Chile: the balanced view : a recopilation of articles about the Allende years and after

banking system came under the control 01 Unidad Popular. Marxist interveners .were appointed to replace key officials and directors. The next step was the cut-off 01 credits to private industry. Thus, many plants could not maintain production schedules. Among other things, labor conflicts developed. From then on it was a simple matter for Marxist labor leaders, in alliance with bank interveners and government officials to cause conflicts which provided an excuse for the expropriation, take-over, or just stealing of industrial enterprises. Then new Marxist interveners were appointed'to run the plants and, particularly, to control the destinies of the workers. . An amazing number of take-over activities were indulged in by Chileans trained in communist nations, exiled communist professors from Brazil, tupamaro guerrillas from Uruguay, Cubans skilled in subversion, advisors from East Germany, Bulgaria and Cze– choslovakia, all of whom were placed in political and administrative positions. In addition to controlling the economic mechanisms, the movement used to powers 01 propaganda, and the power to provide or withhold advertising, to control the media of . communications. It produced food shortages, and created a black market and a discrimina– tory ration ing system underthe di rect control ofthe Communist Party. There were thousands of take-overs of industrials and commercial enterprises, farms, modes! homes and new housing projects. The losses of the enterprises that Unidad Popular expropriated equalled the amount of Chile's budget in 1972. The Spanish language was perverted, and the history books of Chile rewritten. Every norm of morals was deliberately distorted; the spread of pornography rE:ached unbelievable dimensions, and traffic in drugs was encouraged in order to corrupt the youth. THE C,;.THOLIC CHURCH . For a period of many year,s the Catholic Church had been the target ofCommunist activity, in order to destroy its spiritual purpose and moral aLJthority. lis decadence today is too well known and heart-breaking to describe. Marxist infiltration subverted an important number of clergymen, including many foreign priests, turning them from their spiritual missions to poliíics and subversion. It is an understatement to say that there were also personal situatíons that showed a weakening or complacency among members of the hierachy. Thus was reduced the authority, the religious importance and the spiritual influence of the Church in Chile. Therefore, a recent ~tatement ofthe Chilean bishops given wide publicity abroad, had smail importance within Chile itself. Yet ít is astounding to learn that the news dispatches failed to ínclude the following very important parts of that statement: "Finally, we wish to emphasize to anyone abroad who reads this declaration that it reflects a situation that concerns only the people of Chile who, we are certain, in spite of our differences, will know how to resolve our own problems." The bishops added: . "The governmental authorities, informed of the contents of this declaration, have assumed the noble atlitude of respect for our liberty which constitutes the best proof of the right to dissent that exists in Chile and of the maintenance of the rule of law in our fatherland. "Because we have dealt wíth delicate matters we feel il is most important that the outside world know that the Chilean situation is incomprehensible íf one fails to take into account the chaotic ptate and the enormous and passionate exacerbations that eKisted under the previous government." It is also astounding to learn thatthe press ofthe United States and other countries gave no notice whatsoeverto a statement issued on May 14th by Monsignor Tagle, Archbishop of 6b