Latin American Network Information Center - LANIC

-DATE-
19881007
-YEAR-
1988
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
MESSAGE
-AUTHOR-
F.CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
CASTRO COMMENTS ON CHILEAN PLEBISCITE
-PLACE-
CUBA
-SOURCE-
HAVANA RADIO REBELDE
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19881011
-TEXT-
Further Castro Comments on Chilean Plebiscite

FL0710180988 Havana Radio Rebelde Network in Spanish 0916 GMT 7 Oct 88

[Excerpt] During the inauguration of important social projects in Havana,
Commander in Chief Fidel Castro, first secretary of the PCC Central
Committee, talked to journalists covering the event.  He referred to an
unquestionably current international event--the triumph of the no-vote in
Chile.

[Begin Castro recording] I was sure they would vote against him.  It has
actually happened.  Now, what will happen later remains to be seen.
Yesterday, I also heard various hypotheses regarding what Pinochet would
do.  We will be able to have a better idea in the next few days.  But I
repeat what I said yesterday, that the history of Chile will be different
from 5 October on.  Pinochet fell into his own trap.

It is possible he might have imagined that with all the campaigns he
carried out, with the massive use of television and all the media, with the
advice of all the great experts and everything, in his attempt to sow
uncertainty, concerns, fear, [words indistinct] and that if they voted
against him there would be chaos, catastrophe, deluge.  The effects of all
that propaganda remained to be seen.

But something was proven.  I said yesterday that not even use of all those
means made it possible to achieve what would have been a very strange
occurrence, that is, for the majority of the Chilean population to have
voted for him.  I also said one of the hypotheses is that he will try to be
a candidate against a divided opposition.  I have to say that what has
damaged these processes the most in these 15 years has been the division
among the opposition forces, [end recording] [passage omitted]
-END-


LANIC |