Frei v. FRAP

It was billed as a "general strike"-a major protest against the moderate government of Chilean President Eduardo Frei. But when it came off last week, it proved a dud. Only 35,000 workers stayed away from their jobs, and the climactic "rally" in Santiago's Plaza Artesanos drew a skimpy crowd. Miners in helmets and packs marched listlessly to a drum and bugle corps; a few busloads of young girls chanted: "If the government continues like this, we will cut off its nose." Not even chunky Communist Councilwoman Mireya Baltra, berating the "imperialists" between swigs from a bottle of Pepsi, could generate much enthusiasm. "This government stained its hands with blood," exulted another speaker. "We have our martyrs." Then everybody went home.

Four days earlier, in northern Chile, government carabineros had fired into a crowd of rioting "wildcat" strikers at El Salvador's copper mine, killing eight and wounding 35. The protesting general strike was one of a series called by the Frente de Acclon Popular (FRAP), Chile's Socialist-Communist opposition to Christian Democrat President Frei.

FRAP was obviously working along the guidelines of the recent Tri-Continental Conference in Havana, which recommended stepped-up labor trouble as a means to Red takeover. Since January, strikes in the Chilean copper mines have cost Frei's government $60 million, and the mild-mannered President got tough. Going before the nation on radio and television, he angrily declared that FRAP was out to "economically paralyze the nation. We are witnessing a premeditated act of subversion."

The Stranglehold. Frei also got unexpected-and unwitting-help from Fidel Castro. After the shooting at El Salvador, Fidel took to Havana radio to attack Chile's President as "a coward and reactionary" who had "promised revolution without blood but has given only blood without revolution." Castro's castigations struck many Chileans as an outsider's interference in domestic problems, and coupled with Frei's television address helped to undercut support for the FRAP-led general strike.

Still, Frei has been unable during his 17-month tour in office to translate his 53% electoral mandate into significant reforms. Though his Christian Democrats dominate the House of Deputies, FRAP-in combination with the Radicals-holds the upper hand in the Senate and has emasculated Frei's copper program. This scheme aims to make Chile the world's No. 1 copper producer and earn an additional $300 million in foreign exchange to finance Frei's sweeping proposals for land reform-which themselves are stymied in the legislature. Heartened by a recent by-election victory in Valparaiso and by the failure of last week's strike, Frei nonetheless faces a long hard struggle in his effort to break FRAP's stranglehold.

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