Who were the real terrorists? Look in Washington

Political activists of the 1960s and 1970s witnessed some of the most revolutionary developments in history. Consciousness was profoundly shaped by the historic events sweeping the world, from the triumph of the Cuban Revolution to the national liberation struggles in Africa to the French general strike and to the speeches of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro.

Even in the United States, mass movements and rebellions arose from the oppressed communities as well as from the anti-war movement in this glorious time.

But there were setbacks and defeats as well, as in Chile. Sept. 11, 1973, will forever be etched in the minds of the Chilean people. Revolutionaries and progressives of the time will never forget that date.

Toro, third from left, at news conference regarding his case. Toro’s next hearing is set for Jan. 11. WW photo: Sara Flounders

A fascist coup massacred tens of thousands of people as it overturned the pro-socialist government of President Salvador Allende.

Within a few days, a U.S. puppet regime headed by the monstrous butcher Gen. Augusto Pinochet took over. The name Pinochet has become synonymous with terror.

U.S. imperialism was decisive in bringing about this terror and instrumental in the defeat of the Allende government, leading to the murder and disappearances.

U.S.-trained fascist officers rounded up Allende supporters, executing some on the spot. Tens of thousands were taken to a huge stadium where they were tortured, raped, maimed and killed. To this day in Chile the stadium’s name evokes shudders.

Bodies were taken by military planes and dropped in the ocean, leaving families in torment about what had happened. Blood ran through the streets. It may never be known how many actually died or suffered as a result of this fascist turn.

The U.S. government, headed by President Richard Nixon, was complicit in this terror. Major U.S. capitalist corporations like the International Telephone and Telegraph Co., working hand in hand with the CIA and the Chilean ruling class in plotting the counterrevolution, gave the orders.

The role of U.S. imperialism is well documented.

The role of the MIR

The Movement of the Revolutionary Left or MIR is one organization that stands out for its role in organizing and defending the Chilean people.

Chileans were in political motion from the late 1960s up to the time of the fascist coup. Workers in textile and auto plants took over factories to prevent layoffs. They built whole new neighborhoods, often giving them the name “New Havana.” They set up people’s rules in the communities such as no domestic violence or alcohol abuse.

The MIR played a leading role in a militant squatters’ movement, also organizing demonstrations, taking over land and factories and setting out to put an end to exploitation. Along with the Chilean masses, the MIR wanted real fundamental change, not just band-aids.

The MIR supported Allende but warned about the dangers. The MIR was one of the organizations in Chile that understood the real difference between taking office and taking power.

In March 1972 it warned that not organizing to fight opens the door to fascism. The people needed arms to defend Allende and themselves from the Chilean capitalist state  and U.S. imperialism.

The MIR & Victor Toro today

Víctor Toro Ramírez, a MIR founder, was forced into exile after the coup. He and his spouse Nieves Ayress, also a leader and freedom fighter brutally tortured by Pinochet’s police, made their home in the Bronx, N.Y., where they have a family and deep roots in the community.

Both Toro and Ayress have been organizing since the early 1980s and head La Peña del Bronx, a multi-issued fight-back organization. They are also active leaders in the May 1st Coalition for Worker and Immigrant Rights.

In 2007 Toro was racially profiled while riding on Amtrak in upstate New York, arrested and ordered deported. A support committee is demanding his political asylum. His lawyer, Carlos Moreno, argues that much of the Pinochet regime still lingers in Chile and deportation could lead to Toro’s execution.

New twist in the case

On Aug. 26, the Department of Homeland Security and ICE—Immigration Customs and Enforcement—issued a brief with a new and ominous twist on Toro’s case.

The DHS and ICE now argue that Toro is linked to a “terrorist” organization: the MIR. Moreno argues that now it will be much more difficult for an immigration judge to counter the “terrorism” charge and grant political asylum.

Toro is surprisingly elated by this turn, because, he says, “If the U.S. government wants to put the MIR on trial, this gives us the opportunity to put the role of U.S. imperialism in Chile on trial.”

Moreno is making a special appeal to those who were politically aware in the 1960s and 1970s. He is asking for lawyers, activists, academics, etc., to submit testimony proving that the MIR is not “terrorist” but a people’s organization.

The Committee to Defend Victor Toro urges everyone to get involved. Toro is no longer another migrant the U.S. wants to suppress and deport. His case is now about the right to fight back against exploitation and imperialism.

A victory for the U.S. in the case would send an ominous message to the people of Honduras, Venezuela, Haiti, the Philippines and so on: dare to struggle and you will suffer imperialism’s wrath.

Like the people of Honduras, who have earned the name “los sin miedo” [the fearless], Toro and people like him, because they will fight imperialism no matter what, are also feared by U.S. imperialism.

For information on supporting Toro, visit www.may1.info or call 212-633-6646.