Sunday Mirror (London)
31 January 1999
FREE PINOCHET PROTESTERS ARE u9 AN HOUR RENT-A-MOB LIVING FREE IN
4-STAR LUXURY
GENERAL PINOCHET is flying supporters in from Chile - then paying
them
u9 an hour to stage phoney demonstrations outside the Houses of
Parliament.
The rent-a-mob have their flights paid for and work six-day
shifts.
Many of them are servants of rich right-wing Chilean businessmen,
army
chiefs and politicians. Others are hard-up students tempted by a
free
holiday.
Pinochet's flying pickets are put up in luxurious u100-a-night
hotels
and enjoy cocktail parties. They are even being treated to
sightseeing
tours of London.
But despite the inducements, some "supporters" have not been happy
with their pay and conditions - and now they are demanding
overtime.
The Sunday Mirror has learned that three women demonstrators - who
asked not to be named for fear of reprisals back in Chile -
threatened
to go on strike to get more cash.
The women claimed they should get bonus money for standing outside
the
House of Lords for extra hours during crucial hearings by the Law
Lords.
They also wanted extra cash for being outside in the cold, and
compensation for sore throats caused by constant shouting.
When their claims were dismissed by Pinochet's campaign organisers
the
women briefly defected to "the other side" - and begged for
political
asylum. But Pinochet's men found out, and they were immediately
sent
home.
Chilean interpreter Maria Carlos, 21, sells her services to both
sides, but mainly works for the Chilean journalists and camera
crews.
"I have no opinion on Pinochet either way," she said. "But it's
well
known that Pinochet's supporters are being paid to protest. About
300
have been brought to England so far. Many have their flights and
hotels paid for.
"At the beginning the majority were simply people who were paid to
stand outside Parliament. They would admit it freely to other
Chileans
because back home no-one would think this is unusual.
"Most of them were working-class people, the employees - domestic
servants and so on - of rich Pinochet supporters.
"You could tell because they were badly dressed and didn't have
the
proper clothes for an English winter."
Anti-Pinochet activist Anna Maria Vergara, 54, added: "It's ironic
because both sets of supporters outside the Commons have to use
the
same toilet in a cafe across the green.
"We get talking about things like the way women do. Three of them
were
always complaining that they were not getting enough money.
"They asked us to try to get them political asylum and they would
come
over to our side and tell everything about the Pinochistas.
"But we didn't know what to do and in the end the women were found
out, told to shut up and sent home."
Posing as pro-Pinochet supporters in Chile, Sunday Mirror
investigators contacted the Pinochet Foundation in Santiago. The
group
co-ordinates fund-raising and support for their jailed leader.
Campaign co-ordinator Javier Mella admitted: "Supporters have been
helped with funds to go to Britain. There is a big group over
there
now. The man who decides who will get help is over in London at
the
moment. He is a general.
"If you need money to get over there then you'll have to wait
until he
gets back."
Two right-wing political parties in Chile - the Renovacion
Nacional
and the UDI - have also paid supporters to come to Britain.
One UDI worker told the Sunday Mirror: "I didn't want to come to
Britain. I was told to go."
In Santiago, students at the Catholic University were targeted by
the
Pinochet Foundation and the Renovacion Nacional party.
A 19-year-old female student, too fearful to be named, said: "His
supporters came round the campus and they said we could spend the
summer in England for free if we were prepared to demonstrate for
Pinochet.
"It's summer here now. Our summer holidays begin in December so
all
this fell nicely for them in terms of getting support.
"I was offered a flight, a hotel and 100,000 pesos pocket money
(about
u140). They said we would have to spend at least three hours a day
on
the picket lines and hand out leaflets."
The paid-for trips were organised at meetings of powerful Pinochet
supporters at the exclusive Club de La Union in Santiago in
December.
One worker there told our investigator: "They were talking about
it
very loudly. There was a discussion whether to offer 100,000 pesos
or
300,000 to attract supporters. They were so desperate to get
people
over that they joked about roping in some of the waiters."
An undercover reporter infiltrated the Pinochet supporters outside
Parliament.
Sunday Mirror investigators watched one of them hurl racist abuse
at a
black passer-by, while others threatened tourists and chanted
songs
celebrating torture.
They had been whipped into a frenzy by a hard-core of fanatical
fascist agitators - hand-picked by Pinochet's military henchmen.
The 40-strong mob screeched in broken English: "We love Pinochet,
he
is our hero, he has done nothing wrong, let him go free."
A dark-haired student stuck two fingers up at a passing bus packed
full of tourists in a gesture of defiance.
The rent-a-mob's flights were block-booked by Chilean travel agent
Eurovips.
The hotel accommodation was arranged by British travel agents
Fourth
Dimension Travel Ltd on behalf of Santiago-based Eurovips travel.
This week's group were the third shift to come over for a six- day
stay. They returned via Gatwick airport on Thursday night.
Their seats on Flight BA2267 back to Santiago had been booked by
Eurovips.
Their plush hotel rooms had also been paid for Eurovips and booked
through London-based travel agency Fourth Dimension, who count
them
among their biggest clients.
One Santiago student, Christian Campora, had his hotel "extras" -
including drinks - paid for by Luis Cortes, the executive director
of
the Pinochet Foundation.
Last night Mr Cortez said: "Those who want to go to London and do
not
have the means to do so will be supported by businesmen and by the
Foundation itself."
At the end of each day the national song of Chile is sung,
placards
are raised high, banners waved and tears shed.
The protesters, complaining about the cold, then return to the
Stakis
London Metropole Hotel in Edgware Road in a fleet of taxis.
The 10-minute ride costs u7.50. Their flights to Britain had cost
u750
return.
Sunday Mirror investigators watched 20 middle-aged Pinochet
supporters
party into the early hours of the morning, downing cocktails and
club
sandwiches in the marble-floored public area of the hotel.
But the influx of rent-a-mob demonstrations has drained the
resources
of the Pinochet Foundation.
Fernando Barros, who heads a pro-Pinochet support group, said: "At
the
beginning a lot of people were brought over. But now we are
running
out of money."
end
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