Amy Goodman Interviews Víctor Jara’s Widow, Marks 40th Anniversary of Coup
Víctor Jara, courtesy of Wikipedia
Today marks the 40th anniversary of Augusto Pinochet’s CIA-backed coup, overthrowing the democratically elected presidency of Salvador Allende. In the weeks that followed, thousands of leftists were arrested, beaten, and murdered, including the famous folk singer Víctor Jara. After tracking down Jara’s murderer to the United States, Jara’s widow Joan filed a lawsuit against him last week. This week, Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman interviewed Joan Jara and others to commemorate the coup and bring attention to the coming lawsuit. According to Joan Jara,
this lawsuit, which is for the central justice and accountability, is a civil lawsuit, but the—our aim is not to receive pecuniary, because this doesn’t help at all. It’s to reinforce the extradition petition, which was approved by the Chilean Supreme Court and is now in United States territory. . . .. In repeated visits here, I have met so many friends who have condemned the coup on the 11th of September, 1973. And I appeal to all the people who listen to Víctor’s songs, who realize—and for all the victims of Pinochet, for their support and appeal to their—your own government to remit a reply positively to this extradition request.
To watch the interview, click here.
Please update this story. I heard an interview w/ Jara’s widow somewhere(?!) today(NPR?PBS?) It didn’t provide much context, such as-https://www.newstatesman.com/world-affairs/2013/04/why-allende-had-die–Iwhich still haunts me. Please let me know if you’re following this, and if so, when/where I can tune in. Thank you. Peter