In June 1983, four decades ago, the Catalan singer-songwriter scheduled a series of shows at the Teatro Caupolican. In principle, the dictatorship had authorized his visa to enter the country, but it was later revoked, accusing the artist of issuing “critical judgments on national reality”. Over time, efforts were made, in which even the Spanish ambassador to the country took part, but to no avail. Here, the story of a visit that was not.
It didn’t matter that Joan Manuel Serrat was an internationally renowned artist with a long relationship with Chili . Since his first time in 1969, and with the unforgettable Raúl Matas as presenter, the Catalan had forged a very loyal following who had followed his career. Taking advantage of a promotional tour in South America of the album To each his own subject which included stops through Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Peru, Serrat scheduled a series of shows at the Teatro Caupolican in June 1983. This was his return to the country, after two previous performances, but he couldn’t get there. The dictatorship led by General Augusto Pinochet prevented him from entering the country.
Known opponent of de facto regimes since the Franco eraSerrat did not hide his criticism of the military dictatorships installed in the southern cone of Latin America . In Buenos Aires, during the press conference preceding his legendary presentation at Luna Park, accompanied by the cultural attachés of the Spanish Embassy, he told journalists that he had made the decision to travel “Thinking of those who suffer repression, who are my contemporary witnesses and judges, the Chileans, like the Argentines now” .
On this occasion, El País detailed, The singer-songwriter revealed that two years earlier he had thought about going to Argentina, but gave up in the face of certain threats against him. . The situation had changed after the traumatic defeat of the Trans-Andean dictatorship in the Malvinas war, and just before the return of democracy, a new wind was blowing.
Asked then about the presentation in Santiago de Chile, Serrat confirmed that “if nothing prevents him”, in the first days of July he would be in the country. Until that time, shows were advertised and with tickets on sale.
But from the Ministry of the Interior they said the opposite. A press release published in the newspapers of the time, of which The third explained that Serrat “has rendered judgments critical of the national reality and contrary to the Supreme Government, persisting in recent days ”. For this reason, the Ministry of the Interior, under the supervision of General Enrique Montero Marx, “revised the previous decision to authorize the artistic presentations, in Chile, of Mr. Serrat”.
Thus, the military regime left the Catalan without visiting the country, and incidentally, this complicated the two businessmen in charge of producing the shows; the Argentinian Rodrigo Gómez, who led the visit and Sergio Venturino, then owner of the Caupolican. Consulted by La Tercera in 1983, the first states that “it was disappointing for me and for the whole team, but I am calm”. Meanwhile, the second explained that he had not yet been notified, but regretted the decision “because it would cause me enormous economic damage”.
The situation in the country was very tense. On May 11 of that year, the first mass demonstration against the regime took place, called by the Confederation of Copper Workers and supported by various groups opposed to the regime. There followed a wave of repression concentrated in the cities with massive raids. Despite everything, the protests did not stop. A new day was called June 14 and was repeated a month later. There were detainees in addition to the express ban on the media from reporting what happened by the government. Serrat must have landed in this environment.
intercedes the ambassador
In the days following the statement, the matter escalated. Spain’s Ambassador to Chile, Miguel Solano Aza, traveled to La Moneda to deliver a note of protest for the decision to revoke the entry visa to Serrat. According to La Tercera, Solano “asked general information about the ban on the famous singer-songwriter from entering the country” . For this reason, he met with the Director General of Foreign Policy, Horacio Wood, who detailed the official reasons.
Sources at the time told La Tercera that the visa was issued to Serrat “On condition that from that moment until the end of his visit, he ceases to make statements against the government” , which would have been reported to the representative of the singer-songwriter. It is added that from inside they gathered information that “Mr. Serrat continued to make statements along the same lines”. Hence the controversial final decision.
While Serrat awaited in Brazil the result of Ambassador Solano’s efforts , in Santiago, the news began to trigger reactions. The Chilean Human Rights Commission issued a statement deploring this measure and expressing its solidarity with the man of Mediterranean.
At this time, La Tercera contacted the artist’s representative, Chiche Aisemberg, who was with him in Sao Paulo. During the interview, he defended his client and denied the reason given by the military government to revoke his visa. “We have to clarify things. Joan Manuel Serrat has never spoken of the president of Chile and issued no further statements. When he thinks of freedom, he does so in general.
In Santiago, businessman Rodrigo Gómez went to the offices of the Ministry of the Interior to meet with an authority, in order to request a review of the ban. “I have no doubt, since he signed his visa in Argentina on June 14, that he spoke about contingent political issues in our country” , he pointed. And he added that he would not seek compensation in the event that the situation could not be permanently reversed.
But ultimately the negotiations did not prosper and Gómez briefed the media. “Many have been the losses we have had with this ban . I am also sorry for all the people who rejoiced at the arrival of the famous singer-songwriter,” he said. A few days later, Gómez himself took a flight to Sao Paulo to meet Serrat and explain to him in person what had happened.
It would not be the Catalan’s last crossing with the regime. In 1988, his visit to the country was planned to appear at the closing ceremony of the “No” campaign, as part of the plebiscite which would determine Augusto Pinochet’s continuity in power. The dictatorship did not allow his entry into the country even though the singer-songwriter was already at Santiago airport.
“I remember it with deep disappointment, sadness and loneliness -he detailed during a press conference in November 2022, as part of his last shows in the country-. Disappointment because until our arrival in Argentina it seemed that we could enter the country, and only then was the refusal to enter Chile communicated. Unfortunately because he came very moved after so many years and such a difficult path, with exile and the emotion of friends. And an immense loneliness, because seeing the companions who came on the plane leave and sit in this jumbo jet was a moment of loneliness. Fortunately, people said No, the democratic government returned to La Moneda, and with it I returned to the country.
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Source: Latercera
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
