", including members of the anarchist block that was so questioned by the press in 2003 after interrupting the main meeting of the CUT and unmasking said organization... today "they seemed to be on their side". The greatest thing learned from the national stirke of 2003 was that a yellow strike does not suffice as a measure of pressure, that the workers are not cannon fodder to be used alone for media effects. That strikes and protest are necessary (as in Bolivia, Peru, etc) to achieve our demands.

Another thing Mr Martínez, this day is not the International Day of Work... it’s of the worker, which is very different. AS a union leader you should know that, shouldn’t you?

p>[Fotos manifestación primero de Mayo en Santiago: 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5 I 6 ] [ Videos marcha primero de Mayo en Santiago: 1 I 2 ] [ Primero de Mayo “funao” ] [ Este primero de Mayo ] [ Día del/a proletari@, día de la revolución ] [ Primer primero tan primario ] [ Tibio primero de Mayo ] [ Tu vida siempre ha sido una mentira ] [ Discurso de Arturo Martínez ] [ Fotos manifestación primero de Mayo en Valparaíso: 1 I 2 I 3 ]

In the morning of April 24 numerous activists congregated in the Plaza Maipú responding to the announcement of the Funa Commission that a new torturer would be publically denounced to the community of this municipality. Vitorio Orviento Tiplizki worked as a torturer in the prison camp, Tejas Verdes (green tiles) in the regiment n°2 of Engineers where the DINA was later born. Through this organisation, he became the leader of Santa Lucía clinic, where many strugglers for social justice were disappeared and tortured. At present IntegrMédica is opening its doors to Vitorio as it has done to other torturers (Luis Santibañez and Camilo Azar).

Before arriving at mid-day the march began towards Integramédica West located in Américo Vespucio 1501, where pamphlets were distributed, posters were put up and graffiti painted on the murderer´s new hang out. The police took a while to arrive, but the need to find someone guilty lead them to arrest anybody that they found, supported by numerous troops of carabineros (a chilean police force) and police dogs. After various minutes of discussion and without having real motives for the arrests, carabineros withdrew and the demonstration finished peacefully.[ 1 | 2 ]

The indefinite hunger strike that nine prisoners and political prisoners began in the jails of Rancagua, Osorno, High security, Antofagasta and in the prison Hospital of Santiago, has completed 10 days, and maintains the same demands as in the beginning:

1.- Unconditional freedom for all the Prisoners and Political Prisoners.
2.- Definitive solution for all those processed and condemned by the Dictatorship and the Coordination.
3.- Term to the prison sentence by exile.

The mobilizations outside of the jails demanding the immediate freedom of the prisoners have been constant, and they have changed from meetings and occupations (specifically of the Cathedral of Santiago) to marches with joint assemblies of several supporting organizations. We are calling for all to be aware of the mobilizations, and of course, to respond to them.

[ Libertad Ya ] [ Comunicado entregado el 21 de abril ] [ Fotos marcha presxs políticxs:1 I 2 ] [ 9 detenid@s en el desalojo de la catedral metropolitana ] [ Segundo comunicado huelga de hambre presos y presas polític@s ] [ Declaración pública adhesión E. Maichin a la Huelga de Hambre ] [Desalojo en La Catedral ] [Toma en Antofagasta en Solidaridad con los Presos y Presas ] [Marcha en Antofagasta ] [Mitting por l@s prisioner@s politic@s en huelga de hambre ] [ Solidaridad activa y urgente ] [Continuan movilizaciones por l@s pres@s politic@s en huelga de hambre ] [Oriana Alcayaga no saldrá este domingo 25 ]

Abajo las cárceles del capitalismo!, libertad inmediata a lxs presxs políticxs!

April 15th. Students marched to the justice courts to demand more protection after recent repression.

At 11am, in the central lawn of the Pedagogy faculty (UMCE), around 400 students (from this university and from the Faculty of Humanities Juan Gómez Miles of the University of Chile) met to march to the courts of "justice" to lodge an appeal for real protection for campus students after recent repression by the police. On the 29th of March (dia del/a joven combatiente – roughly translated to the Day of the combatant youth) there was unexpected repression from the carabineros (chilean police) special forces, which left a group of twenty students beaten and detained with the serious charge of public disorder, and an official from the University of Chile injured by the impact of a tear-gas bomb.

The students met in Ahumada and Alameda (street names) where – with a strong ‘accompaniment’ of carabineros - they managed to arrive at the doors of the courts. They found out almost immediately that an appeal lodged last Tuesday by the students directly affected by the police repression had been rejected. This verifies once again that nothing can be expected of the judicial system, that only serves to perpetuate the control of the dominant class. The new appeal was lodged anyway and after this the students moved on to the central building of the University of Chile ( Arturo Prat and Alameda), where they hung banners and carried out a meeting. [ 1 | 2] [ Recurso de protección contra la represión policial y estatal ] [ Pacos grabando ]

Starting from last Monday 12 of April, seven political prisoners have been on indefinite hunger strike, demanding the immediate freedom of all political prisoners. They are demanding the approval of the government bill of general pardon, a project that’s currently stagnant in the senate and one that the “high” authorities of the country had agreed to expedite last November, but have in fact ignored. Last November, the last hunger strike of diverse groups of political prisoners took place, as much in the CAS as in other prisons and hospitals of the country. The project is being blocked by right-wing parliamentarians who are trying to use it as as a supposed “currency of change”, that is to say, they’ll give the green light to the project if it can be used to pardon former torturadorers and former agents of the CNI, something that political prisoners obviously reject totally, even to the extreme of declaring that they would prefer to stay in prison than to accept this infamy.

We have already declared our position with respect to the government bill of general pardon: we believe that it was the repressive apparatus of the State that forced our compañeros to live in the hard conditions that they live in now and we have no faith that the ideological apparatus of the State will change to one that frees people or even improves their quality of life in imprisonment. We declare ourselves opponents to the repressive and paternal figure of the State, we deny that it has any right to decide over our lives, and we ask nothing of it, because do not recognize its authority. That much is clear, but this doesn't mean at all that we don't support mobilizations of the political prisoner groups that demand the approval of the government bill. We support its mobilizations, we demand the immediate freedom of each and every political prisoner; chilean and mapuche. We differ in the form in which we wish to obtain this freedom, but that is our demand and our struggle.

We will support the new mobilization of political prisoners in all its forms. We understand its desperation and its rage.

Today as yesterday we demand, immediate freedom for all political prisoners...Libertad Ya! See you in the barricades.

Más Información: [Libertad ya!] [Protesta en la Catedral] [ Urgente: Pres@s polític@s en huelga de hambre] [Manifestación por la libertad de l@s pres@s polític@s en la plaza de la constitución] [ Fotos manifestación por la libertad de l@s pres@s polític@s en la plaza de la constitución] [Carta abierta por la libertad de lxs PP.PP.] [Foro pres@s polític@s en "democracia"] [Solidaridad con l@s pres@s polític@s "Chilen@s" y Mapuche]

The group of 122 Chileans that are meeting in Iraq to keep an eye on different investments that U.S. businesses have in that country, has stirred up concern in the massmedia. Through the defense minister, Michelle Bachelet, the government has declared its concern about the presence of Chileans in a "risky and dangerous" area. "We are worried (...) although the Government cannot be involved much more at this time", she said.

The same old story, sadly common and done to death, of American invasion, of a "socialist" government that licks the boots of the imperialist expansion of a capitalism, and of wage-earning followers that protect the interests of corporations.
However, what’s different here is that, despite the silence of the mass communication media, some interesting facts are – at least partially – coming to light. Of the 122 Chileans, the majority (but not all) are former-soldiers that participated during the coup d'etat of '73, and many of them have even been accused of violations of human rights during the dictatorship. Murderers and torturers, protected by impunity and a justice that only benefits capital, have eagerly returned to a scene of bloody repression.

At the same time as the former-militant of left reformist organizations (Bachelet) announces a probable new shipment of troops to support the coup d'etat in Haiti, we receive the sad news that the former-torturers continue doing what they do, and receiving three thousand 200 dollars of salary in exchange for carrying out their dark and sinister work (with a 100 thousand dollars of life insurance).

To the torturadores of yesterday and today: let’s hope that they get their 100 thousand as soon as possible.

[ Sobre los mercenarios en Irak ]

Again the powerful gather, and this time sending representatives from the 21 countries that make up the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), to the Ministers of Education meeting that will take place on the 29th and 30th of April in Santiago.
Once more shielded in an absolute veto of information (despite the fact that recently a governmental page was set up with official information on the APEC) in the mass media, the representatives of the so-called "economies" expect to meet up in absolute tranquility, as has been the case in the previous summits, including that in which an international anti-terrorist politic was developed in Viña del Mar city.

As we’ve said before, it’s in these "small summits" calls SOMs (Senior Official Meetings), where the agreements and discussions of this eminently economic Forum/Summit are carried out, and where the true importance of decision-making lies, in which specific themes are analyzed (education for example, in the case of the next summit) in their relation to the market, making them an evident and dangerous instance of capitalist perpetuation.

As we know, education in Chile is a place of constant conflicts, as much with regard to questions of labor and salary, as to relations with the precariousness of the installations and teaching in general, topics that obviously will not be touched in the summit. This could lead to the varied reaction of a number of sectors.

¡Breaking the silence, the routine and all that smells of capital!.

[ Sección APEC 2004 ] [ Foro de la APEC inicia reuniones en Chile ] [ Cumbre de la APEC invade territorio histórico Mapuche ] [ Conferencia STAR de APEC en Viña del Mar / Valparaíso ] [ Conclusiones de STAR II de APEC, realizada en Viña del Mar ] [ Se viene la APEC ] [ Contra la globalización capitalista y el neo colonialismo, decimos: ¡NO A LA APEC! ]