The ceremony was attended by family and friends of Marín, deputies, councilmen, members of the Communist Party, the Communist Youth and other organizations. | Photo: Prensa Latina

Santiago de Chile, December 26 (RHC)-- Militants of the Communist Party (PC) of Chile held in the General Cemetery of Santiago de Chile an act of atonement to its historic leader Gladys Marín, after the mausoleum where her remains were vandalized by followers of the ultra-right presidential candidate José Antonio Kast (Social Christian Front) last December 18.

During the event, the president of the party, Guillermo Teillier, said that "the Communist Party will never allow its heroes and heroines to be sullied in this way."   He added: "We will always have them in our hearts, in our consciences and in the strength we have to continue fighting (...)  As Gladys used to say -- a thousand times: Venceremos.  We will win."

Marín's family and friends, deputies, councilors, members of the CP, the Communist Youth and other organizations participated in the ceremony.

Last week, on the eve of the ballot that pitted Kast against the center-left candidate Gabriel Boric (Apruebo Dignidad), eventually elected president of Chile, the PC denounced that Gladys Marín's grave had dawned with graffiti that read: "Vota 2, Vota Kast" (Vote 2, Vote Kast).

In a message spread through social networks, the organization said: "This makes clear the desperation of the right wing and its aggressive and intolerant anticommunism, which they used to carry out the coup d'état (September 1973), and now, to frighten Chilean men and women."

The PC catalogued the fact as "a last minute provocation; therefore, we call to keep calm and the firm determination to win the election and defend the votes."   In addition, it called the attention of human rights organizations to "this hateful discrimination and stigmatization that J.A. Kast's campaign has made against communists."

The message ended with an energetic "No pasarán" -- in allusion to the facist platform of Kast, who declared himself an admirer of the Chilean dictator and coup general Augusto Pinochet and externalized his intention to put into practice, as part of his government program, measures of a neoliberal nature that would harm the people.