Chilekommittén

Chilekommittén ('Chile Committee') was an organization in Sweden, dedicated to solidarity work with Chile. Chilekommittén was a non-partisan socialist and anti-imperialist movement. As of 1977 the organization had 110 local groups across the country, out of which 38 where found in .Stieg Larsson estimated that some 35,000 persons were members of Chilekommittén at some point of its history. The Committee published Chile-bulletinen ('The Chile Bulletin').

The organization was founded in 1971, as the Swedish Solidarity Committee for the Popular Front Government in Chile (Swedish: Svenska Solidaritetskommittén för Folkfrontsregeringen i Chile). The organization conducted advocacy in support of the reforms of Salvador Allende's Unidad Popular government. The founding nucleus of the Committee consisted of Latin Americans, Spaniards and a handful of Swedes. A few months later, the membership of the Committee was predominantly Swedish. The Committee met at Club de los Cronopios, an association of Spanish republican émigrés.

Throughout 1972 the Committee campaigned in favour of the nationalization of copper mines in Chile.

Prior to the 1973 coup d'état in Chile, Chile-bulletinen presented an optimistic viewpoint of the possibilities to achieve socialism in Chile. The rumours about an impending coup d'état against Allende were discussed, however. In the immediate aftermath of the coup d'état Chile-bulletinen argued that the coup was a product of the reforms of the Allende government, and that it had been an error on behalf of the government to rely on alliances with middle-class sectors as opposed to empowering the most downtrodden strata. Just before the coup, Chilekommittén had hundreds of activists in local groups across the country. In reaction to the coup, the organization grew rapidly. Within a month Chilekommittén counted 70 local groups.

The first congress of Chilekommittén was held in December 1973, with 60 local groups represented.

Chilekommittén campaigned for the right of asylum for Chilean refugees in Sweden, with protests at the Immigration Authority, Arlanda Airport, hunger strikes, etc.. The lawyer Hans Göran Franck in particular aided many refugees to obtain asylum status.

Chilean exiles, albeit remaining a minority within the movement, joined Chilekommittén in significant numbers. Amongst the Chilean members were several sympathizers of MIR.

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Wikipedia