Chile: A Third Warning for Pinochet

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The government cracks down, but opposition grows louder

The orchestrated display of outrage was becoming increasingly familiar. As dusk fell over Chile's capital of Santiago, tens of thousands of people began beating pots and pans in a rhythmic cacophony. In the densely populated slum of Herminda La Victoria, gangs of unemployed youths defied a strict curfew, barricading the streets with burning tires and chanting "Down with the dictatorship!" Rumbling through the capital's nearly deserted streets, army troops and police tried to intimidate the demonstrators by firing submachine guns into the air and throwing tear-gas grenades at them. The toll of the 5½-hour riot: two dead, nine injured and more than 500 arrested.

As the third such protest in as many months, it was unmistakable evidence that many Chileans can no longer tolerate the repressive regime of General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte. The two earlier protests drew larger crowds, but people were free to take to the streets then. Last week's outbreak occurred in the face of a major government crackdown.

The tinderbox atmosphere drew increasing international attention. At his weekly audience in St. Peter's Square, Pope John Paul II asked for prayers "for the true temporal and spiritual well-being of the Chilean people." He also appealed to the demonstrators "not to take the road of violence but of dialogue."

The U.S., too, spoke out. Although the Reagan Administration has long given tacit support to the Chilean regime for its anti-Communist stance, some U.S. officials now fear that Pinochet's failure to promote democracy could plunge the country into civil war. The State Department specifically condemned the arrest of three prominent opposition leaders as "a regrettable manifestation of the serious tensions and divisions" in Chile, and called for "moderation and dialogue" leading to the restoration of democracy.

Pinochet has shown no inclination to heed any such call. His government reacted to the first demonstrations by jailing Rodolfo Seguel, 29, head of the 23,000-member National Confederation of Copper Workers and a key organizer of the initial protests. It also imprisoned 29 other union leaders for periods ranging from one to ten days, and dispatched troops to take over or patrol the copper mines. Last week the government instructed the press not to write any stories about preparations for the protest, and forbade reporters from moving around Santiago during the curfew.

In addition, the authorities arrested Chile's most distinguished opposition figure, Christian Democratic Party President Gabriel Valdés. He and two other party officials were held for five days of questioning after they had appeared in court to testify on behalf of youths caught with 700,000 leaflets endorsing the protests. The arrest may have been a mistake. A crowd of 500 jammed Santiago's Supreme Court building to hear a lawyer read a statement signed by 1,000 prominent Chileans calling for Valdés' release. Said a Socialist politician: "The dictatorship has unwillingly made a national leader out of Gabriel Valdés."