Growth Projection for Latin America

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has published its growth projections for the year 2023 in Latin America. According to the report, Argentina will experience growth of 0.2%, while Brazil would reach 0.9%. Colombia and Mexico will also record modest growth of 1.0% and 1.8%, respectively. On the other hand, Chile will be the only country in the region that will not grow, with a fall of 1.0%. As for Peru, it is expected to have growth of 2.4%. These numbers are important to markets and investors as they can influence investment decision-making and business planning.

It is important to note that these projections are subject to change based on various economic and political factors. Therefore, it is necessary to continue monitoring the evolution of the economy in the region to make informed decisions.

Chile projects negative growth

When talking about negative growth in a country, it refers to a situation in which the economy of that country is contracting instead of growing. In other words, the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) decreases instead of increasing.

This can be the result of several factors, such as a decrease in production, a drop in the demand for goods and services, a drop in foreign investment, among others. Negative growth can have serious consequences for the country's economy, such as the loss of jobs, the decrease in the purchasing power of the population and a decrease in the quality of life.

It is important to note that negative growth is not the same as an economic recession. A recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth. However, a country can experience negative growth without technically being in recession.

To reverse negative growth, governments can implement economic policies that encourage investment and consumption, as well as measures to increase production and the country's competitiveness. These policies can include tax incentives for companies, training programs for workers, measures to reduce bureaucracy and encourage foreign investment.

In conclusion, negative growth is a worrying situation for any country, as it can have serious economic and social consequences. It is important that governments take measures to reverse this situation and promote sustainable and equitable growth.

Escape from Sobibor (1987)

Today I want to tell you about a movie I saw called "Escape from Sobibor". The film is based on the only documented successful revolt at a Nazi death camp in occupied Poland during World War II.

The story takes place in the autumn of 1943 in eastern Poland, where the Nazis exterminate several prisoners every day, who are separated and women and children are immediately admitted to the gas chambers, like most men. However, some of them have not yet broken away and are rallying around Red Army soldier Alexander Pechersky and planning a revolt to free as many prisoners as possible.

The movie is very well made and makes you feel the horror of the concentration camp. The images are authentic and immerse you in the dense atmosphere of the camp.

Unknown and sometimes inexperienced actors unfortunately often act too stiff. However, Rutger Hauer does his job very well and is convincing throughout the film.

In short, "Escape from Sobibor" is a movie that makes you feel the horror of the concentration camp and shows you the bravery of those who fought for their freedom. Despite some small details, the movie is very good and will keep you on your toes until the end. If you like history and movies based on true events, you should definitely watch "Escape from Sobibor".

If you are looking for a way to enjoy the movie, you are in the right place! I invite you to review the following links:

Luther - Murders and psychological warfare (2010 - 2019)

 Blog Rating: 8.75 out of 10

This British series is about the life of a troubled but brilliant police detective at work, separated from his wife he loves passionately and who is torn between solving serial murders he investigates and his attempts to rekindle his marriage. 

His wife has found a new man, and he is in a relationship with a slightly crazy and narcissistic woman who killed her parents and her dog. Luther's stories show him in his daily life where he constantly has to solve new cases, and at the same time he has to fight a psychological battle against the woman who follows him and that does not make his life exactly easier.

Ruth Wilson as Alice Morgan

Idris Elba plays Luther, the chief inspector of the London police, a charismatic character, hard and bright. The rest of the actors are also good, especially the crazy woman interpreted magnificently by Ruth Wilson, who is sometimes a good help and other times she is looking to ruin Luther.

Some episodes are of high quality, are varied and offer some memorable scenes quite hard and brutal. Luther is exciting and offers unexpected twists in some episodes, it is a good series of crimes really recommended.

Anne with an E (2017-2019)

Blog rating: 8.80 out of 10

I must admit that I have not read the novel on which this series is based (Anne of Green Gables written by Lucy Maud Montgomery and published in 1908), but it is a very well constructed work with beautiful characters and moving stories of hope and people of good soul.

Each chapter is good for the heart because they are simple stories like its protagonist, an orphan girl with red hair, freckles and a very long tongue. Anne is hyperactive and full of imagination, and comes to change the monotonous life of two brothers, Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, due to a simple mistake.

Amybeth McNulty as Anne

In the first chapter Matthew Cuthbert goes to the train station to look for a boy to help at his Green Gables farm on the outskirts of the city of Avonlea, but instead he finds the young red-haired girl who starts talking to him in a well educated way but almost without taking a break, about how happy and excited she is about to become part of his family. 

This misunderstanding lasts most of the episode, and perhaps at the beginning it is difficult to get used to her rhythm and use of words, but during the course of the series you will become fond of her because of how well constructed her character is. And not only Anne, but the others around her.

R.H.Thomson as Matthew

The dimension of the protagonist Anne of 13 years, who asks to be called with an “E” to sound more distinguished, is considerably wide and actress Amybeth McNulty (who is actually 15 years old) conquers perfectly with her character, playing an Anne who, besides being talkative, nervous, funny, impulsive and happy, hides her dark side. Excessive imagination will lead her to imagine splendid, as well as spooky things. In the series we see how the girl silences the traumas she acquired when she worked in other houses previously helping with chores, and we will discover them and suffer them along with her.

As we mentioned, the first one is Matthew Cuthbert, an affable, gentle and quiet man. Marilla is the name of the sister, the most hostile, coarse and apathetic of the two, becoming the perfect villain for Anne at the beginning of her stay at this farm. Here we will see how she will transform her personality thanks to the experience of living with her new daughter, a simply masterful performance.

Geraldine James as Marilla

Then Marilla's neighbor and friend, named Rachel Lynde, appears. She welcomes Anne to the hard life of people who don't think about the other. There will also be the unconscious judgment of the small classmates of the school, or their mothers, or the bestiality of the young boys. But we will also have the best friend, Diana Barry (Odd Squad), and the only classic companion who understands her and she falls in love, Gilbert Blythe, played by Lucas Jade Zumann.

As we will see, Anne is the key piece that assembles everything, and at the same time transforms these characters, which help to highlight each dilemma and important theme that appears in each chapter. The series discusses many universal themes, such as forbidden love, death, lies or using imagination to defend oneself from the traumas lived, the difficult adaptation to new places, fatherhood / motherhood and traditional loves. However, Anne with all her wonderful imagination, innocence, intelligence and transparency, gives a different, new, fun and modern look to all this, fighting against the outdated vision of the other characters of advanced age.

The look of other female characters will also appear, from an independent old woman who never married, to a group of feminist mothers, who want their daughters to have a future studying and not waiting to serve or marry a man.

In summary, this Canadian series adapted by the winner of 3 Emmys awards for Breaking Bad, Moira Walley-Beckett, is a magnificent work that masterfully illustrates the reality of the time and that through its simple stories conveys a feeling of hope in these times of excessive reality.

Title: Anne With an E

Direction: Niki Caro, David Evans, Amanda Tapping

Screenplay: Moira Walley-Beckett (Novel: Lucy Maud Montgomery)

Cast: Amybeth McNulty, Geraldine James, R.H. Thomson, Dalila Bela, Lucas Jade Zumann, Aymeric Jett Montaz, Helen Johns, Christian Martyn, Kyla Matthews, Corrine Koslo, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Ella Jonas Farlinger, Stephen Tracey, Kyle Meagher, Janet Porter, Helene Robbie, Tyler Barish.

Ministry of Transport announces opening of Chinese electric car market in Chile

Human Horizons

Update of Decree 26 by the Ministry of Transport will facilitate the approval in Chile of rechargeable vehicles sold in China.

A measure that seeks to enlarge the automotive industry and equate the requirements made to the different markets from which vehicles are imported, announced the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications when announcing an update to Decree 26, which will make the approval of vehicles easier and faster the homologation of electric vehicles in the Chinese market.

Until now, electric vehicles from the Asian giant that have been marketed in Chile since 2020 had to approve their safety devices and technology according to European, Japanese or North American standards, which resulted in higher costs for manufacturers. By the way, it prevented some models that are marketed in China from being imported into our country for the mere fact of not having the validation of other markets.

Wuling Hong Guang

For the Undersecretary of Transportation, Cristóbal Pineda, this decision was made "after an exhaustive review of the existing standards in China, and which was developed during the year 2021, demonstrating that the vehicle safety elements of said origin comply with levels comparable to others markets already authorised in our country as the European one”.

The measure announced by the Government puts justice in the market, allowing all vehicles to be measured with the same yardstick. In this way, the option is opened, for example, for the arrival of models such as the Wuling Hong Guang, the best-selling electric car in China and which has brought more than a million units to the local market since its premiere in 2020. In China has a price close to 3.5 million pesos (app USD 4,400) and, if it complies with safety requirements (double airbag, ABS, ESP), it could now be offered in Chile without having to seek approval in other countries.

“What the Ministry of Transport did is update the security regulations and minimum mandatory security elements required for any origin and within the regulations that are now accepted, regulations of Chinese origin are allowed -known as GB- and without a doubt which is good news," said Diego Mendoza, General Secretary of the National Automotive Association of Chile.

Byton

This modification is very important since China represents almost 60% of the sale of electric vehicles in the world. In this line, the authority indicated that "it will be much easier for Chinese brands to enter the Chilean market and this also has a drop in prices. It is estimated that Chinese vehicles have a cost between 20% and 30% less in comparison to other producing countries.

This is a measure that responds to the need to encourage electric transportation in the midst of a climate emergency that forces people to reduce greenhouse gases. In addition, it is part of the national electro mobility policy agenda that aims for 100% of the cars sold to be electric by 2035.

Despite the fact that electric cars are positioned as a more expensive option than vehicles that use fuel, the Undersecretary of Transportation maintained that international estimates project that "in ten years prices will tend to be the same between an internal combustion vehicle and an electric one.

Source: El Mercurio & La Tercera

BYD

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

 Blog rating: 8.85 out of 10

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

Three years after the mythical and seemingly insurmountable initial film, a sequel arrived that made the saga evolve in an unimaginable way, taking it to a new level. Reason why this is undoubtedly one of the most important films in the franchise.

Harrison Ford as Han Solo

After the destruction of the Death Star, Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and other rebels, as well as Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Wookiee Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) starships Millennium Falcon, founded a new secret base, on a remote snowy planet. However, Darth Vader (David Prause, voice of James Earl Jones) manages to establish the whereabouts of the rebels, and follows the order to storm the fortifications.

Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia

In this episode we will meet one of the best characters in the saga: Master Yoda. The most lively puppet in the world, releasing the most absolute wisdom and with a characteristic way of speaking that we all know, will be in charge of teaching Luke different ways of fighting using his powers.

Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker

The duel of lightsabers that happens is one of the best of the chapters that make up the saga: Violent, long, exhausting, very hard and with a perfect balance between spectacularity and realism. When the fight is about to end and Luke is already exhausted and wounded, there is a time when the camera is placed on Skywalker's back, and we see him tiny trying to contain the wild swords of a gigantic Vader. After this, we know what is coming: The loss of the hand and the mythical phrase ... "I AM YOUR FATHER".

Although George Lucas appears modestly in the credits as the author of the plot and executive producer, the so-called "Episode V" is considered almost exclusively his creation.

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Release Year: 1980

Country: United States

Duration: 124 minutes.

Director: Irwin Kerschner.

Screenwriters: Leigh Brackett, Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas (History).

Production: Gary Kurtz

Composer: John Williams (Oscar nomination).

Genre: Action, Adventure, Science fiction

Ship Chartering

Port of Ploce, Croatia - Solid Bulk Terminal

Ship chartering is the lease of a ship by the owner of the vessel to another company, the charterer, for the transport of goods. There are several different types of charter contracts and many different players involved.

The two main actors in ship chartering are the ship owner and the ship charterer. There are also others, such as the ship broker and the shipping agent who deals with the operation in the port and the ship manager, who is in charge of operating and managing the crew of the vessel.

It is important to mention that the term Charter Party refers to the contract itself, and not to the parties that enter into the contract. This document states the rate, duration and terms agreed between the ship owner and the charterer.

The ship owner provides the ship to transport cargo from one port to another. The charterer signs a contract with the ship owner to rent the ship, or space on the ship, for the transportation of their cargo. In some cases, a charterer may own the cargo and hire a ship broker to find a suitable vessel to transport the cargo for a certain price, called freight rate.

The freight rate is the price that is set for transporting the goods from one port to another, as well as any other surcharge that is agreed.

The ship broker is essentially an intermediary connecting both parties to earn a brokerage fee. He can represent ship owner or charterer in negotiations and usually specializes in specific areas of cargo transportation (liquid bulk, dry bulk, general cargo, etc).

Shipping agents are designated to assume responsibility for the handling of goods (loading and discharging) in ports on behalf of the owners, fleet managers and/or charterers. They handle essential routine tasks, such as crew transfers, customs documentation, etc, in close collaboration with the port authorities.

Charter Types

The three most common types of charter contracts are the voyage charter, the time charter and the bare boat charter.

Voyage Charter

The basic hiring of a ship and its crew for a voyage between the port of loading and the port of discharge is known as a voyage charter. In this type of contract, the charterer pays the shipowner per ton (weight) or as a lump sum (single large payment). Port expenses, with the exception of stowage, fuel and crew, are paid by the ship owner, and the payment for the use of the ship is known as freight.

Under the terms of a voyage charter, a specific time is agreed for the loading and unloading of cargo. This is known as laytime, which, if exceeded, obliges the charterer to pay a demurrage.

Time Charter

A time charter refers to the rental of a ship for a specific period of time. Here, the owner continues to manage the ship, but the charterer selects the ports, decides the route and has full operational control of the ship for the duration of the contract. The charterer pays fuel costs, port charges, cargo handling costs, commissions, and a daily rental fee.

The Bare Boat Charter

Under the terms of a bare boat charter, the charterer has full control of the vessel. In addition to the capital cost of building the vessel, which is the responsibility of the owner, all other costs, including fuel, crew, port charges, and insurance, are borne by the charterer. The legal and financial responsibility of the vessel rests with the charterer.

The contract may be for long duration charters lasting many years. This is quite common for tankers and bulk carriers. It can be a form of hire-purchase where the charterer ultimately acquires ownership of the vessel. 

Succession (2018- )

Blog Rating: 9.40 out of 10

Logan Roy (Brian Cox) is the owner of Waystar Royco, one of the largest media corporations in the world. Of his four children, Kendall (Jeremy Strong) is the only one who works in the company and seems to have the confidence of his father to take control of the business.

Brian Cox as Logan Roy

   

However, upon turning 80, Logan reveals that he has no intention of relinquishing control of Waystar, completely foiling Kendall's plans and embarrassing him in front of his brothers. In addition, the millionaire wants his children to sign a document that will allow his current wife, Marcia (Hiam Abbass), to have two votes in the assembly that will elect his successor. This fact is logically not welcomed by Kendall, Roman (Kieran Culkin), Connor (Alan Ruck) and Shiv (Sarah Snook), who are extremely concerned about the decisions his father is making.

Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy

After an afternoon of family sports, Logan suffers a stroke while returning home by helicopter. Now, with Logan in the hospital, the family must act quickly to prevent this tragic event from profoundly affecting the company's stock. It is here where all the intrigues begin to be plotted to pursue the leadership of the companies.

Despite the ongoing machinations to take control by most of the sons, there is always room for scenes that include a certain amount of black humor.

Kieran Culkin as Roman Roy

As the daughter Shiv decides to work for a Senator who is an enemy of her father, politics is also involved in these power struggles.

With each episode we realize how conflicted the relationship of the Roy family is, to the point that Logan even uses one of his media outlets to spread false news about the drug use of one of his sons.

Sarah Snook as Shiv Roy

The lack of friendliness, the dirty language and the lack of empathy say a lot about the Roys: with extremely individualistic points of view, neither supports the success of the other.

Everything in Succession revolves around interests: what we see throughout ten episodes are rich people fighting each other trying to get something that makes them feel good. Loyalty and honesty are definitely not values ​​that stand out in their actions.

Each of the sons of this dysfunctional family battles for their own interests: Kendall with his permanent struggle for power, Roman with his black humor and his obsession with the father's assistant who could be his mother, Shiv in her constant dilemma between loyalty to her father and her husband and Connor in a more relegated role but who also tries to obtain a share of power through politics.

Definitely a plot that manages to balance well the moments of drama and humor, mainly thanks to the great performances of the actors.

The Socialist Experience in Chile (Part III): Hate and violence

The armed preparation started from Allende himself and his personal guard
who had guerrilla and paramilitary training.

One of the first presidential decrees was destined to pardon 43 young people from the extreme left, who were fugitives or prosecuted. Thanks to this presidential pardon, the leaders of the MIR, including a nephew of President Allende, were released and left the underground. Also pardoned was Arturo Rivera Calderón, leader of the ultra VOP group (Vanguardia Organizada del Pueblo), who five months later assassinated former Vice President of the Republic Edmundo Pérez Zujovic, of the Christian Democratic Party.

All those pardoned had participated in robberies of banks, supermarkets and gasoline stations. They called the proceeds of their robberies "expropriation," saying it was to acquire weapons and maintain their movement. The MIR, until the arrival of Allende, was just a small group without much influence.

Allende, when signing the decree, explained that it was "Young Idealists, with whom we had a different tactical appreciation, who acted wrongly, but driven by a higher desire for social transformation."

The MIR paraded through the center of Santiago with their red and black flags intoning their battle cry: People, conscience and rifle, MIR, MIR". 

Police radio patrols were protecting them. Slngµlar paradox, because until a few days before those who paraded were outside the Law.

A novelty was exhibited by the miristas: they carried the flags on long sticks of coligüe, with a steely tip. These sticks, called lynchaks, served as a weapon for Korean guerrillas in the 1950 war.

Later, the miristas would carry two small rods joined at one end and that also served the guerrillas to strangle the enemy. Likewise, the miristas introduced a novelty in the political parades by marching armed with helmets.

Those who saw that first presentation by the extremists had doubts that violence would be eradicated, as President Allende maintained. And he, by calling them "young idealists" went on to grant a visa to the apostles of violence. Soon the troops of the Ramona Parra Brigade, formed by young communists, would be added to the miristas, and who remembered a young woman killed in a fight twenty-five years ago.

The Socialists would form the Elmo Catalán Brigade, in memory of a former secretary of Carlos Altamirano (its top leader) who tragically died in Bolivia, where he had gone to join the guerrillas.

For their part, on the opposite side, the nationals (from the Right) created the Rolando Matus Brigade, in memory of a young farmer murdered by Marxist extremists. And on the extreme right, the Patria y Libertad Movement arose, destined to combat Marxism.

President Allende himself began to have an armed body. This had been born in the days following the elections of September 4th. Wherever he went he did so accompanied by a score of very corpulent individuals who did not hide that they were armed.

These guys rudely prevented anyone from getting close to Allende. Those who tried to do so were repelled with shoves and elbows along with profanity.

* You may also like: 

The Socialist Experience in Chile (Part I): Three years before

The Socialist Experience in Chile (Part II): I am not the President of all Chileans

Communist brigades painted murals and were armed to attack opponents

It had been a tradition that the leaders, and even the former Presidents of the Republic, had protection from the PDI (civilian police) and Carabineros. For this reason, this strange security device made up of individuals with the appearance of gunmen caused comments.

Allende took it upon himself to explain who they were: "This is a group of personal friends of mine, whose loyalty and courage I fully trust."

From that day on they were known as the GAP (Group of Personal Friends).

The GAP were famous for the casual brutality with which they acted.
Wrecked cars demonstrated their action.

Most of its components were Miristas and Socialists. His boss, Max Joel Marambio, who had been trained in Cuba, used the false name of Ariel Fontanarosa.

Marambio specified the duties of the GAP: The bullet that could be directed at the comrade President, must be received by us, and nothing else but us''.

The GAP was equipped with FIAT 125 vehicles and its men equipped with pistols, silenced automatic rifles and machine guns. Cubans, North Koreans and North Vietnamese, experts in guerrilla warfare, were brought in as instructors. They constantly trained on Andean foothills.

Max Joel Marambio, head of the Allende GAP, had organised the personal guard,
made up of militants from the MIR and the Socialist Party, many of them with criminal records

Several residences had Allende. One of them, in El Cañaveral, had a guerrilla training camp, equipped with innumerable weapons of Soviet and Czechoslovak origin. There was even a mined sector there.

In Tomás Moro 200, the presidential residence, and in El Cañaveral, Allende's rest residence, pavilions were built for the GAP, which numbered two hundred men. But, apart from taking care of Allende's personal safety, GAP members went on to become teachers in the guerrilla schools that proliferated in the country. ·

The expression "licensed to kill", attributed to Ian Fleming's fictional character James Bond, seemed to come true with the GAPs. Knowing that they were protected and that they could go almost unpunished, they flaunted their arrogance, especially when they were off duty and out partying. Alfonso Cortés Soto, a member of the Socialist Youth, who left the GAP disappointed, said: "They told me that it was a group of young people who had practically decided to live near comrade Allende, but gradually discovered that those recruited were rude and behaving like a gang of lowly gunmen.

Several residences had Allende. One of them, in Cañaveral, had a guerrilla training camp, equipped with innumerable weapons of Soviet and Czechoslovak origin. There was even a mined sector there.

Allende himself had to decide to reorganize the GAP Headquarters after Justice had to intervene due to the murder of a 17-year-old teenager who worked as a gardener in El Cañaveral and who was killed by one of them. Likewise, it was common for pitched battles to take place between the two sides into which that paramilitary body had been divided.

When a magistrate reconstituted the crime scene of the gardener in the presidential residence, the GAP shot at the bodies of the journalists who approached.

Everything indicated that the purpose announced by Allende in his first press conference, that his revolution would be "with empanadas and red wine (in other words, like the cheerful snack of Chileans on picnics), was vanishing.

The extremist group Vanguardia Organizada del Pueblo (VOP), made up of
socialists with dual militancy, used training targets to sharpen their aim

It did not take long for those pardoned by Allende to renew their violence. The VOP began an escalation of crimes of extreme ferocity: they robbed a candy store, murdered its owner and then abused his body; They robbed a supermarket and killed a Carabinero. All those crimes would go unpunished, until they committed the most heinous political crime.

Furthermore, the violence was in the words. And they would pull the trigger against those considered "counterrevolutionaries."

The newspapers and magazines (those that had proliferated printed in the state workshops and financed with State advertisements), the stations and television in the hands of the Popular Unity distilled a virulence never before known.

The former Vice President of the Republic, Edmundo Perez Zujovic,
was the first victim of the hate campaign initiated by the Popular Unity

Anyone who disagreed, or who had an attitude that displeased the Popular Unity, was a victim of the worst expletives, of coarse language not used in any other newspaper in the world. The most "elegant" thing he was told was "CIA agent, sold to Imperialism."

The Judiciary began to fall into the same anathemas.

When the Supreme Court denied the removal of immunity (he is stripped of his parliamentary jurisdiction and can be prosecuted) of the opposition senator Raúl Morales Adriasola, the socialist deputy Mario Palestro called the Ministers of the Court "pimps, matchmakers and bastards".

The Rivera Calderon brothers were found in a Santiago neighborhood. The police operation
turned into a real hunt, since the police forces had to go up to the roofs of the houses

The favorite target of the UP press was Edmundo Pérez Zujovic. He had been Minister of Frel and Vice President of the Republic. The Christian Democrats considered him a kind of older brother, and admired his moral and human stamp.

As a result of the professional investigation by the police, Eduardo Paredes was forced to order the arrest of the VOP militants implicated in the murder of Edmundo Perez Zujovlc.

The extreme left evidenced his distaste for him, and gave him the fame of "tough" when he was Minister of the Interior and was uncompromising in defending his principles and applied the Law and authority without weakness.

As a result of the professional investigation by the police, Eduardo Paredes was forced
to order the arrest of the VOP militants involved in the murder of Edmundo Pérez Zujovic

He was Minister of the Interior when in Puerto Montt, a thousand kilometers south of Santiago, there was a tragic confrontation between police officers and residents, with a balance of nine victims. A hundred families instigated by the socialist deputy Luis Espinoza (who later acquired a reputation as a violentist) occupied some land and refused to leave.

Although the eviction order came from a provincial authority, which did not consult Santiago, Pérez Zujovic assumed full responsibility. Many times he repeated to those close to him that Puerto Montt "hurt" him, even though he had been oblivious to what happened there.

The UP press daily attributed Pérez Zujovic involvement in some plot or maneuver against the Allende government.

Perez Zujovic and former President Frei were close friends (the Vice President was the godfather
of one of the Chilean president's daughters). Frei was also in the sights of the assassins

The Rivera Calderón brothers were found in a Santiago neighborhood. The police operation turned into a real hunt, since the police forces had to go up to the roofs of the houses.

The VOP placed it on the list of their "rifleables". He had taken up the words of the socialist senator Adonis Sepúlveda, who said when the events in Puerto Montt took place: 'The only responsibility that we socialists recognise is that of not having been able yet to create the necessary organisms to respond bullet by bullet, dead for dead". In the sights of the assassins, came later the former President Frei and the Christian Democratic senators Patricio Aylwin and Juan de Dios Carmona, as was later recognised by a statement by the Political Commission of the PC, in which he condemned the events. It was the Plan Z advance.

And the VOP carried out a treacherous massacre of Edmundo Perez Zujovic. A car cut him off when he had just left his house with one of his daughters. Two men armed with machine guns got out of the vehicle, while the third waited at the wheel. One of the perpetrators, with the butt of the machine gun, smashed the windbreak window of the left door. All in fraction of seconds. Pérez Zujovic and his daughter Maria Angélica did not try anything, not even talk to them so that they would give up or exchange any words. The fear of near death had stopped their lives. The barrel of the machine gun entered the car, Pérez Zujovic lowered his head, it is possible that he muttered a prayer. And he started the barrage of bullets.

                                            

While the detectives run after Ronald Rivera, there are others who wait for the moment to kill the murderer. Paredes wanted to silence him. This happened after several hours of siege

The VOP called the crime "revolutionary shooting."

"We have to kill hate before hate poisons and kills the soul of our Chile," Cardinal Raúl Silva expressed dismay.

Allende told the DC his belief that the assassins belonged to the far right, and that they had committed the crime to harm the UP.

Eduardo "Coco" Paredes was one of the most controversial figures of the Popular Unity regime. He was even accused of being a traitor by modest villagers whom he strongly repressed. When Allende fell he took up arms and confronted the public force; he died in the fray.

"The enemies of the Fatherland stop at nothing," he said.

The Director of Investigations, Eduardo Paredes, went on to contradict him. He revealed to journalists that the crime had been committed by the VOP, headed by the Rivera Calderón brothers. He acknowledged that a month earlier he had interrogated them for their possible participation in various assaults and crimes, leaving them free for lack of merit.

At dawn on Sunday, June 13th (four days after the murder), Paredes himself led the manhunt for the Rivera Calderón brothers, refugees in a tenement house in a modest neighbourhood. In vain the two brothers tried to surrender by raising a white flag. Both were shot to death.

The funerals of former Vice President Perez Zujovic gave rise to moments of deep emotion. Thousands of people accompanied him to his final resting place. Beyond political considerations, they were united in this gesture by a repudiation of the violence and the climate of terror that was prevailing in the country.

Only later would the sordid links between Paredes and the VOP assassins become known. Hence, the Director of Investigations decided to seal that blood pact with their death, to prevent them from speaking.

The culmination of that tragic sequel was missing. Heriberto Salazar, known as "El Viejo", before belonging to the VOP, had been a Carabinero. Paredes' betrayal to the VOP made him decide to exact revenge. He presented himself to the guard at the Investigation Barracks asking to speak with Director Paredes "for a personal matter."

There were inquiries inside and Salazar understood that they would not let him in, or that he would be subject to review. He suddenly pulled out a concealed machine gun and began firing into the barracks, killing three policemen. Lastly, he lit a stick of dynamite and was blown to pieces.

Three Investigations detectives died as a result of the explosion caused by the leader of the VOP, Heriberto Salazar, in the General Mackenna barracks. Salazar was going to "do justice" for the denunciation made by Eduardo Paredes. Detectives Carlos Paez, Mario Marin and Gerardo Romero paid tribute to the double militancy of the Director of Civil Police at the time.

Had Pérez Zujovic's death been planned by Eduardo Paredes himself?

He was one of the strangest characters of the Allende regime. He was a doctor, but he did not practice. He was considered a psychopath. Later he would lead an operation against a Mirista camp, where he would kill a resident and wound several others. And he would also be the central protagonist of the case of the Cuban packages, worthy of a special chapter.

The murder of Edmundo Pérez Zujovic and the evidence that the perpetrators were Marxists, and that they were part of the "young idealists" pardoned by Allende, caused a stir in the country.

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* Information based mainly on the work by Hernan Millas and Emilio Filippi "Anatomy of a Failure".

Hernán Millas was born on May 5th, 1921, and studied Law for a year at the University of Chile, and later devoted himself to journalism. He worked as a reporter and columnist in the newspapers El Clarín and La Época, in the "Ercilla" and "Hoy" magazines, and on the Santiago radio. He also wrote several books. And in 1985 he received the National Prize for Journalism.

Emilio Filippi, University Professor received the National Journalism Award in 1972 with a mention in writing. He began his life in journalism in 1942 working for the newspaper "La voz de la columna" in Villa Alemana, of which he became its director. In 1965, he joined as Zig-Zag's newspaper publishing manager.

He was director of the magazine "Ercilla" between 1968 and 1976. He was the founder and director of the magazine “Hoy” and of the newspaper "La Época'' (1987), which he directed until 1993. Same year that he was ambassador of Chile in Portugal, appointed by President Patricio Aylwin.