Victor Jara Martinez was a singer and songwriter, a poet, and a political activist. He was active in Chilean theatre as well as international folk music circles.

Jara supported Salvador Allende who was a popular socialist unity candidate of the Left in a bitterly divided Chile in the early 70s. Along with his wife Joan, they supported the elected Allende government elected in September 1970 by organizing cultural and music events.

The Chilean army generals, with the support of the United States began a violent coup on 11^th September 1973 against this elected government and appointed General Augusto Pinochet as dictator.

The army proceeded to conduct a reign of terror against people identified as Allende supporters. Victor Jara was kidnapped and locked up in the Estadio Chile. Jara, who was well known to the army was tortured and murdered on 16^th September 1973, at the age of just 40.

The sports stadium in Santiago is now called Victor Jara Stadium.

During Pinochet’s first three years, approx. 130,000 people were arrested, many were tortured and some 6,000 people were murdered or disappeared.

A house belonging to Irish missionaries in Chile was attacked in 1975 and their housekeeper Henriquetta Reyes was murdered. As late as 1983, two Irish Columban Father priests, Fr. Forde and Fr. McGillicuddy were expelled as a result of their human rights work in Chile. Dr. Sheila Cassidy who worked with the poor was imprisoned and tortured.

These two priests as well as Fr Holohan, another Irish priest. were recently honoured in June 2023 by the Chilean government for their work and by President Michael D Higgins at a ceremony in the Chilean embassy in Dublin. The President of Ireland is due to travel to Chile in September 2023 on the fiftieth anniversary of the military coup.

https://president.ie/en/diary/details/president-attends-a-ceremony-in-recognition-of-3-irish-missionaries-for-their-humanitarian-assistance-to-the-people-of-chile/speeches

The memory of Victor Jara lives on among those who fight for social justice across the world. It is appropriate as we approach the fiftieth anniversary of his murder that we pause and think of this warm hearted guitar player who wrote songs and sang about freedom.

A tribute to Victor Jara from some of Cork’s musicians will take place on Friday 28th July 2023 at 9:00 pm at the Maldron Hotel.

“He sang about the copper-miners

And those who worked the land.

He sang about the factory-workers

And they knew he was their man”

“His hands were gentle

His hands were strong” 

From “Victor Jara” written by Adrian Mitchell.