The 50th anniversary of the 1973 military coup in Chile in which聽the progressive Popular Unity government of President Salvador Allende was overthrown was marked with a week of solidarity events. General Augusto Pinochet's coup ushered in almost two decades of repressive rule.
The events were hosted by the Committee 50 Years Sydney and others聽based聽in the Chilean refugee and migrant communities.
Inner Latin America, an oral history project聽by Pablo Leighton and聽supported by an Inner West Council Community History grant, opened聽on September 7. It included a聽history talk and audio-visual display highlighting聽a new collection of interviews with Latin American refugees and solidarity activists at the Marrickville Library.
The 鈥50 Years Allende Lives鈥 a film night at the Bonnyrigg Community Centre on September 9 included a short film, La Bestia (The Beast), inspired by real events. Bestia聽enters the life of a secret police agent,聽脥ngrid Older枚ck, who worked for the聽military dictatorship in Chile.
A dramatic feature film 1976, told the story of how the Pinochet dictatorship changed the life of one middle-class woman in post-coup Chile.
An art exhibition about Allende and his legacy聽as well as a display聽of posters and images of the Australian solidarity movement with Chile also featured.
鈥淎rt and Song: 50 Years, Allende Lives鈥, was organised at Fairfield Park on September 10, next to the statue of Allende.
The Chilean community gathered for music and artistic tributes to Allende and the ongoing struggle for democracy in Chile.
On September 11, 鈥淐hile 1973鈥2023: 50 years of memory, solidarity and resistance,鈥 was聽held at the University of Sydney (USyd), sponsored by the USyd Research Community for Latin America.
La memoria obstinada听(The obstinate memory), a film聽by well-known Chilean director Patricio Guzman, referred聽back to his famous film about the Allende period, Battle of Chile.
This was followed by the premiere of a new film by director Milena Ben-David, entitled, Crossing the Pacific: Chilean Voices in Australia,聽in which refugees from the 1973 coup, recounted their dramatic stories of suffering and survival.
Dr Alejandra Canales, head of research, Australian Film Television and Radio School; Lucia Salinas Briones, from Western Sydney University (WSU); and Prof Juan Francisco Salazar, also from WSU provided commentary. Chilean guitarist Marco Fields also played.
A Commemorative Day entitled 鈥淣othing and no one is forgotten鈥 was organised聽at the NSW Parliament on September 12. It included an art exhibition, 鈥50 years of memory鈥, and was opened by Dr Paula Sanchez. Greetings from unions and diplomatic representatives were given. Alejandro Salvador Fernandez Allende, Allende鈥檚 grandson,聽gave the keynote address and a number of union and political representatives gave greetings.
An 鈥淎cademic discourse on Chile,鈥 introduced by Rodrigo Acuna, heard from Clinton Fernandez, Dr Maritza Thompson, Dr Peter Ross and Dr Rene Leal.
Their talks covered Australia鈥檚 role in the 1973 Chile coup,聽the use of torture under the Pinochet regime,聽the solidarity movement with Chile聽and 鈥淔ascism in Chile and its global impact鈥.
A concert, 鈥淲hy we have not stopped singing and remembering鈥 was introduced by Sanchez. It finished with video testimonials of survivors of the Chilean dictatorship, filmed by Miguel Valenzuela and Diego Villazon.
The commemorative week was a notable success. It reminded many hundreds聽of the need to defend our rights at all times and聽continue the struggle for democracy and socialism.