Chile - Press Conference with Joe Higgins
"Release Elena Varela!"

Socialist Party Online

An Irish language TV team, directed by Kim Bartley is in Chile filming a documentary with the participation of former Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins.

Yesterday evening, Joe Higgins a leading member of the Irish Socialist Party and the Committee for a Workers Internacional gave a press conference in Santiago.

The Press Conference had place at 19.00 hours, in the TallerSol Cultural Centre, in the ‘Barrio Brasil’ in downtown Santiago - a well known rendevouz for artists, filmmakers and cine and arts lovers.

Joe explained that the team of the Irish language TV was in Chile filming about the current political and social situation in Latin America, following the journey of Che Guevara through the continent. But Joe Higgins, in the name of all his team, also expressed his solidarity with Elena Varela, the Chilean journalist and author of ‘Newen Mapuche’ (Mapuche Strength), who was arrested while she was filming another project about the struggle of the Mapuche people.

The Irish TV team requested the immediate release of Elena Varela and her film material. Joe announced the launch of an international solidarity campaign, with this purpose, with the participation of the organizations and members of the Committe for a Workers International.