Despite its problems, Víctor Jara believed in the political system of Chile. A popular folk singer in his country, Jara had released an album a year from 1966 to 1973, blending the personal and the political in his material and it was the latter that would gain him many supporters and detractors as he discovered over time. The polarization experienced in the country seemed worse than it had ever been and it was impossible for Chileans at the time to fully understand why. Jara’s political activism had only increased with time, ultimately increasing the risk to himself of which he was aware. Not content to communicate solely through his music in a passive way, he was a visible supporter in the media of President Salvador Allende, having written the theme song to his Popular Unity movement “Venceremos” (“We Will Triumph”) and participating in political campaigns on his behalf before and after Allende’s election in 1970. As a result, some of Jara’s own neighbors turned against him, some even who owned his albums refused to engage with him, and now violent threats were on occasion undeniable as he traveled through Chile.
Original Article: How to Rig an Election and End a Democracy – by TMH (substack.com)
