killing him and a colleague. murderers. unese mistakes....
Delegation CP for a brief period.
"Orlando, we went too far.
Pinochet receiving La scandal. recently, I was my wife shouted:
Letelier was solidarity.
on tie oronoest more effective.
citizenship We are in has Chilean ORLANDO LETELIER, an important leader of the Chilean Socialist Party, and a close friend and colleague of the late Salvador Allende, was murdered by agents in Washington last week. A bomb attached to his car exploded as he was passing the Chilean Embassy, Only a few weeks ago I had a lengthy discussion with Letelier at the offices of the radical Transnational Institute of Policy Studies in Amsterdam. covered a wide range of subjects, but from a selection of his remarks, it is possible to give an idea of the kind of man he was, and why he became a target for the junta's As a leader of the Socialist Party, he stressed its unique character, denying that it was a social democratic party. We never joined the Socialist International. and 1 am proud of it. Politically we were to the left of the Communist Party on all questions, though some - like our comrade Altamirano - were more to the left than others. Of course we made mistakes, crucial mistakes which cost us everything, but what was the character of 'You know I was in the same cell as Luis Corvalan o He is a fantastic man courageous, unrelenting. But he kept repeating to me:
We were too impatient." | think he is wrong, but the fact is that the CPs actually believe this. This is what makes it doubly tragic.
Letelier told me of the shock with which he learned of the Chinese collaboration with the junta. "I was one of the leaders of the SP considered to be pro-Chinese. Well, when we were on Dawson Island, the regime used to put its filthy propaganda on the wall and we, prisoners, were marched to this wall and made to read it One day we saw a Chilean news clipping which showed Chinese Ambassador and the anouncement of a Chinese loan for the junta. I could not believe it. Surely it must be a forgery. But no.. I find the Chinese policy to be outrageous, disgusting, When I was at a function in Washington seated next to the Chinese d'affaires. He offered me his hand to shake. I didn't want to, but being polite and well-trained I was about to when "Traitor, have you forgotten." So l didn't. That's what I feel about the Chinese.
emphatic on the need to maintain 'The solidarity movement must go on, even if it appears unrewarding. Every action is a help and an encouragement to the people of Chile. So please tell the comrades throughout Europe that they must never stop till we have toppled the dictatorship. And we must do it possible basis. Involve everyone to be Orlando Letelier was becoming effective. He recently succeeded in halting a planned Dutch investment seven million dollars in Chile. The junta then revoked his September. He told some *When they do that, it means they will kill you.' He was It is ironical that Corvalan in a Chilean concentration camp is today more safe than Orlando Letelier was on the streets of Washington DC. All the facts in this affair have yet to be revealed. Let us end with one question:
much confidence autonomy that it would murder in the US capital without Pinochet's Our talk • brave, as ORLANDO LETELIER- Not safe in the streets of washington be chargé of friends:
and General PRATS - similarly assinated by DINA in Buenos Aire.