Chile commemorates Santa Maria mining massacre

[struggle4progress]

(Jan. 2, 2008) Commemorations of the 100th anniversary of the Santa María massacre culminated last December 21 in the northern Chile town of Iquique, the site of the killing of an indeterminate number of protestors by soldiers on Dec. 21, 1907. The victims, whose numbers have been estimated to be between 261 and 3,600, had converged on the Santa María School to demand better working conditions in Chile’s mining industry ...

In 1907, nitrate was Chile’s most lucrative natural resource, and many workers believed they deserved a greater share of the huge profits its exports generated for the country. They initiated a massive strike that paralyzed the industry. In December, an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 workers traveled to Iquique to restart negotiations with management.

During their first few days in the city, local authorities housed and fed the strikers at Santa Maria School. On Dec. 21, that policy was suddenly reversed, and the protestors were forced from the school. This decision upset the strikers, who refused to leave the premises. The authorities then responded with force. Four hundred soldiers called in from other parts of the country fired indiscriminately on the protestors (ST, July 23) ...

http://www.tcgnews.com/santiagotimes/index.php?nav=story&story_id=15652&topic_id=15

[mitchtv]

1. Santa Maria de Iquique by Quilapayun

a very touching album in the style of canto nuevo popular around the 70's and smothered by the Fascists. They were associated with Victor Jara. The story recollects the massacre in Iquique,which had been recently taken from Bolivia in the War of the Pacific. I have it on vinyl.

[struggle4progress]

2. ... la vida de muerte lenta y la lágrima soltada ...

Never knew of it before: now I'll have to try to look it up. Thanks!

[mitchtv]

3. La historia que escucharon, de nuevo sucedera'

and it did; in the stadium on 9/11/73
It is a wondeful example of the Andino music made popular by Victor Jara(murdered in the stadium), and Inti-Illimani.

[struggle4progress]

4. ... Recuerden nuestra historia ...

for a reason