Edmundo Pérez Zujovic
Encyclopedia
Edmundo Pérez Zujovic was a Chile
an politician
of the Christian Democrat Party
. He was minister of the Interior, Public Works and Finance under the government of President Eduardo Frei Montalva
(1964–1970).
Zujovic was born in Antofagasta
. He was the father of the politician Edmundo Pérez Yoma
, who is also a Christian Democrat.
attempted to remove a group of squatters, killing ten of them, in what has come to be called the "Massacre of Puerto Montt." As Minister of the Interior, Mr. Perez was consulted about what to do with the squatter camp. While no one knows if he ordered police to shoot, he did approve the removal of settlers from the illegal settlement, reversing his government's previous policy of squatter appeasement. It appears that he took this action because an opposition politician from the region, a leader of multiple squatter land-grabs, had recently been elected, thereby politicizing settlements in that area. Police had two encounters with settlers on that day. In the first one the unarmed settlers were repelled and no shots were fired. The settlers subsequently returned in larger numbers and overwhelmed the police using crude weapons. Only then did police fire on the group.
The leftist opposition blamed Pérez Zujovic and Jorge Pérez Sánchez for the death of the squatters, but they were not brought to trial.
Chilean folk singer Víctor Jara
wrote a song about the massacre etitled "Preguntas por Puerto Montt" (Questions for Puerto Montt). The lines mentioning Perez Zujovic translate roughly as "You should respond, Mr Pérez Zujovic, why to the unarmed people, did they answer with rifle? Mr Perez your conscience, you have buried it in a coffin, and your hands will not be washed, by all the rains of the South, all the rains of the South" However, themes in the song suggest that the people were defenseless, that the order to kill actually came from Mr. Perez, and that the people who died would not have known why. These statements reflect popular feeling of the time about the event, whereas in the event itself none of them were true.
Mr. Perez's actions were debated at high levels of Chilean government. Mr. Perez's violent assassination, at the hands of members of a communist youth group, has been used as a justification for the deepening divide in Chilean politics and other events leading up to the 1973 Coup d'etat.
On one occasion, Jara sang the song at Saint George's College
in Santiago
, in the presence of one of Pérez Zujovic's sons.
, killing him.
The investigation led to the location of the terrorists, who were all communist agitators, and three of them were killed.
The writer Enrique Campos Menéndez, accused the left Popular Unity government as the intellectual authors of the crime.
The faculty of Science, Physics and Mathematics at the University of Chile instituted a grant program under his name in 1991.
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
of the Christian Democrat Party
Christian Democrat Party of Chile
The Christian Democratic Party is a political party in Chile and governs as part of the Coalition of Parties for Democracy coalition. In the 2009 election it won 19 congress seats and 9 senate seats....
. He was minister of the Interior, Public Works and Finance under the government of President Eduardo Frei Montalva
Eduardo Frei Montalva
Eduardo Frei Montalva was a Chilean political leader of world stature. In his long political career, he was Minister of Public Works, president of his Christian Democratic Party, senator, President of the Senate, and president of Chile from 1964 to 1970...
(1964–1970).
Zujovic was born in Antofagasta
Antofagasta
Antofagasta is a port city in northern Chile, about north of Santiago. It is the capital of Antofagasta Province and Antofagasta Region. According to the 2002 census, the city has a population of 296,905...
. He was the father of the politician Edmundo Pérez Yoma
Edmundo Pérez Yoma
Edmundo Jaime Pérez Yoma is a Chilean politician from the Christian Democrat Party of Chile. He was twice the Minister of Defense during the administration of President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, and he served as the Minister of the Interior for President Michelle Bachelet's administration.Pérez...
, who is also a Christian Democrat.
Political imbroglio
On March 9, 1969, a group of Chilean policeCarabineros de Chile
thumb|250px|Carabineros de Chile, patrolling a street in [[Santiago, Chile|Santiago]]The Carabiniers of Chile, are the uniformed Chilean national police force and gendarmerie, created on April 27, 1927. Their mission is to maintain order and create public respect for the laws of the country...
attempted to remove a group of squatters, killing ten of them, in what has come to be called the "Massacre of Puerto Montt." As Minister of the Interior, Mr. Perez was consulted about what to do with the squatter camp. While no one knows if he ordered police to shoot, he did approve the removal of settlers from the illegal settlement, reversing his government's previous policy of squatter appeasement. It appears that he took this action because an opposition politician from the region, a leader of multiple squatter land-grabs, had recently been elected, thereby politicizing settlements in that area. Police had two encounters with settlers on that day. In the first one the unarmed settlers were repelled and no shots were fired. The settlers subsequently returned in larger numbers and overwhelmed the police using crude weapons. Only then did police fire on the group.
The leftist opposition blamed Pérez Zujovic and Jorge Pérez Sánchez for the death of the squatters, but they were not brought to trial.
Chilean folk singer Víctor Jara
Víctor Jara
Víctor Lidio Jara Martínez was a Chilean teacher, theatre director, poet, singer-songwriter, political activist and member of the Communist Party of Chile...
wrote a song about the massacre etitled "Preguntas por Puerto Montt" (Questions for Puerto Montt). The lines mentioning Perez Zujovic translate roughly as "You should respond, Mr Pérez Zujovic, why to the unarmed people, did they answer with rifle? Mr Perez your conscience, you have buried it in a coffin, and your hands will not be washed, by all the rains of the South, all the rains of the South" However, themes in the song suggest that the people were defenseless, that the order to kill actually came from Mr. Perez, and that the people who died would not have known why. These statements reflect popular feeling of the time about the event, whereas in the event itself none of them were true.
Mr. Perez's actions were debated at high levels of Chilean government. Mr. Perez's violent assassination, at the hands of members of a communist youth group, has been used as a justification for the deepening divide in Chilean politics and other events leading up to the 1973 Coup d'etat.
On one occasion, Jara sang the song at Saint George's College
Saint George's College
Saint George’s College, founded in 1936 and run by the Congregation of Holy Cross, is among the most exclusive and upper-class schools in Santiago, Chile...
in Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, in the presence of one of Pérez Zujovic's sons.
Assassination
On June 8, 1971, at approximately 10:47 AM, a he was intercepted Hernando de Aguirre Street when he was driving with his daughter. One of the attackers shot Pérez Zujovic twelve times with a machine gunMachine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
, killing him.
The investigation led to the location of the terrorists, who were all communist agitators, and three of them were killed.
The writer Enrique Campos Menéndez, accused the left Popular Unity government as the intellectual authors of the crime.
Homages
The name of Edmundo Pérez Zujovic is commemorated on many streets throughout Chile, including a heavily trafficked roundabout in the community of Vitacura in Santiago.The faculty of Science, Physics and Mathematics at the University of Chile instituted a grant program under his name in 1991.
See also
- Eduardo Frei MontalvaEduardo Frei MontalvaEduardo Frei Montalva was a Chilean political leader of world stature. In his long political career, he was Minister of Public Works, president of his Christian Democratic Party, senator, President of the Senate, and president of Chile from 1964 to 1970...
- Christian Democrat Party of ChileChristian Democrat Party of ChileThe Christian Democratic Party is a political party in Chile and governs as part of the Coalition of Parties for Democracy coalition. In the 2009 election it won 19 congress seats and 9 senate seats....