Catalogue Number
NMLH.1994.168.120.1
Object Name
Poster
Title
Chile's fight against fascism
People
Luis Corvalan Gordon McLennan
Events
1973 Chilean coup d'etat
Date
1975-1990
Description
A3 yellowed London District Communist party poster. Yellowed but in good condition, fold in the middle and very small tears. At the top it says 'Chile's fight against fascism', 'Hear Luis Corvalan General Secretary Communist Party of Chile.' And underneath it says 'Gordon Mclennan General Secretary Communist Party of Britain.' Bottom of the poster says 'Monday 12 September, 7pm Friends House, Euston Rd. NW1, Chilean Music Adm. 40p.' Bottom of the poster says 'organised by London District Communist party 74 Farringdon Road London EC1M 3JX, printed by 'hermes press (N.G.A T.U.) 268 Kingsland Road, E.8. 254 3353. All the writing is black font, the top right of the poster is a red photograph of Luis Corvalan. This poster from the British Communist Party is showing solidarity with Chile, presenting two Communist speakers. Luis Corvalan was a Chilean politican and served as general secretary of the Communist Party of Chile Corvalan was arrested after Pinochet's military coup in 1973 and was the most prominent political prisoner in Chile. While in prison he was awarded the Lenin peace prize, and was released on 18 December 1976 due to the USSR's campaigning and the exchange for a notable Soviet political prisoner. He was elected to the party's central committee in 1950, becoming its general secretary in 1958, a post he held until 1989, excluding the ten years from 19481958 in which the Communist party was outlawed. He oversaw the party's gradual growth in influence and electoral success. By the 70s it had achieved nearly 20 per cent of the vote, and counted the poet Pablo Neruda, the writer Francisco Coloane and the songwriter Victor Jara among its members. Corvalan was elected senator for Nuble province from 1961 to 1969 and was reelected in 1969 for Aconcagua and Valparaiso. He returned to Chile first clandestinely in 1983 and then officially in 1988. During his years in exile he worked alongside Volodia Teitelboim and other exiled party leaders to rebuild the almost destroyed Communist party of Chile. Gordon McLennan was general secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain between 1975 and 1990.
