The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-23
Protest Against the
Fascist Regime OF
MOnter0 IN Chile
BY ALBERT MoREAU

tated wave of terror against the hungry masses
In the cities and the countryside especially
against the militant trade unions under the Fed
eracion Obrera chilena CFoch), the unemployed
workers and the Communist Party which is lead
ing the struggles of the workers against hunger,
starvation and fascisrn
The economic and financial crisis which
brought the end of the Ibanez regime under the
pressure of the masses last July, had deepened
tremendously AS result of that, all the contra
dictions of the imperialist colonial regime have
become sharpened and shaking the very
foundations of the Montero regime.
The characteristic feature of the present situ-
alton in Chile is seen in the widespread upsurge
of the masses against the policy of the govern
ment of landlords and capitalists who are shift
ing the burden of the crisis upon the shoulders
of the toiling masses.
1t has given expression to a series of strikes
Of the workers in the light industries extending
themselves now in the basic industry of the
country in the nitrate mines, transportation etc.
with the monStrous rising of unemployment
(naore than 100000 workers are exposed to want
and starvation), the struggle of the unemployed
has extended in the nitrate mines.
The brutal murder of unemployed workers in
the valleys of Copiapo and val1enar in the mid
die Of December met with the resentment of the
soldiers in Copiapo who mutinied on the eve Of
December IS, not only against the wholesale mas
sacre of the workers, but also against the wors-
ening of their conditions and the reign of terror
against the soldiers through the Councils of Wat
instituted after the naval uprising on Coquinbo
on September l.
The naval uprising at Coquimbo which was
crushed with the utmost brutal government
forces was followed with the dismissal Of 1890
H.
them of all means of subsistence and robbing
them OF unpaid back salaries. The government
has instituted regime of persecution against all
those who participated in the Coquinbo naval
mutiny, cutting the wages of the sailors and SOL
diers and reducing their daily ration
In the middle of December the War Councils
directed massacre of unemployed workers in
the nitrate valleys Of Copiapo and Vallenar. Hun
dreds of workers were murdered and more than
one hundred are now awaiting court martial SEN
fences which, if carried out mean absolute death.
In Copiapo. the mutiny of rank and file soldiers
on December Is resulted in the killing of II.
The widespread mass movement of the toiling
masses in Chile has extended among the petty
bourgeoise of the cities who are also made VIC
TINS of the deepening crisis. The small shop
keepers have organized a movement and are de-
handing a 80 per cent reduction of their rent.
the extension of their debts and the resignation
of the Minister of Haciendas Pratt.
The movement is united front against the
usurers of the Nacional Banks and foreign bank
ers the big industralists and the present govern
ment of big capital and foreign imperialism
The government is attempting to solve the
unemployment question by instituting forced Ia
bour. Thousands Of workers are concentrated in
barracks under military control compelled to
work for a miserable salary of three Chilean
pesos daily from which the high prices of food
and burning wood is deducted.
Against the offensive of the bourgeois impe-
rialist forces, the, popular masses are rising to
put an end to their conditions of starvation. The
Montero regime has the support Of Yankee inn
perialsm. 1t is attempting to force the operation
of the imperialst Cosach which has thrown
thousands of workers in the street.
Since Ibanez's fall the operation of the nj
trate Yankee monopoly (Cosach) has educed the
jobs of the nitrate workers from 22,0f to 10000
The tremendous low reduction of gov 'nment in
come from the export of nitrates is compelling
the government to resort to more taxation which
falls heavily upon the petty bourgeoisie of the
city and countryside. Chile cannot meet its for
eign obligations and has declared moratorium.
Under the pressure of Imperialism the bourgeoi-
sic and the landlords are resortng to a most
savage attack against the workers and the city
poor exacting from them enormous taxes in
order to pay the huge interests to the loans
Parallel to this, the rvalries among the vari-
Gus dominant groups of landlords and native
capitalists are sharpening more and more Brit
ish imperialism is mighty busy rallying around
It groups of landlords who are connected with it,
against the growing influence of Yankee impe-
rialism and the domination of the Yankee Co
sach.
These sharpening rlvalrieS between the various
groups will lead to the organization of COUP
detats for the support of which they will seek to
utilize the masses. In the face of the inevitehl-
ity of the masses rising against imperialisl ard
the rative rulers, all dominant groups will be. Is
they have been unanimous i'll the attacks against
the working class and especially the Communist
Party, which is leading considerable section of
the proletariat and the petty bourgeoisie against
the capitalist solution of the crisis in Chile
Between the working class and the landlord
bourgeois government stands the renegade and
traitor Hidago, serving the interests of the capt.
talsts Hidalgo and his lieutenants constitute one
of the main obstacles for the unfolding of the
revolutionary movements Of the masses in Chile.
because their activities have the purpose OF
checking the rising revolutionary movement Of
the masses.
The workers and revolutionary peasants OF
Latin America must raise their voices of protest
against the fascist murders of the Mentero re-
gime In joined action with the revolutionary pro-
etariat of the United States. Let us remember
that 1t was by the action and protest of the revo-