Streik in der Provinz: Welcher Unterschied zwischen Sozialdemokraten und Pinochet?

Calbuco, Südchile: Streik in einer (umpfg) Lachsverarbeitungsfabrik. Folter auf dem Werksgelände, Tränengas in die Häuser, Prügel für Jugendliche, willkürliche Verhaftungen. In dem kurzen Bericht "Salmon workers attacked" von Earl Gilman vom 5. Februar 2008 ist die einzige Frage: Wo ist der Unterschied?

Salmon workers attacked

In the town of Calbuco, in southern Chile, workers in the salmon processing plant have been battling the police since the end of January.

Workers arrested have been taken inside the plant to be tortured. The plant is surrounded by 200 police. One woman striker suffered a spontaneous abortion after having been beaten by the police. Two poor neighborhoods near the factory have been attacked as well for their support to the strikers.

The people who live in these neighborhoods have had to cover their windows with wood or metal sheets to prevent the police from shooting tear gas into their windows.

Two youth from the neighborhood were also arrested and tortured inside the plant. Some workers were tear gassed while sitting in the police van after their arrest.

While repression may have lessened in the large cities in Chile under the so-called "socialist" government, in the small towns little has changed since the fall of the Pinochet regime.

Earl Gilman