People were dying all around us, and we were convinced that we were going to be shot as well. For several days, armed guards forced us to lie with our faces on the ground and our hands beb- shift prisons that have been set up in the ind our head. We were regularly beaten, while others were taken outside and executed. Many the capital city of Santiago. were tortured throughout the night. I remem her in particular an Argentinian, they beat this Argentinian, who was obviously bewild. ered, with special severity, Eventually, he was unable to stand up. He obviously had brok. en ribs. The night before he was shot they dragged a corpse in front of him. They said to him. "Look, sce how we deal with dirty foreigners like you!". After this the Argentinian was taken out into the conridor where he was shot. He wus screaming..
This is an eyewitness account by two Swedish citizens — an enginicer and an economist - of the reign of terror the Chilean Generuls have unleashed in the wake of their succesaful coup against the Popular Unity goverament. Thousands of militants died resisting the coup. Among those reported killed are the General secrelary of the Socialist Party, Carlos Altamiirano (rumoured to have died fighting alongside the workers of the Sumar textile factory), and the Genral Secretary of the Communist Party, Luis Coravalan. Recent information makos it clear that President Allende himself was murdered, and did not commit suicide as the junta has chamed.
Some 7,000 political prisoners fill the makToolball stadium and the National Stadium in A British lecturer, Richard Burbor-Might, waiting Chile to carry out research, has also given un cyo-witness account of events in the football stadium, Arrested without reason, he was delained and interrogated for two days before being released, and reports having seen regular and brutal beatings of his fellow prisA young American couple, held in the Natio: mal Stadium, report having seen the execution of four to five hundred prisoners, in groups of 30 to 40. They were themselves beaten and tueatened with death, as were many of their feliow prisoners.
This figure of four to five hundred executions is supported by the testimony of a professor from the Dominican Republic who has just returned to that country from Chile When questioned recently by journalists concerning allegations of mass executions. spokesmen for the ruling junts have refused to deny the charge. They hav simply stated that (E such executions have caken placo they have been for good reasons!