Latin American leaders, writers and activists considered Oct. 15 an historic event, because of its global scope—and because of the unusual leading role of a movement based in the United States.
Thousands of Latin Americans joined the global day of action against the current economic system on Oct. 15.
Reuters reports that Saudi officials advised Argentina about an Iran-backed plot to kill the Saudi ambassador in Washington. Meanwhile, US and/or Israeli agents have carried out three assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists this year.
The indigenous Aché community of Chupa Pou in Paraguay sent warriors armed with bows and arrows into a 2,000-hectare area to defend it from Brazilian farmers who had invaded the land, in violation of Aché territorial rights recognized by Paraguayan law.
On Columbus Day/Día de la Raza, some 10,000 indigenous Mapuche and their supporters marched through Santiago, many dressed in traditional costumes and carrying flags, to demand freedom for political prisoners and restoration of traditional lands.
Chile’s militarized carabineros police used water cannons and tear gas to stop an unauthorized march by student strikers one day after talks between the government and the students broke off.
Elite forces from Chile’s Special Police Operations Group (GOPE) invaded the Mapuche community of Wañako Mellao, firing at and terrorizing residents, after a group of Mapuche men occupied a local timber camp on traditional indigenous lands.
Chilean students took to the streets again to push their demands for free public education and a reversal of the privatization policies started under Gen. Augusto Pinochet’s 1973-1990 dictatorship.
A Buenos Aires court declared former Argentine president Carlos Menem (1989-1999) innocent of involvement in the government’s clandestine sales of arms to Ecuador and Croatia from 1991 to 1995.
As student strikes continued, Chileans marked the Sept. 11, 1973 coup that overthrew socialist president Salvador Allende and installed the Pinochet dictatorship. A march was held for the 3,225 known to have have been killed by the Pinochet regime.
Chilean prosecutors ordered the detention of Sgt. Miguel Millacura of the carabineros militarized police in the killing of a teenager who had been walking with his brother to observe late-night protests following the Aug. 24-25 general strike.
Tens of thousands of Chilean workers, students and teachers participated in a 48-hour general strike initiated by the country’s main labor federation to call “for a different Chile.”
