El Pueblo Unido: This song accompanies the protests in Chile

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In Chile, millions of people are taking to the streets to demonstrate against neoliberal President Piñera. El Pueblo Unido – the song that accompanies the protests is called The United People in English. It is one of the most important protest songs in the world. We took a closer look at the history and meaning of the song.

Read this article in German here.

The Chilean protest song is an important part of the worldwide protest culture. It stands for a life free of oppression and in defiance of fascism and neoliberalism. The struggle of the Chilean people stands here symbolically for the struggle of all oppressed people of this world. With the current protests against the neoliberal president of Chile, the song can be heard again in all cities of the country.

 

THE SONG AND ITS ORIGINS

Although, the song comes from Chile, the origin of the chorus, El Pueblo Unido Jamás Será Vencido, comes from another Latin American country. In the 1930s and 1940s, the socialist politician Jorge Eliécer Gaitán fought for a just and equal Colombia. He was considered a gifted speaker. The legendary phrase is inspired by one of his speeches.

However, Eliécer Gaitán was murdered for his political commitment. Two former CIA agents later testified that the US secret service was behind the assassination. The murder of him caused an unrest, which later led to a long and bloody civil war.

EL PUEBLO UNIDO IN CHILE

In Chile, the phrase became famous during the reign of socialist president Salvador Allende and was often chanted at rallies. The composer of the song’s music, Sergio Ortega Alvarado, recalls that on his way home he met a boy in the streets of the Chilean capital Santiago de Chile who shouted the slogan. He gave him the inspiration for his music.

El Pueblo Unido Protests Chile Song
Chile Protests: Under Allende the phrase became popular on demonstrations

The Chilean folk band Quilapayún wrote the text to the music of El Pueblo Unido. The band recorded the song for the first time live at a huge concert in the streets of Santiago de Chile. Only three months later, on September 11, 1973, General Augusto Pinochet overthrew the democratically elected President Salvador Allende and established an extremely violent military dictatorship. At that time, Quilapayún were on tour in Europe. They were not able to return to Chile until 1988.


The song that accompanies the protests in Chile. Here is the original version of Quilapayún.

DICTATORSHIP IN CHILE

Pinochet established a brutal military dictatorship in Chile. Thousands of opponents of the regime were arrested, tortured and murdered. Concentration camps and secret prisons were established in the capital Santiago, as well as in other cities of the country. More than a million opposition members fled Chile to escape the military junta.

Meanwhile, Pinochet reversed all the socio-political reforms that Allende had carried out against the rampant social inequality. Far-reaching privatizations, the abandonment of price controls and massive cuts in social spending occurred. Chile became a laboratory for neoliberal economic policy.

RESISTANCE DESPITE ALL ODDS

Nevertheless, resistance to the military dictatorship was not completely broken. Many opposition members went underground or founded organizations abroad to resist the military dictatorship. El Pueblo Unido Jamás Será Vencido gave them hope for a better Chile during these dark times. Quilapayún and other Chilean bands in exile played the protest anthem all over the world and called for solidarity with the Chilean population. Several foreign musicians followed the call and translated the song into their own languages.


The US-American composer Frederic Rzewski composed a piano piece that interprets various variations of El Pueblo Unido.


A Russian version of the famous protest anthem. Sung by a mixed choir.
 

EL PUEBLO UNIDO TODAY

Since this October, the protest song has an additional meaning. Earlier this month, student organizations called on students not to buy a ticket on the Santiago de Chile subway, but to fare dodge. The reason: the neoliberal president Piñera announced that he would raise the prices for public transport. What began as student protests against fare increases quickly turned into a nationwide uprising against the neoliberal economic order that has dominated the country since the military dictatorship.

El Pueblo Unido Jamás Será Vencido is also the anthem of this resistance. On October 25, more than 1.2 million people took to the streets of the Chilean capital. They demand the resignation of President Piñera and the end of neoliberalism in Chile. The anthem has accompanied them during the time of Pinochet, now it gives the protesters strength to keep on fighting for a more just world.


Along with Quilapayún, Inti Illimani are one of the most important bands of the Chilean resistance.

Lyrics in English

The united people will never be defeated,
the united people will never be defeated…
On foot, singing
because we are going triumph.
Advance now,
flags of unity.
And you will come
marching together with me,
and in that way you will see
your song and your flag flourish.
The light
of a red dawn
now announces
the life which will come.
On foot, fighting,
the people will triumph.
It will be better,
the life which will come
to enamor
our happiness
and in a protest,
a thousand voices of combat will revolt,
they will demontrate
the song of liberty,
with courage
the fatherland will be victorious.
And now the people
rises up in the fight
with the voice of a giant,
shouting: forward!
The united people will never be defeated,
the united people will never be defeated…
The fatherland is
forging the unity.
From north to south
people will mobilise,
from the salt flat
hot and mineral
to the southern forest,
united in the fight and the work,
they will go,
they will cover the fatherland.
Now its way
announces the future.
On foot, singing,
the people will triumph.
Now millions
impose the truth,
steely are
the ardent battalions,
their hands are walking,
carrying the justice and the reasoning.
Woman,
with fire and with courage,
now you are here
together with the working man.
And now the people
rises up in the fight
with the voice of a giant,
shouting: forward!
The united people will never be defeated,
the united people will never be defeated..

 


An English version of El Pueblo Unido.

Lyrics in Spanish

El pueblo unido, jamás será vencido,
el pueblo unido jamás será vencido…
De pie, cantar
que vamos a triunfar.
Avanzan ya
banderas de unidad.
Y tú vendrás
marchando junto a mí
y así verás
tu canto y tu bandera florecer.
La luz
de un rojo amanecer
anuncia ya
la vida que vendrá.
De pie, luchar
el pueblo va a triunfar.
Será mejor
la vida que vendrá
a conquistar
nuestra felicidad
y en un clamor
mil voces de combate se alzarán,
dirán
canción de libertad,
con decisión
la patria vencerá.
Y ahora el pueblo
que se alza en la lucha
con voz de gigante
gritando: ¡adelante!
El pueblo unido, jamás será vencido,
el pueblo unido jamás será vencido…
La patria está
forjando la unidad.
De norte a sur
se movilizará
desde el salar
ardiente y mineral
al bosque austral
unidos en la lucha y el trabajo
irán,
la patria cubrirán.
Su paso ya
anuncia el porvenir.
De pie, cantar
el pueblo va a triunfar.
Millones ya,
imponen la verdad,
de acero son
ardiente batallón,
sus manos van
llevando la justicia y la razón.
Mujer,
con fuego y con valor,
ya estás aquí
junto al trabajador.
Y ahora el pueblo
que se alza en la lucha
con voz de gigante
gritando: ¡adelante!
El pueblo unido, jamás será vencido,
el pueblo unido jamás será vencido…

 

Kontrast.at
Kontrast.athttps://kontrast.at
The social democratic magazine Kontrast.at covers current political events, both in Austria and in the rest of the world. We view society, state and economy from a progressive, emancipatory point of view. Kontrast casts the gaze of social justice on the world.

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