Ad va n ce d ⅼ Sp e e ch 0 5

  Speech  05:  Salvador  Allende   -‐‑‒  Last  Speech  -‐‑‒  

Pra c tic e 1 | Vo c a b u la ry

Dire c t io n s : Lis t e n a n d re p e a t .

• Tit u la r - h a vin g a p a rt icu la r t it le o r s t a t u s b u t n o re a l p o w e r o r a u t h o rit y • d e s p ic a b le - ve ry u n p le a s a n t o r e vil • c o n s c ie n c e - t h e p a rt o f yo u r m in d t h a t t e lls yo u w h e t h e r yo u r a ct io n s a re rig h t o r w ro n g • s h riv e le d - t o b e co m e o r m a ke s o m e t h in g d ry a n d w rin kle d a s a re s u lt o f h e a t , co ld , o r b e in g o ld • im p e ria lis m - a s ys t e m in w h ich o n e co u n t ry co n t ro ls o t h e r co u n t rie s , o ft e n a ft e r d e fe a t in g t h e m in a war • m o d e s t - n o t t a lkin g m u ch a b o u t yo u r o w n a b ilit ie s o r p o s s e s s io n s • s e d it io n - t h e u s e o f w o rd s o r a ct io n s t h a t a re in t e n d e d t o e n co u ra g e p e o p le t o o p p o s e a g o ve rn m e n t • fa s c is m - a n e xt re m e rig h t - w in g p o lit ica l s ys t e m o r a t t it u d e t h a t is in fa vo r o f s t ro n g ce n t ra l g o ve rn m e n t a n d t h a t d o e s n o t a llo w a n y o p p o s it io n • h u m ilia t e d - t o m a ke s o m e o n e fe e l a s h a m e d o r s t u p id a n d lo s e t h e re s p e ct o f o t h e r p e o p le • t re a s o n - t h e crim e o f d o in g s o m e t h in g t h a t co u ld ca u s e d a n g e r t o yo u r co u n t ry, s u ch a s h e lp in g it s e n e m ie s d u rin g a w a r • fe lo n y - t h e a ct o f co m m it t in g a s e rio u s crim e s u ch a s m u rd e r o r ra p e ; a crim e o f t h is t yp e • c o w a rd ic e - la ck o f co u ra g e t o fa ce d a n g e r, d ifficu lt y, o p p o s it io n , p a in , e t c.

1 Co p yrig h t © s in ce 2 0 1 3 En g o o All Rig h t s Re s e rve d .

Ad va n ce d ⅼ Sp e e ch 0 5

Pra c tic e 2 | S p e e c h Dire c t io n s : Re a d t h e s p e e ch a lo u d w it h yo u r t e a ch e r.

Salvador Allende’s “Las t s p e e ch ” S an t iag o d e Ch ile , o n 1 1 S e p t e m b e r, 1 9 7 3

My frie n d s , Su re ly t h is w ill b e t h e la s t o p p o rt u n it y fo r m e t o a d d re s s yo u . Th e Air Fo rce h a s b o m b e d t h e a n t e n n a s o f Ra d io Ma g a lla n e s .

My w o rd s d o n o t h a ve b it t e rn e s s b u t d is a p p o in t m e n t . Ma y t h e y b e a m o ra l p u n is h m e n t fo r t h o s e w h o h a ve b e t ra ye d t h e ir o a t h : s o ld ie rs o f Ch ile , t it u la r co m m a n d e rs in ch ie f, Ad m ira l Me rin o , w h o h a s d e s ig n a t e d h im s e lf Co m m a n d e r o f t h e Na vy, a n d Mr. Me n d o za , t h e d e s p ic a b le g e n e ra l w h o o n ly ye s t e rd a y p le d g e d h is fid e lit y a n d lo ya lt y t o t h e Go ve rn m e n t , a n d w h o a ls o h a s a p p o in t e d h im s e lf Ch ie f o f t h e Ca ra b in e ro s [ p a ra m ilit a ry p o lice ] .

Give n t h e s e fa ct s , t h e o n ly t h in g le ft fo r m e is t o s a y t o w o rke rs : I a m n o t g o in g t o re s ig n ! Pla ce d in a h is t o ric t ra n s it io n , I w ill p a y fo r lo ya lt y t o t h e p e o p le w it h m y life . An d I s a y t o t h e m t h a t I a m ce rt a in t h a t t h e s e e d s w h ich w e h a ve p la n t e d in t h e g o o d c o n s c ie n c e o f t h o u s a n d s a n d t h o u s a n d s o f Ch ile a n s w ill n o t b e s h rive le d fo re ve r.

Th e y h a ve fo rce a n d w ill b e a b le t o d o m in a t e u s , b u t s o cia l p ro ce s s e s ca n b e a rre s t e d b y n e it h e r crim e n o r fo rce . His t o ry is o u rs , a n d p e o p le m a ke h is t o ry.

Wo rke rs o f m y co u n t ry: I w a n t t o t h a n k yo u fo r t h e lo ya lt y t h a t yo u a lw a ys h a d , t h e co n fid e n ce t h a t yo u d e p o s it e d in a m a n w h o w a s o n ly a n in t e rp re t e r o f g re a t ye a rn in g s fo r ju s t ice , w h o g a ve h is w o rd t h a t h e w o u ld re s p e ct t h e Co n s t it u t io n a n d t h e la w a n d d id ju s t t h a t . At t h is d e fin it ive m o m e n t , t h e la s t m o m e n t w h e n I ca n a d d re s s yo u , I w is h yo u t o t a ke a d va n t a g e o f t h e le s s o n : fo re ig n ca p it a l, im p e ria lis m , t o g e t h e r w it h t h e re a ct io n , cre a t e d t h e clim a t e in w h ich t h e Arm e d Fo rce s b ro ke t h e ir t ra d it io n , t h e t ra d it io n t a u g h t b y Ge n e ra l Sch n e id e r a n d re a ffirm e d b y Co m m a n d e r Ara ya , vict im s o f t h e s a m e s o cia l s e ct o r w h o t o d a y a re

2 Co p yrig h t © s in ce 2 0 1 3 En g o o All Rig h t s Re s e rve d .

Ad va n ce d ⅼ Sp e e ch 0 5 h o p in g , w it h fo re ig n a s s is t a n ce , t o re - co n q u e r t h e p o w e r t o co n t in u e d e fe n d in g t h e ir p ro fit s a n d t h e ir p rivile g e s .

I a d d re s s yo u , a b o ve a ll, t h e m o d e s t w o m a n o f o u r la n d , t h e ca m p e s in a w h o b e lie ve d in u s , t h e m o t h e r w h o kn e w o u r co n ce rn fo r ch ild re n . I a d d re s s p ro fe s s io n a ls o f Ch ile , p a t rio t ic p ro fe s s io n a ls w h o co n t in u e d w o rkin g a g a in s t t h e s e d it io n t h a t w a s s u p p o rt e d b y p ro fe s s io n a l a s s o cia t io n s , cla s s is t a s s o cia t io n s t h a t a ls o d e fe n d e d t h e a d va n t a g e s o f ca p it a lis t s o cie t y.

I a d d re s s t h e yo u t h , t h o s e w h o s a n g a n d g a ve u s t h e ir jo y a n d t h e ir s p irit o f s t ru g g le . I a d d re s s t h e m a n o f Ch ile , t h e w o rke r, t h e fa rm e r, t h e in t e lle ct u a l, t h o s e w h o w ill b e p e rs e cu t e d , b e ca u s e in o u r co u n t ry fa s c is m h a s b e e n a lre a d y p re s e n t fo r m a n y h o u rs - - in t e rro ris t a t t a cks , b lo w in g u p t h e b rid g e s , cu t t in g t h e ra ilro a d t ra cks , d e s t ro yin g t h e o il a n d g a s p ip e lin e s , in t h e fa ce o f t h e s ile n ce o f t h o s e w h o h a d t h e o b lig a t io n t o a ct . Th e y w e re co m m it t e d . His t o ry w ill ju d g e t h e m .

Su re ly Ra d io Ma g a lla n e s w ill b e s ile n ce d , a n d t h e ca lm m e t a l in s t ru m e n t o f m y vo ice w ill n o lo n g e r re a ch yo u . It d o e s n o t m a t t e r. Yo u w ill co n t in u e h e a rin g it . I w ill a lw a ys b e n e xt t o yo u . At le a s t m y m e m o ry w ill b e t h a t o f a m a n o f d ig n it y w h o w a s lo ya l t o h is co u n t ry.

Th e p e o p le m u s t d e fe n d t h e m s e lve s , b u t t h e y m u s t n o t s a crifice t h e m s e lve s . Th e p e o p le m u s t n o t le t t h e m s e lve s b e d e s t ro ye d o r rid d le d w it h b u lle t s , b u t t h e y ca n n o t b e h u m ilia t e d e it h e r.

Wo rke rs o f m y co u n t ry, I h a ve fa it h in Ch ile a n d it s d e s t in y. Ot h e r m e n w ill o ve rco m e t h is d a rk a n d b it t e r m o m e n t w h e n t re a s o n s e e ks t o p re va il. Go fo rw a rd kn o w in g t h a t , s o o n e r ra t h e r t h a n la t e r, t h e g re a t a ve n u e s w ill o p e n a g a in a n d fre e m e n w ill w a lk t h ro u g h t h e m t o co n s t ru ct a b e t t e r s o cie t y.

Lo n g live Ch ile !

Lo n g live t h e p e o p le !

Lo n g live t h e w o rke rs !

Th e s e a re m y la s t w o rd s , a n d I a m ce rt a in t h a t m y s a crifice w ill n o t b e in va in , I a m ce rt a in t h a t , a t t h e ve ry le a s t , it w ill b e a m o ra l le s s o n t h a t w ill p u n is h fe lo n y , c o w a rd ic e , a n d t re a s o n .

Sa n t ia g o d e Ch ile 1 1 Se p t e m b e r 1 9 7 3

3 Co p yrig h t © s in ce 2 0 1 3 En g o o All Rig h t s Re s e rve d .

Ad va n ce d ⅼ Sp e e ch 0 5

Pra c tic e 3 | Qu e s tio n s

Dire c t io n s : An s w e r t h e fo llo w in g q u e s t io n s .

1 . Wh y is it ca lle d t h e “La s t Sp e e ch ”?

2 . To w h o m w a s t h is s p e e ch a d d re s s e d ?

3 . Ho w d o yo u d e a l w it h t h e co m p le xit ie s o f life ?

4 Co p yrig h t © s in ce 2 0 1 3 En g o o All Rig h t s Re s e rve d .