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Luis CorvalanChilean politician
Date of Birth: 14.09.1916
Country:  Chile |
Content:
Luis Corvalan: A Chilean Communist Politician
Luis Corvalan, a Chilean politician and former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Chile, was exchanged for Vladimir Bukovsky as part of a political prisoner exchange. Born to a teacher father and peasant mother, Corvalan enrolled in a pedagogical school in the city of Chillian in 1931. He joined the Communist Party in 1932 and worked in various party positions throughout the 1930s and 1940s.
In 1946, Corvalan became the chief editor of the party's central newspaper, "Siglo." During the period when the Communist Party was outlawed from 1948 to 1958, Corvalan led the propaganda department of the Central Committee and oversaw the production of underground party publications. He was arrested twice during this time, in 1950 and 1956, and spent time in prison and labor camps.
In 1958, Corvalan became the General Secretary of the Communist Party. Following the military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet on September 11, 1973, Corvalan was arrested along with many other regime opponents. He was initially held in solitary confinement and later transferred to various detention camps, including the island of Dawson. After the murder of Victor Jara, he became one of the most prominent Chilean political prisoners.
During his imprisonment in 1975, Corvalan was awarded the International Lenin Peace Prize. The Soviet Union spearheaded an international campaign for his release, and in 1976, Andrei Sakharov proposed exchanging Corvalan for the renowned Soviet political prisoner and dissident Vladimir Bukovsky. Corvalan was granted political asylum in the USSR.
In August 1983, Corvalan illegally returned to Chile, disguising his appearance through plastic surgery. After the end of the dictatorship, he officially returned to the country on October 10, 1989. In May 1989, he stepped down as the General Secretary of the Communist Party. Currently, Corvalan resides in Santiago with his family.
In 1995, Corvalan published a book titled "The Collapse of Soviet Power." Despite the collapse of the socialist system in the USSR, Corvalan continues to hold communist beliefs and fight for socialism in Chile. There are videos available online featuring Corvalan.
Corvalan in Literature and Art
Luis Corvalan is the subject of the song "Was wollen wir trinken" ("What Do We Want to Drink?") by the East German ensemble Oktoberklub, released in 1977. In 1973, the German Democratic Republic (GDR) issued a postage stamp dedicated to Luis Corvalan, featuring his portrait against a red flag.
