Revolutionary Dreams - From Chile to Wales

Revolutionary Dreams - From Chile to WalesJos Cifuentes was a student in Chile in 1970 when Salvador Allende became President, leading the world's first democratically elected socialist government. Jos and his partner, as student activists, worked to help poor people improve their lives. But a military coup on 11 September 1973, supported by the USA, put an end to ordinary Chileans' hopes for a fairer society. The brutal dictatorship of General Pinochet hunted down all opposition. Thousands

JosŽ Cifuentes was a student in Chile in 1970 when Salvador Allende became President, leading the world's first democratically elected socialist government. JosŽ and his partner, as student activists, worked to help poor people improve their lives. But a military coup on 11 September 1973, supported by the USA, put an end to ordinary Chileans' hopes for a fairer society. The brutal dictatorship of General Pinochet hunted down all opposition. Thousands were detained with no legal process, abused and tortured, in many cases killed or disappeared without trace. JosŽ was imprisoned and tortured, then spent years on the run. He and Mar’a Cristina worked for the Committee for Peace and the Vicarage of Solidarity, organisations which documented human rights abuses and supported victims' families. When the danger grew too great, in 1977 they and their baby daughter Roc’o were lucky to find sanctuary abroad ... in Wales. This is JosŽ's story, in his own words.