Solidaridad Obrera - AIT : News from Chile

In Concepcion, as a result of the PEHUENCHE MAPUCHE struggle in the high Bio Bio area, where a number of damns are currently being built by ENDESA-Spain, we have created, together with several social and political groups, an anti-capitalist co-ordination with the aim to unite the struggles that are scattered -although there is just one enemy: capital, which is in the forefront of the implantation of the trans-national capitalist system in America southern area.

This has been made clear by the privatisation of the basic services such a health and care and electricity. As anarchists we are basing our support to this struggle on two issues:

1.- As a means to creating awareness in the community, mainly among workers, that the dams problems and MAPUCHE conflicts are not only ecological or cultural issues, but an anti-capitalist struggle.

2.- In order to conform a social movement able to confront the state with regards the predator authorisations to the national and trans-national companies.

The co-ordination has carried out a number of actions with the aim to unmask the repression suffered by the Mapuche people in the areas of Victoria, Traiguen and high Bio Bio where, since 1998, the State Inner Security Law is applied and, from December 2001, there are three mapuche people punished by the anti-terrorist law imposed by the state as a repression to the Malleco and Victoria communities struggle. A chaining-together in front of the mayoralty and a demonstration through the Concepcion city centre have marked the anti-capitalist co-ordination line of action.

At present, the anti-capitalist co-ordination is preparing, together with the unemployed co-ordinator, a regional protest on the 16th April against unemployment and for worthy job. All this within the framework of preparing a May Day struggle against the celebration organised by the consensus parties and the CUT.

Solidaridad Obrera- AIT

Eduardo Torres, Concepcion – Chile.