"THE BATTLE OF CHILE the struggle of a people without weapons" "Part Three THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE" "Company..." "Attention!" "Present arms!" "Allende!" "Allende!" "The left - united - will never be defeated!" "The left - united - will never be defeated!" "Santiago, Chile, 1972." "In only 18 months the socialist government of Salvador Allende has managed to fulfill an important part of its program of social change." "In the course of a year and a half the government has nationalized the great copper mines, iron, nitrates, coal and cement." "In this period the state is able to control most of the monopolies of the country." "Allende, be sure to beat them well!" "Allende, Allende, the people will defend you!" "In addition they had managed to expropriate 6 million hectares of cultivable land, and they had nationalized all the banks and foreign exchanges." "Viva Salvador Allende!" "Viva!" "On the other hand, the government of the U.S.A. and the opposition had seriously hindered the management of Allende." "In spite of this, the President continued receiving enthusiastic support of enough large sectors of the population." "Allende, Allende, the people will defend you!" "Allende, Allende, the people will defend you!" "Towards the end of 1972 as that sector lasts, the opposition reaffirms its strategy." "The National Party insists on the necessity to cause the fall of the government before the next parliamentary elections." "To that end it impels a strike of the transport carriers that serves as spearhead to trigger a general collapse of the economy..." "A shortage of spare parts, made by the North Americans, create the conditions so that the National Party happen to control these industrialists." "If we want to return to their mobilization, to find a good solution, we must stop the zigzag maneuvers." "We must answer the question directly with tariffs and with spare parts!" "With suitable renovations, more justice and less bureaucracy!" "That is why we have come to ask you:" "for your confidence for this direction to take up the challenge." "We must fight like a single man, like single carriers and their women who are participating and with us, shoulder to shoulder." "Because the hour has come to declare an indefinite strike, determinant and until the last consequences." "Because we are to perish in misery, bankruptcy and ruin, we must stand upright, resolute and proud." "because this in an image of the Chilean people which is reflected in this organization." "Thank you." "Consequently, industrialists, the assembled leaders of the Confederation gave the corresponding instructions to all our organizations to count Tuesday, yesterday, zero hour, the services of all Chile became paralyzed." "we have fulfilled then, gentlemen, with the mandate of our national assembly to commit to the direction of the Confederation." "11th of October 1972, the first strike of truck drivers begins." "Next day, the truck drivers receive the support of the National Society of Agriculture, also by small and large retailers, who also paralyze their activities." "14th of October at night, the Christian Democratic Party also resolves to support the strike." "Urban transport and the highway constitutes a strategic sector of the production chain." "The absence of vehicles disarticulates the provision of raw materials and interrupts distribution on a national scale." "According to later revelations of the New York Times, the main economic support for strike comes from the North American government." "The great industrialists, grouped in the Society of Manufacturing Promotion, also suspend production and begin the indefinite closing of their factories." "These sectors defend the private company and reject any type of socialization of the economy." "Chilean industry is grouped in an institution that is called" "The Society of Manufacturing Promotion, the institution of which I am president." "This institution was founded..." "is the oldest of its type in Latin America, and was founded in 1883." "Until this moment we have had 19 presidents, and I am number 20." "Historically, the Society of Manufacturing Promotion is one of the spokesmen of the great national and foreign capital." "During this time the group speaks for industrial principles." "We asked the industrialists who follow this movement and the industries that have been crushed." "But one knows, by place of this paralysis of industry because other sectors follow the movement, such as independent professionals, engineers, banking and health workers, professionals such as lawyers, engineers... and of course retailers, small industrialists, medium industrialists." "In short, all the industry and the commerce." "The movement touches very vast sectors." "In Santiago, 70% of the autobuses are working." "The urban communications of the country enter crisis." "Workers take trucks from the factories to the streets and improvise a form of minimum transport." "Facing the emergency, they fight the strike from the beginning." "Responding to the call of the government, the great majority of the workers arrive at their centers of work." "As soon as we knew that the transporters put themselves on strike, we thought immediately that it was a maneuver against the government." "Then we met and immediately took precautions, to protect our business which is nationalized." "Yes, we are working every day as usual." " We arrive late but we come." " How?" "By any means." "The factory sends trucks, private busses." "So we take them to come to work." "We worked." "We were for working." "But the support for work is no more." "And during the strike, how do you get here?" "We come here by private busses, sometimes on foot." "The important thing is to arrive." "The comrades who work here lent us trucks to come to work." "That's how we came..." "we carry on as usual." " Has the factory been closed?" " No, never." "We have decided to continue to work to cooperate with the government." "We must do all that is in our power to support the government." "Of course, we have never missed work during the strikes." "We always come..." "regular as clockwork." "It's a seditious strike." " How have the workers reacted?" " Working as normal every day." "Young mothers come to work, with their babies in their arms." "The same for pregnant women." "Meanwhile, in the center of Santiago the assault groups of the opposition attack the buses that have still not adhered to the strike." "In the residential areas most of the engineers, executives and technicians of the industries remain in their houses, supporting the strike." "At this moment..." "I am the president of the Confederation Unica of Professionals of Chile who represent about 50.000 professionals, workers with professional qualifications, who offer their services to diverse industries throughout the country." "This type of organization, supposedly non-political, act in narrow collaboration with the opposition parties." "We have a great organization in the base here." "Disciplined, conscious, and responsible." "Supporting the strike of October." "Little by little these organizations assume a behavior next to fascism." "I don't believe in the myth which says a worker, as a workman, can do anything." "The engineers have left the company, along with the executives." "The company was left in the hands of our comrade leaders." "Therefore we immediately organized." "Without them we are assuming this responsibility." "This has gone well." "Since our patrons have abandoned us, we have gone ahead." "They have left the factory to us and we continue to work normally." "At present, there have been no problems of any sort." "We're doing just fine." "I think they acted very badly." "because they did not warn us." "But we find things are much better now." "And I would like to shake the hand of comrade Allende!" "It suits us perfectly, this new way of operating." "We are satisfied with the reform that has been made in the industry." "We like it better, and make more of an effort." "In the factories, the workers with greater experience direct the main operations." "The few engineers who support the government are distributed between several neighboring factories." "Thus, a single engineer can simultaneously take care of the problems of 4 or 5 companies." "In these first moments industrial activity does not stop." "Meanwhile in the Chambers of Parliament a group of ten Senators emits a declaration in which they affirm that the government is exceeding the law." "This document, without legal force, serves to damage the constitutional image of Allende to the Armed Forces." "Among the ten signers are parliamentarians of the Christian Democratic Party." "I think that in this case, the Christian Democrats are wrongly supporting those of the right..." "I used to be a Christian Democrat myself." "To me they are betraying our country when they support these people." "It was the bourgeoisie who maintained the ignorance of all the workers..." "Why are so many workers ignorant of all politics and say they are apolitical?" "They don't know that everything is political, and that workers have to be united in order to get organized." "And on what basis?" "The organizations that form the base of political parties." "The parties who support the popular unity are always defending the workers." "Unlike the opposition parties who exploit the workers, like the Christian Democrats." "They have crated paternalism to use the workers." "Are there any Christian Democrat workers?" "Yes, many." " Have they created problems?" " No." " Are they working?" " We are united, no problem." "Are the Christian Democrats also working?" "Yes." "They are also working." "Although the Christian Democracy has decided to support striking some of their working militants continue working." "In fact, these workers enter contradiction with their leaders." "They feel more identified with their fellow workers than with the patrons." "If you are not with the Popular Unity, who are you with?" "With the workers." "Who are the workers here with?" " With the Popular Unity." " Have you worked through the strike?" " Of course." " Why?" "Because we have a conscience." " You also worked through the strike?" " Yes." " You are with the Popular Unity?" " With the workers." "Because those of right have never respected the present government." "It is the people that respect the government." "It is they who accept the orders of the government." "But the gentlemen... the gentlemen of money, the gentlemen who now are losing the interests that they have had..." "They are those that are protesting because they know that the people must buy, must eat and they now want to hide the things that the people must consume." "They have provoked this chaos so that the people turn against the government." "The opposition increases the product monopolizing of basic necessities, trying to create a situation of general shortage." "In answer, the popular government and popular organizations increase monitoring to discover these premises of secret storages." "In spite of everything, the population find serious problems trying to acquire available products." "In the face of the critical situation the government declares zones of emergency in the capital and several provinces." "This means that the Armed Forces must enter to maintain public order." "The opposition blames President Allende for politically using the military." "In addition, the opposition press launches a campaign to increase the disobedience of the military against the government." "I believe we are living through a critical moment for our country." "But I believe that with the unity of all the workers we will see it through." "What do you think of the current crisis?" "It is going rather badly." " What must be done?" " Well, we must stop this crisis... and begin again in this country." "It's bad." " What must be done?" " Work more." " Louder." " Work and produce more, comrade." "In reality, the situation is very serious." "The crisis... we must face it, resolve it and move on." " How?" " Work more, produce more... and help our comrade President." "We cannot rely on the bourgeois that only want to suffocate us, and to profit from that North Americans want to take away our dignity as Chileans." "That's what they are doing, and we cannot accept, as Chileans, as workers, as men who are mature in their work, to act according to what they wish." "No!" "Not now not ever." "On the contrary!" "We must always be for a new Chile, politically and economically free." "Meanwhile, some factories begin to sell their products directly to the population." "The unions of the different industries make connections to take products to the popular districts." "At this time we are taking on the role of inspectors." "We are not doing the same roles but we keep the same salaries." "At this time we are taking on the role of inspectors." "We are not doing the same roles but we keep the same salaries." "Our task consists of coordinating the distribution of electric household appliances." "Other factories send groups of workers to open the closed commerce." "These workers play the role of inspectors in the service of the government." "All the directors of the diverse organizations of railway workers gave a declaration as a result of the attack committed yesterday by fascist elements against a train of passengers." "They announce that they will not tolerate any more aggression." "For them the attack of yesterday against a train of passengers is a criminal act against the railway workers and the people who travel and rely on the railway." "We organized a committee to watch the factory day and night." " Two committees." " What do they do?" "Keep watching the factory so no one comes to seize it." "Here, comrade, we have a monitoring committee to protect the factory every Saturday, Sunday and holiday." "At no moment will the industry be unwatched." "Yes, we thought of making towers in the four corners of the factory." "To improve the view of surveillance equipment which operates at the centre of the business." "Vigilance committees are created in the different manufacturing zones of Santiago." "Tell me about this truck." "The comrades met in an assembly of workers and decided to cooperate with the government in the best way to break the strike of the drivers." "Workers have made these tankers to distribute fuel." "and to accelerate the manufacturing processes." "With this fabrication it will only take one week to give the government ten tankers like the one you see here." "In the middle of October, the capacity of the workers organizations surpasses all expectations." "THIS COMPANY IS A CENTER OF REVOLUTIONARY SUPPORT" "The workers manage to maintain a relatively normal production using the reserve stock to the maximum." "The factories create a system of interchanging resources." "This practice came to be called industrial cordons." "Each Industrial Cord is a grouping of factories and companies that coordinates the tasks of workers of the same trade." "They are the first seeds of popular power in Chile." "While the supporters of the government seem to overcome the crisis, the violent opposition groups try to create an image of chaos and lack of authority." "The efficient intervention of police and the mobilization of thousands of workers, who took to the streets to support the constitutional government, stopped the attempt of fascist elements to provoke a bloody riot in Santiago." "The fascist groups used guerilla tactics to confront students and workers, who had come to express their support for the government." "Shops have been devastated." "The society of Urban Improvement was ransacked and evacuated." "Some bullets were fired." "The presence of the workers permitted the dispersion of the provocateurs, who intended to create a climate of disorder in the capital." "The construction workers and workers of nationalized industry took to the streets to stop the excesses of the fascist groups." "October 23rd: the supervisory movement begin to show symptoms of fatigue." "In the factories the situation of the workers is also complicated, because the reserve stock is near exhaustion." "In this situation, Salvador Allende creates the political conditions for an agreement with the Christian Democrats." "To this end, he incorporates in the government the Commanders-in-Chief of the Armed Forces." "For the creation of this civic-military cabinet, the President appoints General Carlos Prats, commander of the military who respect the democratic system." "Guaranteed by this sector," "Allende obtains an agreement with the Christian Democrats and negotiates a solution to the transport strike." "An high number of leftist workers interpret the presence of the military as a possibility of applying hard hand against the opposition." "What do you think of the military in the government?" "I agree to have the military." "A strong hand is the only way to control the bourgeois and those of the right." "What do you think of the military in the government?" "They should have done it from the beginning." "Why?" "To resolve all the problems we have." " What's your opinion?" " I agree very much with the military." "They should put more militaries in the government." "Are the military with the people?" "Clearly." "They are with the people." "They are all with the workers." "How do you know that?" "Basically because the reactionary forces will not succeed in confronting all the armed forces." "So we know therefore that they are with the government and the people." "After the declaration of General Prats yesterday, we are certain it is a guarantee for us." "I am against the military in the government." "Why?" "Simply because a democratic system don't go well with the military." " Then why has Allende resorted to them?" " I imagine that the moment was too serious, and that it was necessary under the circumstances to keep his authority and restore order." "But I hope it is temporary." "At this moment, I don't believe anyone can say with much clarity if there will be a confrontation or not." "Everything depends exclusively on the armed forces." "If the army continues to stay loyal to the people and respect law and order," "I think there is no risk of confrontation." "The government will have difficulties, but it will continue." "And if the strike continues?" "All the sector of trucks will have to be nationalized and administered by the workers themselves, because without the workers the truck drivers cannot do anything." "It is the workers who constitute the country." "The people have opened their eyes and have understood." "They will not be made to swallow anything, like before." "Because I believe throughout the entire world the workers must be understood." "Not only in Chile, but everywhere." "10th November 1972." "The civic-military cabinet manages to end the strike." "For the North American government and the opposition this is a failure." "Although they caused the country great economic damage they were not able to demolish the government, which was its primary target." "For many workers, the experience of October will serve as a base for the growth popular power." "Some days later, in the action of masses that celebrate the end of the conflict, it's the first parade of Cordon Cerrillos, an organization of 250 companies that did not exist before the strike." " Workers of Cordon Cerrillos!" " Present!" " Workers of Fensa!" " Present!" " Sindelén!" " Presente!" " Maestranza Cerrillos!" " Present!" " Workers of Ralco!" " Present!" "After the October strike, almost all base movements would be tied to popular power." "This is an initiative canalized by the government but not originated by them." "Often this power causes great restlessness in some parties of the left that is alarmed seeing certain spontaneous attitudes of the population." "Create popular power!" "After October, "create power popular" continues to be heard in all the country." "Create popular power!" "Workers to the power!" "Create popular power!" "Middle of the 1973:" "In the main cities, there are now 31 Industrial Cords." "Eight in Santiago." "When conflicts with the patrons arise, especially within the small companies, the affected workers receive the close support of the Cord to which they belong." "This solidarity allows the small unions to count on greater endorsement to confront the patrons." "Immense fortunes have been made by these patron, but they do nothing for the well-being of their workers." "And now they even try to destroy us by persecuting the union leaders." "But our leaders are not alone." "We have the support of the workers, and the industrial cordons, from all over Chile." "We are powerful... and they have been mistaken once again." "Now we are all organized and we are conscious." "The workers have opened their eyes more." "We are more informed and we have more support." "We are more united, more powerful, and will be even more powerful." "Because the enemy that we are confronting, the right, is very powerful and very well organized." "Why should we not be organized and profit from the superior numbers of the workers?" "There are more workers than patrons." "It is easy to defeat them but it is necessary to be organized and united." " What do you think of the cordons?" " They are very important." " Why?" " Because..." "I think it is real power in the organized communes." "I believe that all we must understand very clearly the importance of the Industrial Cords and how we must work in its support and its organization." "You think that they are a parallel power to the government?" "Because some fear the industrial cords?" "Yes, we have been able to feel that fear." "We have seen it in the services of public utility." "They feel terrorized when the community is participating." "Do you see any danger in Industrial Cords?" "Of course not." "I have confidence in the intelligence of the people, and also in organized and intelligent people." "Why would people fear organization of people?" "In this period, workers occupy hundreds of factories all over the country." "Some of these industries can legally be expropriated." "Nevertheless many of them are put into workers control without legal support." "These are the first symptoms where the state begins to be surpassed by reality." "Create popular power!" "Later, "communal commandos" begin to be organized." "This is another form of popular power." "These commandos unite all components of a community:" "students, housewives, workers, settlers and farmers." "You have heard about communal commandos?" "Yes, I have heard much about the Communal Commandos." "These are well organized people." "We have them here also." "They are concerned with the problems of the workers." "Especially now that we crossed this revolutionary period." "What you think of the communal commandos?" "The communal commandos are organizations of the revolting people." "We must all participate, we are the proletariat." "There are many ignoring that." "Many proletarians are being betrayed by lies speaking about shortages." "All that is a deceit by the politicians of the right, the imperialist North Americans and the bourgeois Chileans." "Because they do not fight for Chile." "We fight for Chile, for true equality for all, to construct a socialism that really belongs to the proletarian class." "What do you think of the communal commandos?" "Well, I believe at this moment that coalition is the organic solution for the supply problem and for the problem of uniting all the proletarian class through the communities and the provinces." "Also against possible insults from the newspapers during this process." "And for the concrete solutions they give for solving problems of hygiene, problems of health and vigilance against the bourgeoisie." "What we lack, I think, is an organization that is capable to guide the marginalized sectors of the proletariat, the people of the working class who today are the most explosive, most mobilized sector the entire country." "We call on our working class comrades to necessarily organize themselves so that we in the short term, with the conduct of the working class, with the conduct of the industrial cords, can constitute a communal commando," "which tomorrow will be a power for our class." "A commando communal that will not slow down the bourgeois institutions, nor the revolutionary sectors." "Power to the workers!" "Comrades..." "We have come to the center of Maipu because we understand a fundamental tool of the task which we have given ourselves:" "class alliance." "The alliance that allows us to demolish the enemy." "The alliance that allows us to halt imperialist action, through the monopolies that they have in Chile." "That allows us to construct and to develop the power of the people." "That gives us the necessary force for the conquest of power." "The practice of the communal commandos takes the form of concrete actions." "In this case the workers of Cordon Cerrillos and the farmers of Maipu resolve to occupy, by force, 39 badly operated estates." "These lands could be one of the main sources of supply for the capital." "Each neighboring factory sends a group of workers to support this action." "This is the first time that urban workers take part in a countryside mobilization." "This single operation shows the reality of a communal commando." "Early in the morning, brigades of farmers and workers take possession of the land." "The patron is taken by surprise." "Roads and entrances are occupied." "Permanent guards are placed in key positions." " Comrade, can I ask you a question?" " If you like." " What is your name.?" " Luis Gilberto Sierra Jerez." " Where are you from?" " Santa Carolina." "Why are you occupying this?" "The problem is that the patron does not respect the workers." "They complained, and we decided to occupy the land." "We are united to come and help..." "the comrades of our quarter." "I am on a committee in charge of this area." "I am one of its founders." "I have made sacrifices." "I want others too to make sacrifices for the union, so that we can throw out the patrons from here." "And you, comrade, where do you work?" "Ciem Ditela." " In the industry?" " Yes, I'm the leader of Cordon Vicuña Mackenna." "What are you doing here?" "We see that it is necessary to unite the working class with the farmer comrades." "To overcome the patrons." "We encounter the same type of problems." "We must find a solution as one class." "How has this worker-farmer union been here in Maipu?" "For the first time we see the force and effectiveness of this alliance." "39 estates have been occupied with the support of workers of the sector Cerrillos and of Vicuña Mackenna." "PRIVATE PROPERTY ENTRANCE STRICTLY FORBIDDEN" "The second step is to initiate the operation of the land." "Also monitoring committees are created to patrol lands day and night to prevent retaliation of the patrons." "Later the occupants demand the application of the law of the Agrarian Reformation, calling the civil employees of the government to study the situation." "In summary..." "The comrades are always at the mercy of the Judicial Power." "They risk the orders of evacuation, orders of halting, judgments of crimes that were never committed, but that can be avoided with intervention and with the credits of the state for the new manager and peasants." "In general, the Law of the Agrarian Reformation allows expropriation of mismanaged land estates." "But in this case the estate do meet the conditions demanded by the law." "This forces the farmers to firmly defend the validity of their initiative" "We did not lie... and we will reject a comrade who lies." "For what reason?" "Because if we reclaim 26 estates, we reclaim 26 estates." "If it's 28, we reclaim 28." "That's how it is!" "Later they confuse it by reversing our actions." "2 or 3 estates more or less." "We are not going to accept that either." "For what reason?" "Because we did not lie." "Once and for all, have confidence in us!" "If we reclaim those 26 estates, it's because our comrades of the farm need work." "It's not a question of getting a CORA official trying to swindle us." "We will not accept it!" "This is clear." "If we requested those 26 estates, it isn't for nothing." "We are not making things up to expropriate them." "No." "We demand them for a reason." "If we say that they are badly managed, it is true." "In addition, the patrons have discovered a legal resource against the expropriations." "This is called 'precautionary measures' and they serve to protect private property during a period that the courts define." "As the courts are controlled by the right, there are lands that could take years to be expropriated." "This resource ruins the initiative of these farmers." "Comrades, I ask you..." "What solution will we have if the estates are expropriated which are under the control of legal measures?" "How can we take possession?" "It's no secret." "No secret..." "The problem is... that CORA has engaged lawyers, to defend them in the courts." "What is happening is a problem of the fight that we are going through in this country." "To expropriate, we must respect the law." "The patrons has a law to be able to expropriate, and they have lawyers..." "You all know the problem of the courts." "Against the precautionary measures used by CORA we can do nothing." "The problem escapes us." "To reply concretely to the question:" "It may be that these expropriations are also blocked by precautionary measures, and in this case the fight must continue in the court, but..." "What we must do is to expropriate all the estates by the end of the month." "On the other hand, the occupants dare to face the bureaucracy of the state." "Endorsed by the Communal Commando, a true judgment of the people is carried out against a civil employee of the government." "I do not want to lose time, but to work more and produce more." "This is our motto." "Not to sit in an office smoking." "In short, doing paperwork." "If a person is not able, like I said, they must fire him from his functions." "Me, for example, as a leader of the farmers..." "If someone says I am a bad leader, then I will resign and give the post to someone more capable." "One has to be frank among comrades, a comrade know how to defend himself, but if someone here puts obstacles against our action we will find a way to retire the comrade from his post." "And here at Maipu we will no longer call him comrade, because he has not solved a single problem in Maipu." "I'd like the petition to say:" "We are aware of the shortage of potatoes, of sugar, of all agricultural products..." "There is clearly a shortage of agricultural products." "Clearly we are partly responsible for the shortage of supplies." "And this is why we ask for the expropriations." "The reactionaries have often said that we are the lazy ones." "Here is the proof that it is false!" "We produce food... because we know that we must defend our cause." "That is what I wanted to say, comrades." "Comrade, you want to speak?" "Yes, first of all I want to say this:" "ACCUSED OFFICIAL" "I have a position which from a salary point of view is not much benefit to me." "It is not something that makes me rich." "But to speak in a more concrete way, comrades," "I am going to be self critical here." "I made the mistake of having too much trust in the work done in the head office." "It is a responsibility that I have to assume." "I must assume this, and this has taught me a lesson." "I admit it in front of you." "Now, on the other hand," "I say to him, to my that I give much importance to what you have achieved today... because I feel like a revolutionary." "And when a revolutionary feels he is... criticized for management that he thinks is correct, that must serve as an experience to improve his work in the future." "If you want we can continue discussing these things on a later occasion." "I really believe that you deserve an explanation." " I think that..." " Comrade, may I..?" "As a revolutionary and a civil employee you do jeopardize this, comrade." "You don't have a schedule." "You must support the farmers... and work more, comrade." "Create popular power!" "The popular power also solves the problem of food supplies." "During 1973 the North American boycott and strong domestic opposition have created a climate where a great part of the retailers are against the government." "They obtain greater profit selling their products on the black market." "The small retailer even prefers to turn his foods over to the black market." "To fight this problem, a system of direct supply to residential areas is created." "With an elected delegate in charge we should create a cooperative distribution together with all residents." "We should drop the commercial morons." "Thanks to them, the merchandise appears on the black market." "Then we will take on the responsibility ourselves to form a union with a delegate, and to form a cooperative for complete distribution to the inhabitants who live here, to the necessity of each household." "We have to fight to exclude those retailers, who without scruples fill their pockets at our expense." "We must unite." "Join us, street by street!" "We must form a cooperative and get rid of the retailers!" "Power to the workers!" "When the inhabitants of the residential areas noted that supplying came directly to them from the distributor, in this case DINAC, they discovered that this eliminates the high costs for having merchant middlemen." "Therefore we must unite all the sectors." "Each neighborhood should meet and discuss all occurring problems." "We want a public warehouse where all the merchandise arrives... and is directly distributed from." "We must create a kind of supermarket." "That is what we would like to propose, and we are waiting for the authorization to do it." "What is essential here is that the inhabitants organize themselves." "In many places there are already public warehouses supplied by different companies, basically of the social sector." "These are exclusively state-owned companies." "We must ask that the inhabitants make efforts so that they feel that they are also participating." "And that they feel responsibility." "It will not fall from the sky." "They must make efforts." "The public warehouse is designed to do without the retailer." "Each district resolves to establish one assigning a group of neighbors to collect the merchandise." "In here comrades, follow me." "If you are doing nothing, comrades, don't hang here." "Let me pass." "Quickly!" "Where shall I put this?" "Is this for the truck?" "What else needs loading?" "The rice... onions... seaweed, vermicelli... matches... flour... tomato sauce..." "The foods are supplied by DINAC, the National Distribution Company, the only distributor controlled by the government." "Although 70% of the distribution are in the hands of the rivals of Allende this company is able to solve the most urgent necessities of residential areas." "The neighbors rent a truck to transport products to the sale site" "This operation is done once per week." "One at a time, comrades!" "It's 8 o'clock in the evening, and you must understand... that the other comrades must come to guard the store." "You want to speak?" "The women can be here until 1 or 2, until the men come." "Comrades, tell me..." "Are you content with the direct distribution or not?" "Yes!" "In 1973 the public warehouses supply near 300.000 families in Santiago." "More than half of its total population." "In some communes these small warehouses distribute all products available." "Cornstarch." "Five boxes of matches." "Each family gets 0.25 kg of tea, 0.5 kg of pasta and 1 kg of rice." "5 kg of sugar." "Next package!" "Every family group receives a card to withdraw the articles." "This allows planning of the distribution and to respect the official prices." "The maintenance of the store runs due to the group of residents." "How are they able to attend both the popular store... and go to work?" "For example, the merchandise they deliver to us they deliver it on Saturday or Friday, then we attend the store on Saturday, since I do not work on Saturday..." "When I cant go, others go... my wife goes with other partners with others of the population." "Direct supplying... is that popular power?" "At this time I believe that yes because... we see that because of this..." "The direct supply, already we are more united with the masses." "What do you think of the situation?" " It's a difficult time." " How come?" "For the things that we all see." "After the recent government declarations, the comrades ask him to be more firm, but he can't use a hard hand because he has no majority in the Congress." "And this is the most serious problem that our comrade the president has." "I am going to defend our government because it is the government of the people and we have to defend it." "So that's why I do not have fear because I am so determined." "I have always said to my wife:" ""You have two children who are already grown up." "You have finished bringing them up." "and if I die for something... good..." "I want to die defending our cause like other workers who have been exploited their whole life." "Popular power now!" "Throughout 1973 the seeds of popular power extend to all the country." "The population supports the government in resisting the crisis." "Workers to the power!" "Popular power now!" "In the production centers that already are into the hands of the government other types of popular power appear." "In the mines of the saltpeter, for example, the problem of the control of workers becomes a form of popular power." "Beyond the avenging struggle, people want more transparency and more efficiency." "Now, at this moment there is a blockade by imperialists and because of the blockade neither raw materials nor spare parts arrive." "So what do have we to do?" "We must plan the production." "We must organize it, both workshop and smelting." "Without craftmanship, no industrial development is possible in this country." "It's the heart of this moment, that can keep the rest of the industrial machinery alive." "Because the comrades here make spare parts." "When the parts are missing, they invent them!" "Create the pieces that are needed." "The worker's world is concrete, no room for university abstractions." "He has heard enough speeches." "The reclamations of our comrade are very serious." "What does he protest against?" "The goals of the factory?" "He wants a better management, more rational." "More definite production plans." "We can't continue proliferating with these small factories in each sector, because that means bad management, and a dispersion of resources." "Soon the more qualified workers will have had enough and will leave." "This will disillusion their comrades." "There are no comrades here that support the fascists." "They're all workers with the conscience of a worker." "Here are some objects that have been made here, in spite of the blockade." "Here you can see an electrical switch." "These switches are made here, in this factory." "They used to be imported but as everyone knows, we are subject to a blockade and therefore must make these pieces ourselves now." "In this situation, when we've been blockaded by imperialism, we are ready and resolute in fulfilling the plan of our government, to produce more, and to find solutions to the problems of how to make the spare parts that the factory needs." "These "machinas" are the answers of the workers faced with problems." "We call them "machinas"." "Here is one." "This one is made from two rods." " What is this used for?" " A compressor for the locomotives." " Locomotives from which year?" " From 1928." "As much in the mines as in the nationalized factories, people want less bureaucratic proceedings and more participation." "This opens a discussion about the limits of the "pacific way" towards socialism." "In practice, the fight for participation becomes an analysis of reality." "Comrades, it has been two years since the Popular Unity came into power." "And in this company there has been no real and effective participation." "Why hasn't there been any real and effective participation?" "Why this lack of participation?" "Participation of the workers is a political problem." "By means of participation the workers are going to be able to break the capitalist structures of the companies." "Because this company, comrades, still has a capitalist structure in its organization." "We are not owners of the power." "We are owners of the government." "The companies of the state and of the government also suffer the consequences of these contradictions of the political process." "Participation is for breaking the capitalist structures so that the workers can create new organizations in this process of transition towards socialism." "That is to say, the workers must plan, must study and organize the company." "That is to participate, to plan, and to study the company from inside." "At this moment "Molino" claims to be able to produce a thousand trucks of salpeter a day." "Unfortunately it only produces 700 or 800 trucks." "That does not correspond with the production of this section that was envisaged at the beginning." "This is a serious problem of the mine." "There are problems with production." "There is no sand." "No trucks." "More than 200 trucks have been abandoned." "According to the workers, and the committees of production, we can use those 200 trucks." "We could take 3 broken trucks and make 2." "The workers have proposed this solution." "They have called a departmental committee, comrades, and if the answers are negative, or if they don't arrive, then how could we say that workers are supposed to participate when we see that their suggestions for increasing production are rejected?" "I think that the only solution to end the problem of acquisitions, of spare parts that do not arrive, of wages is that the workers control the production directly." "We are the producers, and we must control the whole company." "It's difficult, but attainable, because it has been realized in a number of companies." "Direct control of the production." "We have thought that perhaps they need to have administration committees for each plant, for important factories." "So that all the problems of participation will be discussed." "Comrades, in my opinion the union leaders must participate and take more part, because in that way they will get to know the economic conditions of the industry." "It is essential that they know about economic conditions." "The workers too should know this." "They shouldn't be fighting without knowing what's behind everything." "When we spoke, comrades, about Chile being a bourgeois capitalist state, we remembered the Supreme Court that appointed ministers." "We remembered the Legislative Power, comrades, dictating laws against the workers." "Not only dictating these laws, but also making seditious war against the people's government." "What should the workers' participation imply?" "Planning of the economy through direct participation in which the participants of the workers appoint themselves by ample voting, as we are still a democracy." "And what should the unions do?" "Since they have always been part of the international working class movement, it should be them who defend the working class, and help destruct the bourgeois state like a revolutionary tool, to the service of their class." "The restlessness of the workers is also shared by some leaders of the companies." "The contradictions of this process of change is obvious in the daily work of the civil employees." "This is a revolutionary process but it is not a revolution." "This is no longer a proletarian state." "This is a capitalist bourgeois state." "This enterprise belongs to the state, that is more or less the same." "Anyway, the problem of the workers here is not that they must work 16 hours a day." "The problem is that they work 16 hours without being able to make any important decisions." "Basically nothing has changed." "You can... ask of the workers" "to demand greater conscience from them." "But if you appeal to the conscience of the workers you must provide them with more force." "However, on the level of the worker one notes that there is, in the section, here in this nationalized company, a new aspect, resulting from the lack of raw materials and spare parts, threatening the worker with reduced daily wage," "because their wages are directly connected with production." "For example, a solderer working in this section." "He can't do anything, because there is nothing to sold." "The only solution that we can offer in this situation, at this moment, is precise planning of the supply." "He must plan transportation." "If the transport sector is put on strike tomorrow and the fish trucks are blockaded in Antofagasta, one will lose the fish, because of lack of transportation." "We must plan the means of transportation." "We must plan the distribution." "So what must be done here?" "We haven't taken control of the bakeries, the groceries, the farms, the hospitals, the guesthouses... because food is distributed through these establishments." "The problems are dramatically serious." "We are nationalized companies." "That's true." "We can provide organization and make plans, but we run into a great contradiction:" "that the character of the state has not changed." "We are the only nationalized industries at the center of a bourgeois capitalist state." "Where the mechanisms of oppression and domination continue to be in the hands of the bourgeois." "The government must find answers to the necessities of supply." "To be able to plan by using the means that the government controls." "Then what plans do you have for the given situation?" "Well, I am not going to tell you to solve all problems... but it is possible... to find another solution." "We can't just sit down and cross our arms and let imperialism take over." "We must move forward." "We must be offensive, and gradually cease power together with the masses." "Secure it together with the masses." "We cannot delegate the problem of class to the executives, the superintendents, the ministers, the parliamentarians..." "Because the right has a tremendous advantage." "They hinder executives, accuse functionaries, question ministers." "I heard recently, last week, that they imprisoned Secretary of State Anibal Palma." "What happens if this continues?" "We have already 44% of the votes." "There is no chance, no means, that we will obtain 60%" "It's impossible." "We must take advantage of the moment... use the rising of the masses and mobilize them for class objectives." "In the middle of 1973, the impatience of some popular sectors increases." "At the more militant work places, some workers start to discuss some of the basic problems of the transition towards socialism." "At this moment one seems to ask the question of the constitution and the law." "If the workers ask the question, the judiciary power, the constitution, the government." "that decide for us to begin to take power because this no longer has validity." "We have got the industrial cords, and popular power started, because the existing institutions do not longer serve us." "They are incapable of fulfilling their functions." "So we, the workers, are creating new institutions." "The governmental apparatus must be used by the working class to smash the other class." "Just like we've always been smashed." "Let us prove that the wind can turn!" "One of the characteristics of the popular power is that it opens a new horizon of political development for the worker." "This initiates a process of criticism within the left." "Many people know by intuition that a tragic end awaits, that president Allende is unable to continue advancement." "Comrades, what has to be done?" "Given the current situation, it's difficult." "We are facing difficult times." "We must have a thorough clean-up, from the top down!" "If the government don't get rid of certain commitments, it will be eliminated." "There are no other solutions than to take the reins." "Take things in control and clean up the country in the interest of the motherland." "The motherland is eternal." "We are just passers-by." "Soon, one will not be able to avoid the crisis." "Tell me comrade, what do you think must be done?" "This is the opportunity." "It's now or never." "The enemy is extremely well prepared." "They will give us no respite." "This is the opportunity to do it." "It's now or never." "Because the enemy knows what to expect." "They know that if they lose it they will never retake it, and that makes them the devil." "We will continue our walk, comrade." "Goodbye, comrade." "So long." "One day it will be re-examined." "I hope they will lead from the front." "It's now or never." "I will continue my walk, comrade." "Goodbye, comrade."