· AUSTRALIA $3.00 · CANADA $2.50 · FRANCE 2.00 EUROS · ICELAND KR200 · NEW ZEALAND $3.00 · SWEDEN KR15 · UK £1.00 · U.S. $1.50 INSIDE 2005 World Youth Festival to be held in Venezuela — PAGE 3 A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE VOL. 68/NO. 3 JANUARY 26, 2004 U.S. steps up offensive Utah strikers reject mine against Cuba, Venezuela bosses’ ploy Charges ‘destabilization’ to prepare expanded intervention of talks BY MARTÍN KOPPEL AND SAM MANUEL WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. offi - without cials have stepped up their campaign of smears and threats against Cuba and Venezuela, accusing both governments of seeking to destabilize other coun- UMWA tries in Latin America. Washington, BY GUILLERMO ESQUIVEL which has never accepted normal ties HUNTINGTON, Utah—Striking coal between revolutionary Cuba and the miners here have unanimously rejected government of President Hugo Chávez an attempt by CW Mining, also known as of Venezuela, is using this offensive to Co-Op, to negotiate a return to work under prepare intervention in the region of a the very same conditions that existed when different scope and character. they were locked out by the company more As part of this campaign, Wash- than three months ago. ington also unilaterally suspended The coal miners are fi ghting to win their twice-yearly talks with Cuba on the jobs back and to gain recognition of the implementation of immigration ac- United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) cords between the two countries. as their union. The company illegally fi red These moves came on the eve all 75 workers on September 22 when they of the Summit of the Americas in protested the unjust suspension of a co- Monterrey, Mexico, a gathering of all worker for union activity. the governments in the region except “The company is not proposing anything Cuba, which is excluded. Leading up new. They are just throwing crumbs at us,” to the meeting, which began January said Domingo Olivas, who has worked at 12, tensions also mounted between the Co-Op mine for six years. “They are Washington and the governments of Reuters/Jorge Silva not guaranteeing medical insurance, better Argentina and Brazil. Continued on Page 3 Speaking to reporters January 6, Farmers and other supporters of Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez rally January 10 Roger Noriega, assistant secretary of outside the Central Bank in Caracas. Chávez said that Washington’s stepped-up propa- state for Western Hemisphere affairs, ganda campaign seeks to prepare the ground for an attempt to overthrow his government, Continued on Page 9 whether by a military coup or an assassin’s bullet. N.Y. protest White House seeks temporary visa bill demands to gain tighter control over immigrants justice for BY MARTÍN KOPPEL taurants, garment and textile, construction, sions in the working class by establishing A proposed bill announced by U.S. presi- and meatpacking. a pariah layer with few rights and subject youth killed dent George Bush January 7 would allow The U.S. employers do not seek to drive to superexploitation. At the same time, undocumented immigrants who have jobs out undocumented workers. Rather, their the huge infl ux of immigrants has led to in the United States to apply for a tempo- goal is to reap added profi ts and foster divi- Continued on Page 7 rary three-year work visa. They would be by cops able to renew the permit, but would not re- ceive special consideration for permanent BY SALM KOLIS resident status or citizenship. West Coast meetings boost NEW YORK—Protesters against police If approved, such legislation would brutality gathered in the bitter cold Janu- create a category of workers dependent ary 10 outside the Rosario family home in on an employer to keep their legal status Headquarters Building Appeal the Bronx to mark the ninth anniversary and subject to deportation once their visas of the killing of Anthony Rosario, 18, BY NORTON SANDLER more effi cient. The windows will greatly and Hilton Vega, 21, by the cops on Jan. At a standing-room-only meeting held reduce street noise and facilitate editorial 12, 1995. Both men were shot lying face January 10 at the Pathfi nder Bookstore work,” Britton said. “We will also have to down on the fl oor by two New York police NEWS ANALYSIS in Seattle, nearly 50 people substan- rearrange the electric service, an expense detectives. tially raised the amount pledged to the we did not initially anticipate.” The demonstrators gathered in front of a expired. It would give federal authorities a 2004 Headquarters Building Appeal to A special committee monitors these mural depicting the two young men, which list of immigrant workers they could keep construct a new Pathfinder bookstore, expenses so the crew can stick to its Continued on Page 10 track of. And it would make it easier for the headquarters for the Socialist Workers budget. ruling class to carry out mass deportations Party, and the offi ces of the Militant and “This is going to be a headquarters we in the case of a depression. Perspectiva Mundial in the heart of New can be proud of,” he said. “When you step While many undocumented immigrants York City’s Garment District. off the elevator into the lobby area, the are expected to take a risk and apply for the During the event, which featured a fi rst thing you will see is a big seven-foot Also Inside: temporary worker visas, hoping to obtain presentation by Socialist Workers Party display window where Pathfi nder titles a measure of protection even if only for National Committee member Joel Britton, will be featured. This will be your walk- a few years, the measure is designed to those present boosted the goal for the Se- way into the Pathfi nder bookstore.” Health care is at center of defend the interests of the employers at the attle area by more than $5,800. Seattle As of January 13, $171,500 has been Canada paperworkers strike 2 expense of the rights of working people, supporters have set a fund-raising goal of pledged to the fund appeal with $74,100 particularly immigrant workers. $15,000, more than $11,000 of which has collected. “We have gotten a tremendous Mirta Vidal: lifelong socialist 4 The plan, one of several legislative already been collected. response to this appeal, but the next two proposals on immigration that are likely Britton is a chairperson of the 2004 weeks are decisive,” said Britton. “We to be debated in Congress over the coming Headquarters Building Appeal, along must collect the entire amount to keep How July 26 Movement in months, is a response to the needs of U.S. with Martín Koppel, Janice Prescott, and to the tight construction schedule, and Cuba appealed to soldiers, capitalists in the face of the unprecedented Arrin Hawkins. that will mean collecting $53,000 each youth to join revolutionary increase in the number of immigrant work- “We are appealing to supporters to week.” struggle in December 1956 6 ers who have been drawn to this country contribute $180,000. As the project has Those attending the Seattle forum also by U.S. imperialism. advanced, we decided to add new double- heard a presentation from Dean Denton, Prisoners in New Jersey Many sections of the U.S. economy rely pane glass windows to the budget. Mod- who had just returned from a week on immigration jail speak out heavily on the superexploited labor power ern windows, which will cost $30,000 to the construction crew at the new center from behind bars 11 of immigrant workers mainly from Latin purchase and install, will provide greater in New York. A display with photos of the America and the Caribbean, and Asia. insulation for the new headquarters to volunteers on the construction crew put- These include agriculture, hotels and res- make the heating and air conditioning Continued on Page 5 The Militant xxx xx, 2003 1 Socialists in UFCW campaign to win support for miners BY ANNE PARKER union members had distributed fact AND MAURICE WILLIAMS sheets at their packing plant. “One ST. PAUL, Minnesota—Socialist work- co-worker’s reaction was, ‘This is ers and Young Socialists employed in outrageous. Someone’s got to do meatpacking plants across the country met something about this.’ One guy put here December 20–21. They discussed the more money in the collection can after centrality of building solidarity in their another worker took some time to talk union, the United Food and Commercial with him to explain the importance of Workers (UFCW), with coal miners who the strike,” he said. are on strike in a fi ght for union recogni- Tom Fiske, a meat packer in Min- tion at the Co-Op mine in Huntington, nesota, reported on work in building Utah. They also discussed the political UFCW Local 789 in St. Paul, which work they carry out together with fellow has been involved in a number of workers and unionists to strengthen the union-organizing drives, from the UFCW itself. successful fi ght to organize the Da- The miners at Co-Op are fi ghting for a kota Premium Foods plant to ongo- union, for their jobs, and for safety and dig- ing union drives at poultry plants and Militant/Lisa Rottach nity, in what is currently the most important retail stores in Minneapolis. “Local 789 has also been involved United Food and Commercial Workers Local 271 members at Swift factory in Omaha, labor battle in the country. Nebraska, take plant-gate collection for Utah miners November 26. Building solidarity in A central issue in this struggle is safety. in union solidarity actions and social struggles,” Fiske noted. The local the UFCW for the miners on strike at the Co-Op mine was at the center of the discussions “Miners in general are outraged by the of the meeting of socialists who are meat packers. conditions Co-Op miners face: working played an important role, for exam- with defective equipment, arbitrary wage ple, in the campaign to defend Róger incentives and bonuses, being forced to Calero—a former Local 789 member and organizations of the workers in this coun- “Today, participating in the life of the work while injured. Many meat packers currently a Militant staff writer—against try against the offensive of the capitalists,” union—doing mass work—means working will be outraged, too,” said Róger Calero, deportation, lent support to the Immigrant stated Fiske. “Building a revolutionary with people of many different views and a Socialist Workers Party leader who re- Workers Freedom Ride in October, and sent party goes hand in hand with fi ghting to contending with other political currents,” ported to the meeting on the campaign in a delegation to a solidarity rally organized advance the union, and working with oth- said Fiske. “In every place where we have solidarity with the miners. by strikers at Tyson Foods in Jefferson, ers to help the union to come out of each trade union fractions, we can be more part “Other workers will be inspired with Wisconsin. struggle a little stronger. of the life of the union as we carry out our what the miners have been able to accom- The socialist workers at the two-day “In order to defend our class against political work as socialists.” plish,” said Calero. “Bosses at Co-op told meeting noted that union-building open- the mounting attacks of the bosses, the workers they would never be able to do ings exist in many UFCW local unions unions will have to be transformed along Anne Parker and Maurice Williams are anything. They said the workers would get across the country. revolutionary lines in the course of massive meat packers in Atlanta and Chicago, a raise ‘when pigs fl y.’ Now there is no coal “The unions are the basic mass defense class battles.” respectively. coming out of this mine, at least nothing compared to before the strike.” Socialists in some meatpacking plants have worked with others in their areas to Benefi ts at center of Canada paperworker strike gain union support for the striking miners. “The union backed a plant-gate collection BY NATALIE STAKE-DOUCET the job November 18. would best fi t their picket shack. for the miners and as a result we raised VANCOUVER, British Columbia—“To This strike is the fi rst in almost 25 years, Lukasc also said he had stopped by a $250 there,” said Lisa Rottach, a member summarize, it appears that Domtar under- workers on the picket line told this reporter woodworkers picket line a few days earlier of UFCW Local 271 at the Swift slaugh- estimated the resolve and solidarity of our December 7. to show support. Some 10,000 members terhouse in Omaha, Nebraska. “Later we membership,” said Mike Fenton, president “The key issue is benefi ts here,” Vince of the Industrial, Wood and Allied Work- sent a letter to the United Mine Workers of of the Communications, Energy and Pa- Lukasc, a worker with 25 years in the plant ers of Canada (IWA) are on strike on the America solidarity rally on December 13 in perworkers Union (CEP) Local 789, in a and a member of the union bargaining com- coast of British Columbia. The strike was Huntington, Utah, where it was read.” document posted on the union web site. The mittee, said in an interview. “The company provoked by the lumber bosses’ attempt Dean Hansen, a member of UFCW 300 union members at the Domtar paper has been refusing to follow the Norske to unilaterally impose a contract that cuts Local 342 in New York, said he and other mill in Delta, British Columbia, walked off Pattern Agreement,” he added, which ties back for night shift, weekends, travel time, wages and benefi ts to the state of the in- vacations, and other concessions. dustry, and contains provisions for higher Talks between the IWA and Forest In- severance pay in case of closure. The CEP dustrial Relations broke down December 5 signed the fi ve-year contract with Norske after less then an hour. In an interview with earlier this year, and is trying to establish The Province, Dave Haggard, president of it as the standard in the forestry industry. the IWA, said, “We’re going to hunker The CEP organizes some 15,000 paper and down and raise money for our members pulp workers in the West. so they can survive through the winter and As soon as the workers walked out, spring and into next summer.” For a democratic, secular Palestine said Lukasc, “the company put up a During a visit to the picket line at the fence, floodlights, and video cameras. Interfor mill in Maple Ridge, Ray, a wood- The Israeli government’s relentless They complained to the city about our fi re worker who asked that his last name not be assaults in the West Bank and Gaza barrels and are threatening to sue unless used, said, “We’re in it for the long haul. we remove them. They’re basically doing Next week there’ll be a Christmas tree, underline the character of the whatever they can to make us uncomfort- and next summer, if that’s what it takes, Zionist state as incompatible with able.” Meanwhile, in the background, this there’ll be palm trees.” The workers there Palestinian self-determination and reporter could hear a lively discussion also reported receiving a $1,000 donation a death trap for the Jewish people. among strikers about what type of heater from the local teachers’ union. The ‘Militant’ reports on the Palestinian struggle and supports the call for a democratic, secular Asia: Send $80 drawn on a U.S. bank to above address. Palestine. Don’t miss a single issue. Palestinians in Lebanon rally in October 2002 The Militant Canada: Send Canadian $75 for one-year Vol. 68/No. 3 subscrip tion to Militant, 1237 Jean-Talon est, Closing news date: January 13, 2004 Montréal, QC. Postal Code: H2R 1W1. 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2 The Militant January 26, 2004 World youth festival to be held in Venezuela BY OLYMPIA NEWTON AND ARGIRIS MALAPANIS LARNACA, Cyprus—“We have reached genuine consensus,” said Miguel Madeira, president of the World Federation of Demo- cratic Youth (WFDY), addressing a meeting here of representatives of progressive youth organizations from around the world. “We are unanimous in accepting the offer by more than a dozen youth organizations in Venezuela to host the 16th World Festival of Youth and Students in Caracas in August 2005.” About 50 representatives of 41 youth organizations—most of them affi liates of WFDY—from 33 countries attended the January 7 consultative meeting on the world youth festival. It was preceded by a two-day meeting of WFDY’s General Council, which also endorsed the proposal to organize the next international gathering of progressive youth in Venezuela. The World Festival of Youth and Students draws together students, young workers, farmers, and other youth involved in pro- Militant/Argiris Malapanis tests against imperialist war, movements for Miguel Madeira, president of World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) and leader of Communist Youth of Portugal, national self-determination, and other social addresses January 7 consultative meeting in Larnaca, Cyprus, on 16th World Festival of Youth and Students. On panel (from and political struggles. The last two festivals left) are: Miriam Morales, WFDY general secretary and leader of Union of Young Communists (UJC) of Cuba; Wail Battrekhi were held in Cuba in 1997 and in Algeria of General Union of Palestinian Students; Nidal Ammar from Syria, representing the General Union of Arab Students; Udaya in 2001. They were marked by the political Raj Pandey of Democratic Youth Federation of Nepal; Miguel Madeira; Kenia Serrano, head of international relations of UJC tone and character of groups and individuals of Cuba; David Velásquez of Communist Youth of Venezuela; Wikénfred Oliver of the Youth of Fifth Republic of Venezuela; and engaged in popular struggles for national Richard Bvukumbwe of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front. liberation, union organizing and other bat- tles by workers resisting austerity drives in the military and pushed back the designs and get many local, national, regional, and ed, among other points: “WFDY demands by the bosses, fi ghts by peasants for land, of the coup plotters. A third major confron- international youth organizations to begin the immediate end of the occupation of Iraq mobilizations demanding women’s equal- tation is now brewing as the pro-imperialist building it.” National preparatory commit- and respects the independent right of the ity, and progressive actions by students. The opposition in the country is pushing for a tees will begin to be formed in many coun- Iraqi people to decide their own future as an youth at these gatherings—about 12,000 in referendum to recall the president. tries by WFDY affi liates and other groups independent and sovereign country. WFDY Cuba and nearly 7,000 in Algeria—came “We thank you for your support and are interested in building the festival. believes that the Iraqi people have full rights together to exchange experiences and im- happy of your decision to accept our offer,” to fi ght against the foreign occupation. The prove their understanding of how to advance Wikénfred Oliver of the Youth of the Fifth Discussion on Iraq war action and role of the UN was completely their struggles. Republic (JVR) told participants in the Janu- During the WFDY General Council meet- passed over by the U.S. and its allies.” WFDY, the main initiator of these fes- ary 7 meeting. He represented, along with ing, delegates discussed the U.S.-led war and A number of delegates praised the “Iraqi tivals that started half a century ago, was David Velásquez of the Communist Youth of occupation of Iraq and decided on a series resistance.” The most outspoken were those dominated in the past by youth groups af- Venezuela, the youth organizations in that of actions aimed at resisting imperialism’s from Syria, which had the largest delegation fi liated to Communist Parties that looked country that offered to host the 16th world drive to war and economic depression. at the meeting after Cyprus. Ahmed Dabbas to Moscow for political direction and youth festival there. The JVR is affi liated A wide range of opinions were expressed of the Democratic Socialist Youth Union of sustenance. The festival movement was with the Fifth Republic Movement, Chávez’s after the federation’s leadership presented a Syria urged WFDY to “salute and support interrupted for eight years as the Stalin- party. “The Venezuelan people have dealt draft political resolution. The document stat- Continued on Page 10 ist regimes in Eastern Europe and Soviet blows to the opposition of the wealthy who Union collapsed at the end of the 1980s and have carried out coup attempts and more beginning of the 1990s. The international recently acts of sabotage,” Oliver said. “Your gatherings started anew on the initiative of actions to organize and build a youth festival Utah miners: no to boss ploy communists in Cuba. in my country will help us in the struggle to Continued from front page Each of the two dozen delegates who confront imperialism.” representative. “The UMWA will continue working conditions, or better pay. A key is- spoke at the January 7 meeting voiced their With support from Venezuela’s govern- to help the miners through donations and sue in the strike is the dangerous working support for holding the next festival in the ment, the prospective hosts said they have support as long as the miners want us to be conditions and lack of adequate training for South American country. the facilities and resources to accommodate there to help them,” the miners.” up to 20,000 youth. “This offer is a joke,” said Jesús Salazar, On October 29 a delegation of min- ‘10,000 Cuban volunteers in Venezuela’ “The festival is an act of solidarity, and a miner and a leader of the fi ght. “We have ers went to the Mine Safety and Health “Venezuela has the potential to become a international solidarity can have an impact to go forward, fi ght for our rights until the Administration (MSHA) Field Offi ce in center of resistance to imperialist interven- on the struggle of the Venezuelan people company gives in and accepts our just de- Price, Utah, to demand an investigation tion in Latin America,” said Otto Rivero, against U.S. intervention,” said Mafhoud mands. Our goal remains to be represented of the unsafe conditions in the mine. Since fi rst secretary of the Union of Young Com- Salama, representing UJSARIO, the youth by the UMWA,” he said. that time, MSHA investigators have visited munists (UJC) of Cuba. Holding the festival group of the Polisario Front, which is In the meantime, the Co-Op miners here the Co-Op mine and conducted interviews there will be a strong answer by the progres- leading the national liberation struggle in continue to win solidarity from unionists with the miners, who described the bosses’ sive youth of the world to U.S. imperialism’s Western Sahara. “We are at a critical point and others across the country and abroad. practice of intimidating and threatening designs to pacify working people in Latin in the political situation in the world where “At the National Union of Mineworkers workers who complained about hazardous America by all means and prevent them from movements of national liberation and all Yo rkshire Area Council meeting which took conditions or injuries on the job. taking their destiny into their own hands, he those trying to defend the interests of work- place on 15 December 2003 it was unani- “With this offer the company is show- added. Rivero pointed to the role of Cuban ers and peasants face an imperialist military mously agreed that a donation be made to ing its weakness now,” said Olivas. “They internationalists in Venezuela, especially offensive of a new kind,” Salama added. your cause,” read a letter of support from need us.” the thousands of Cuban doctors offering “The anti-imperialist struggle of the Ven- unionists in United Kingdom sent to the At the end of December the bosses at CW their services in free neighborhood clinics ezuelan people makes it important to host miners. “I take great pleasure in enclosing Mining contacted the UMWA through a Na- in areas where workers and peasants have the festival there, and the parallels with Af- a bankers draft for $1,760.20 USD and send tional Labor Relations Board (NLRB) of- had little or no access to health care, as part rica give us a good opportunity to build it in our support and fraternal greetings in your fi cial in Salt Lake City to probe negotiating of a program sponsored by the Venezuelan our own countries,” added Katabazi Emmy struggles.” At the trailer where the miners a return to work, strikers report. The com- government called Barrio Adentro (Inside of the East Africa Youth Council, which is organize the pickets, strikers also displayed a pany is demanding that the negotiations be the Neighborhood). “Our 10,000 volunteer based in Uganda. “Cuban internationalist poster they had just received signed by doz- done under the existing “contract” with the doctors and other internationalists now in volunteers have served in many countries in ens of workers from a meatpacking plant in company-controlled union, the International that country will enthusiastically greet hold- Africa over the last decades, and are serving Omaha, Nebraska, that read “UFCW Local Association of United Workers Union. The ing the festival in Venezuela,” Rivero said. today in Venezuela.” 271, Solidaridad de Omaha.” miners said the company-controlled union is Over the last two years, Washington has Organizing the festival in Venezuela After unanimously rejecting the compa- made up of offi cers who are all bosses and intensifi ed its efforts to oust the government won’t only be an act that can help push ny’s offer, the Co-Op miners enthusiastically relatives of the Kingston family, the owners of Venezuela’s president Hugo Chávez. back U.S. designs for military intervention sent off a four-member delegation to Cali- of the mine, and that it never represented the Since his election in 1998, Chávez has in Latin America, said Olympia Newton of fornia for a two-week speaking tour to gain interests of the workers. drawn the wrath of the U.S. government the Young Socialists in the U.S. “It’s tied to more support in other states and raise funds A ruling by the NLRB on charges against and its backers in the Venezuelan ruling the need to oppose the U.S.-led ‘war on ter- for their fi ght for union recognition. the company for having class for taking measures that cut into the rorism’ worldwide—from Iraq to Afghani- a company-run union, prerogatives of big capital. These include stan, Libya, Iran, Syria, and north Korea.” and for illegally fi ring MEET AND HEAR FROM THE STRIKING COAL MINERS an agrarian reform law and a bill strength- Shane McEvoy of the Young Commu- the miners for union ening state control over the country’s oil, nist League USA said that “the progressive activity, is still pending, SUNDAY, JANUARY 18TH gas, and other mineral resources that are movement in the U.S. knows of the pressures even though the govern- part of the country’s national patrimony. and attacks of our government in Venezu- AT 3:00 P.M. ment agency has had in Washington’s hostility has also been fueled ela, and will want to work to build a festival its hands affi davits from CENTRO DEL PUEBLO by Venezuela’s closer economic and political there.” He also stressed that “stopping Bush the workers for three ties with Cuba, including collaboration on is the most important thing we can do for the 474 Valencia Street months, explained the Venezuela’s nationwide literacy campaign Venezuelan people right now. It is the most San Francisco miners. and the medical program. important thing we can do for peace.” (between 15th and 16th) “The miners showed With Washington’s support, the Venezu- The fi rst International Preparatory Meet- their unity and solidar- Sponsored by: Labor Council on Latin American Advancement (AFL-CIO) elan capitalist class has unsuccessfully tried ing for the 16th World Festival of Youth and San Jose & SF chapters, Central Labor Council in San Francisco, La Raza ity by refusing to nego- to topple Chávez’s government twice in the Students will be held in early summer 2004, Centro Legal, SF Day Laborers Program, Salvador Bustamante, regional tiate with the company VP Service Employees International Union Local 1877, United Food and last two years—through a short-lived mili- Madeira informed participants. That gather- by themselves,” said Commercial Workers Union Local 120, Chinese Progressive Association tary coup in April 2002 and an employers’ ing will issue the formal call for the festival. Roy Fernandez, a FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL (415) 431-4249 lockout a year ago. Each time, mass mobili- “But no one should wait until then,” Madeira UMWA international zations by working people caused divisions said. “Work can start now to spread the word The Militant January 26, 2004 3 Mirta Vidal, lifelong socialist

BY JOHN STUDER cal developments in the United States and NEW YORK—Mirta Vidal, a long-time Latin America. She wrote a regular column member and supporter of the Socialist on the Chicano struggle called “La Raza Workers Party, died January 3 in New York en acción.” City after a lengthy illness. She was 55. In 1971 Pathfi nder published Chicano Vidal, who was born in Argentina and Liberation and Revolutionary Youth, a pam- came to the United States as a youth, joined phlet by Vidal based on a report she gave to the Socialist Workers Party in the late 1960s. the 1970 YSA national convention. A series She was part of a generation that was deeply she wrote for the Militant covering the fi rst affected by the rising tide of revolutionary national Chicana feminist conference served struggles throughout the Americas in the as the basis for another Pathfi nder pamphlet, wake of the 1959 Cuban victory, the depth Chicanas Speak Out: New Voice of La Raza. and tenacity of the national liberation This pamphlet is still used in a number of struggle of the Vietnamese people, and the university classrooms. mass proletarian movement for Black rights Also in 1971 the Militant ran a series of in the United States that gave impetus to articles by Vidal from Crystal City, Texas, struggles by Chicanos and other oppressed covering the emergence of the Raza Unida nationalities, as well as to the movement for Party in that town, including its fi rst elec- women’s emancipation exploding onto the tion campaign. Raza Unida was a Chicano political scene at that time. She was among political party independent of both Demo- the small vanguard of youth that joined the crats and Republicans that spread to several communist movement as a result of their Southwestern states. experiences in these movements. In the fall of 1973 Vidal joined SWP lead- In the early 1970s Vidal helped lead the er Ed Shaw on a trip to Argentina to cover work of the United States Committee for the presidential campaign of the Partido So- Justice to Latin American Political Prison- cialista de los Trabajadores (PST—Socialist ers (USLA), a broadly based group that Workers Party), with which the SWP in the defended imprisoned revolutionaries, trade United States had fraternal ties. At that time, union militants, church activists, political in the wake of massive struggles throughout refugees, and other victims of repression the Southern Cone and the recent military by U.S.-backed regimes throughout Latin coup in Chile, a prerevolutionary situation America. In 1977 she was the founding edi- existed in Argentina. The Argentine rulers Mirta Vidal speaking in Chicago, October 1975, as a leader of the U.S. Committee tor of Perspectiva Mundial, the Militant’s had decided to call elections for that year for Justice to Latin American Political Prisoners. Vidal was a member and sup- Spanish-language sister magazine. and brought back former Argentine leader porter of the Socialist Workers Party for more than three decades. Over the past decade, as a supporter of Juan Perón from exile to run for president. the communist movement, Vidal did exten- Taking advantage of this opening, the PST sive work to help transcribe and translate ran former Socialist Party leader Juan Carlos The U.S. Committee for Justice to paign, which was able to help many political material for a number of books published Coral for president and won a wide hear- Latin American Political Prisoners was refugees get out of Chile and obtain political by Pathfi nder Press. ing for its revolutionary perspectives among established in 1966 by individuals repre- exile status in other countries. In the spring of 1968, Vidal visited France working people. senting a broad range of political views, One of the members of the board of and was deeply affected by the power of In early 1974, Vidal was a fraternal including leaders of the SWP. Its cam- USLA was Dore Ashton, art critic for the the working class that she witnessed dur- delegate from the SWP to the Third World paigns spanned a period when brutally New York Times and professor of art history ing the mass revolt of workers and youth Congress of the Fourth International after repressive U.S.-backed regimes in Latin at Cooper Union. Vidal and others worked that erupted in May and June, threatening Reunification (10th World Congress). America and the Caribbean imprisoned with Ashton and a broad range of artists who to bring down the government of President Deep-going differences within the world or murdered tens of thousands of people. donated their works to organize a benefi t Charles DeGaulle. movement the SWP was part of—over These regimes targeted labor militants, art exhibit at a Christopher Street gallery When she returned to New York and communist party-building strategy in Latin leaders of peasant struggles, communists, in Greenwich Village. Sale of the art works became active in the anti–Vietnam War America especially—were sharply debated socialists, and other revolutionaries, as well raised $30,000 for coup victims and their movement on campus in Queens, she met at that Congress. as nuns, priests, and lay people who were families. members of the Young Socialist Alliance and In a message to a 1995 memorial meeting supporters of popular struggles. Vidal then worked with couriers who car- Socialist Workers Party and was attracted to celebrating the life of Shaw, Vidal wrote that From Mexico to Chile, the Americas ried out the risky job of getting the funds into their revolutionary working-class political she was tempted during the trip to Argentina, were marked by sharp class struggle and Chile and delivering them to those whose perspective and activities. She joined the her native country, to remain there. She said revolutionary upsurges, ruling-class terror lives were at stake. YSA and threw herself into building it. She her experiences on the trip and discussions campaigns, failed experiments by left-wing USLA issued a special issue of its Re- joined the SWP shortly afterward. with Shaw helped her decide that she could guerrilla fronts that lacked a mass popular porter, running 10,000 copies, and USLA make a bigger difference and would receive base, and rightist coups. leaders traveled to Mexico to interview Rise of Chicano struggle better training and education in communist In this context, John Gerassi, author some of the fi rst refugees they helped to Vidal became the Third World Task Force politics and party-building as a member of The Great Fear in Latin America, Paul get out of Chile. They reported back to a director of the New York Student Mobiliza- of the SWP if she returned to the United Sweezy, editor of Monthly Review, Father public meeting of 1,300 in New York. From tion Committee to End the War in Vietnam States—a decision for which she said she Felix McGowan, Catarino Garza, then these interviews, USLA prepared a book, and in 1971 was elected national secretary of had “always been grateful.” SWP candidate for lieutenant governor of Chile’s Days of Terror, as part of the defense the YSA. She served as national director of New York, and Joseph Hansen, editor of campaign. the Chicano and Latino work of the YSA at a Work in USLA Justice Committee the Militant, spoke at a public meeting in In December 1973, in the midst of this time when the Chicano liberation movement After returning from Argentina, Vidal New York on Sept. 30, 1966, to protest the campaign, the USLA national offi ce on was growing quickly in the Southwest. joined the USLA Justice Committee staff, prosecution’s demand for the death sentence Fifth Avenue in New York City was hit by During that time, Vidal also served on where she served for the next few years, in the trial of Hugo Blanco in Peru and other a powerful bomb, which exploded while the staff of the Militant, writing on politi- including as its national coordinator. acts of repression in Latin America. At this activists were working. meeting, they founded USLA and agreed to USLA ran many national tours to pub- serve as its fi rst executive board members. licize its defense campaigns, organizing From Pathfi nder: revolutionary struggles in Latin America Blanco, a communist and peasant leader, meetings for John Gerassi on the Blanco had been jailed for his work organizing a and other defense campaigns in Latin mass movement of peasants to seize land America in 1967; for former CIA operative The Leninist Strategy of Party Building: from the wealthy landowners in Peru’s La Victor Marchetti, who spoke about the U.S. The Debate on Guerrilla Warfare in Latin America Convención Valley in 1961–62. political police role in Latin America; and by Joseph Hansen The day before the New York meeting, as for Harald Edelstam, Swedish ambassador if to punctuate the founding of the group, to Chile at the time of the coup, who helped In the 1960s and ‘70s, revolutionists in the Americas and the national headquarters of the SWP at 873 many, including Blanco, to escape. throughout the world debated how to apply the lessons of the Broadway in Manhattan was fi rebombed In 1975 USLA sponsored a two-month Cuban Revolution. A living analysis by a participant. $26.95 by a group of counterrevolutionary Cuban U.S. speaking tour for Argentine revolu- exiles. tionary leader Juan Carlos Coral as part of USLA took up cases of political prisoners a campaign against increasing government Land or Death; The Peasant Struggle in Peru of all political tendencies in country after repression and rightist attacks in Argentina by Hugo Blanco country in Latin America. This nonpartisan, that targeted working-class and student united-front approach enabled the group to organizations. Seven PST members had The land occupations and uprisings by peasants in the early involve the widest range of supporters in been assassinated by the Argentine Anti- 1960s, recounted by a central leader of the struggle. $16.95 its campaigns. communist Alliance (AAA), party offi ces The fi ght to save Blanco’s life, gain his had been fi rebombed, and party leaders had Fertile Ground: Che Guevara and Bolivia freedom, obtain legal status for him in sev- been jailed. Coral’s name appeared on lists eral successive countries of exile, and win released by the AAA of those targeted for A fi rsthand account his right to travel—including to the United murder. by Rodolfo Saldaña States—unfolded through the entire life of Coral spoke to some 6,000 people at Saldaña was one of the Bolivians who joined ranks in 1966– USLA. meetings across the United States, and In September 1973, a U.S.-backed right- reached many more in radio and newspa- 67 with Ernesto Che Guevara to forge a revolutionary movement of workers, wing military coup overthrew the Socialist per interviews. peasants, and young people in Bolivia and open the road to socialist revolu- Party–led government of Salvador Allende On the fi rst week of his tour, Coral’s tion in South America. He describes the unresolved battles of the tin miners, in Chile. In one of its biggest campaigns, meeting at the University of Chicago was peasants, and indigenous peoples of his country that created “fertile ground” USLA joined in the worldwide effort to aid attacked by a group of 50 right-wing Cuban for Guevara’s revolutionary course. Price: $9.95 all those, both Chilean and foreign-born, tar- thugs, some armed with clubs. A defense geted by the military dictatorship of Gen. guard organized for the meeting prevented Order online from www.pathfi nderpress.com, Augusto Pinochet. the attackers from reaching the stage; one of or from bookstores, including those listed on page 8. Vidal was centrally involved in this cam- Continued on Page 5 4 The Militant January 26, 2004 HQ building appeal

Continued from front page tributors, with both Britton and Dave ting up the walls was one of the highlights Prince from New York participating in of the program. many of them, boosted the effort al- As the Militant goes to press, most of ready underway in that city. As a result the walls have been framed throughout the of these discussions, fi ve Seattle con- new premises, and much of the sheetrock tributors have pledged amounts ranging is up. Over the next week the volunteer between $1,000 and $2,500. crew will paint the ceilings and walls, lay Britton noted the importance of these tile in the entryway and kitchen area, and meetings with ample timed allowed. “I begin the carpeting of the bookstore. The make a point of showing the souvenir plumbing for the bookstore area has also program from the big public meeting been started. When fi nished, there will be held in New York on December 14 that a complete kitchen as well as ample coun- launched the fund, highlighting the ter space to prepare meals during the day photo signature in it that was assembled and for dinners prior to weekly Militant for Rebelión Teamster that will make Labor Forums. this book more accessible to workers A cabinetmaker is donating his labor today,” Britton said. The meetings to make the kitchen cabinets. He will also also review the many steps over recent fabricate bookshelves for the bookstore. years that have been taken to get into These pieces of furniture will be driven the position where the political center to New York and assembled by the vol- being constructed in New York is now unteer crew. possible, he added. The construction crew includes about a “As SWP leaders organize to meet dozen volunteers who have taken time off with supporters of the communist from their jobs around the country to put movement to win contributions to in a month or more of work on the project the appeal, it is important to involve Other volunteers are coming in for a week younger leaders of our movement in or a weekend. The crew’s efforts have been these efforts,” Britton said, “because bolstered by a few construction workers they provide an opportunity to get an from Queens and Brooklyn coming in education in the party’s rich continuity after work and on weekends. A worker in class-struggle and party-building involved in the fi ght of day laborers in experiences.” Freehold, New Jersey, has joined the crew Fund chairperson Arrin Hawkins on his days off. Skilled workers are help- stressed in an interview the impor- ing train volunteers with less experience tance of reaching out to young people Militant/Róger Calero on how to do the job right. and co-workers for contributions. For Above, Willie Cotton from Atlanta fi nishes walls of new, expanded New York Pathfi nder The crew members are participating many this will be the fi rst time they have bookstore, distribution center, and Militant Labor Forum hall, which includes a kitchen in dinners and classes organized by the ever been involved in a discussion like area. Below left, after a day’s work, crew members sit down to a dinner prepared by local New York Headquarters branch. On Janu- this or made a contribution. “This will volunteer cooks and hosts. Below right, crew volunteers Pete Musser from Pittsburgh ary 10, a dinner and a class on Problems of be their headquarters for a long time and Diana Newberry from Los Angeles work in the space that will become the new of- Women’s Liberation by Evelyn Reed were to come,” she added. A brief talk on fi ces of the Militant and Perspectiva Mundial. attended by more than 20 people. the Appeal by Hawkins at a January “We have learned many lessons from 11 fund-raising dinner in New York the project a year ago to construct tem- yielded contributions totaling more than have said they are considering increasing updated report on the work the construc- porary offi ces for the SWP national of- $1,000. The Saturday night event also the pledges they made initially. tion volunteers were doing and the meals fi ce and for the Militant and Perspectiva included presentations by Olympia New- “They see this both as a vote of confi - that New York volunteers are preparing for Mundial,” said Paul Mailhot, who is one ton and Argiris Malapanis on meetings dence in the party and as a recognition of the crew members,” Prescott said. “I asked of the organizers of the project. “We’re of the World Federation of Democratic the important role that party supporters for recipes to feed a crowd of around 12 trying to have as skilled a crew as possible Youth they recently attended in Cyprus. are playing in the building of the commu- people. So far I’ve got a recipe for black help lead volunteers with less experience (See article on page 3.) nist movement,” she added. “In response beans and sausage with a side of collard in this work. Because of this, we are on Janice Prescott, a fund chairperson to discussions about this being a combined greens, chicken tajine, several soups and schedule with the construction. The col- from New York, told the Militant that she headquarters for the local and national stews, and a series of simple stir fries.” lection of the appeal by the end of the had “a number of individual discussions party, the Militant, the forums, and the month is necessary for us to continue to with party supporters around the country bookstore, several people remembered Cecelia Jones in Seattle contributed to work at this pace without any unforeseen and in New York, both about the project favorably the headquarters the party had this article delays.” overall and about fi nancial contributions.” in the 1960s at 873 Broadway in New The collection at the Seattle forum was Prescott is a supporter of the Social- York,” said Prescott. part of a several-days-long effort of in- ist Workers Party who is active in the She posted a note on the Appeal on tense fund-raising in that area. A number Pathfi nder Printing Project. “As a result the database used by supporters of the $180,000 of meetings organized with potential con- of these discussions, several supporters Pathfi nder Printing Project. “I gave an ← $171,500 00 Mirta Vidal, lifelong socialist $160,0 Pledged Continued from Page 4 Press editor and SWP leader Joe Hansen, the party’s political campaigns until her the guards, Andrew Pulley, required seven she helped to establish the high standards for death. In particular, she lent her talents 0 stitches to close wounds received defending translation and reporting that have marked to translate for Perspectiva Mundial and 0,00 the meeting. the magazine since its inception. Nueva Internacional. $14 Broad, well-organized defense guards Through her political experience as an In recent years she transcribed, trans- were organized for all of Coral’s meetings SWP cadre—from the earliest days of the lated, and edited translations of major throughout the tour, successfully deterring anti–Vietnam War, Chicano, and feminist sections of several Pathfinder books. ,000 further attacks. movements, through her work on the These include: $120 USLA also campaigned in defense of Militant and Perspectiva Mundial, to her • Fertile Ground: Che Guevara and Puerto Rican nationalist political prisoners involvement in the international work of Bolivia by Rodolfo Saldaña. • and helped initiate the defense for Héctor the party—Vidal developed her abilities as October 1962: The ‘Missile’ Cri- ,000 Marroquín, a young member of the SWP an organizer and learned the importance of sis as Seen from Cuba by Tomás Diez $100 who was threatened with deportation by accurate translation, the bedrock for learn- Acosta. Washington after he fl ed Mexico to escape ing and sharing political experiences and • From the Escambray to the Congo: torture and death threats. In 1977, USLA views among equals. In the Whirlwind of the Cuban Revolu- 00 helped win a visa for Hugo Blanco to speak tion by Víctor Dreke. $80,0 in the United States and organized a tour for Translated for Pathfi nder books Vidal acted as interpreter for several ← him. Blanco spoke to some 10,000 people After the increasing challenges she faced visiting leaders of Latin American strug- $74,100 across the country. with chronic health problems led Vidal to gles, including leaders of Cuban youth 00 Collected In a 1975 interview with Intercontinen- drop her membership in the SWP in the organizations and of Brazil’s Movement $60,0 tal Press, Blanco, drawing on his diverse 1980s, she began to work as a court inter- of Landless Rural Workers. In 1995, dur- and sometimes unhappy experience with preter in New York, where she soon won the ing a visit to New York by Cuban presi- defense committees in many different respect and admiration of her co-workers dent Fidel Castro, she translated for him 0 countries, commented on the nonpartisan, for the same qualities and abilities that had at a meeting in the Bronx of opponents of 40,00 nonfactional character of USLA—in the marked her contributions to the SWP. the U.S. embargo against Cuba. $ long tradition of the revolutionary workers She fought to establish working condi- In recent years she also continued to movement that “an injury to one is an injury tions and standards for interpreters that contribute to campaigns in defense of po- to all”—and how important that was to win- would allow them to provide accurate litical rights and the rights of immigrants. ,000 ning the broad backing it gained. translations—and not summaries—to those Last year Vidal helped the Róger Calero $20 “Groups like USLA have the advantage facing the court, a basic right. Vidal was Defense Committee produce materials in of not including political points—like active in and served as president of the Na- Spanish for its successful campaign to support for socialism—that narrow their tional Association of Judiciary Interpreters prevent the deportation of Calero. base, and they also use the method of mass and Translators. Some 75 members of Vidal’s family, mobilizations,” Blanco said. “I agree with Vidal campaigned for team translating, friends, colleagues, and comrades at- USLA’s approach.” to allow translators to avoid fatigue that tended a memorial meeting for her in JANUARY 2004 diminishes their ability to translate, and Brooklyn on January 9. Among those First editor of ‘Perspectiva Mundial’ for standardized training and testing of who spoke was SWP leader Mary-Al- HEADQUARTERS BUILDING In 1977, after leaving the USLA staff, translators. ice Waters, who talked about many of APPEAL Vidal became the fi rst editor of Perspectiva Insofar as her health permitted, Vidal the political highlights of Vidal’s life Mundial, where, tutored by Intercontinental continued to support and participate in recounted above.

The Militant January 26, 2004 5 NEW FROM PATHFINDER July 26 Movement appealed to soldiers and youth in Cuba to join revolutionary struggle

Published below is a selection from scientifically researches criminality, Aldabonazo: Inside the Cuban Revo- protects the citizen, helps instruct him in lutionary Underground, 1952-58, by his civic duties, and saves lives through Armando Hart, a new book by Pathfi nder systematically studying and solving traf- Press that will be released in late January fic problems. Such a police, steadfast in both English and Spanish editions. This and respected, would not allow its chief fi rsthand account of the struggle to over- to connive with illicit gambling, drugs, throw the Batista dictatorship led by the and pimping. Thus, Cuba would not again July 26 Movement and the Rebel Army, have to bear the shame of the international headed by Fidel Castro, is now accessible press exposés that the chief of the national for the fi rst time ever to English-speak- police received $50,000 a week from or- ing readers. It recounts the events from ganized gambling alone. the perspective of revolutionary cadres organizing in the cities. Armando Hart was a central organizer The revolutionary youth of the urban underground and is one of confront the nation’s the historic leaders of the Cuban Revolu- basic problems tion. We will leave analysis of our ideology This week’s feature—one of a series and position on each concrete question for published in the Militant—appears in the document that the July 26 Movement chapter 8, containing documents from will address to the country, making a calm the revolutionary struggle. Titled “Revo- study of each of the vital issues in front of lutionary proclamation of Santiago de us. Here we put forward only in general Cuba and the Sierra Maestra” and dated terms some of our programs. November 1956, it presents the July 26 Ours is a country with an export econo- Movement’s program for the government my, open and subject to the uncontrollable to be formed after the overthrow of the ups and downs of the world market. The U.S.-backed dictatorship of Fulgencio supposed economic security of six mil- Batista, which had taken power in a coup lion Cubans rests on the sugar industry, on March 10, 1952. which is not capable of expanding to the On July 26, 1953, a group of 160 revo- same degree as the rate of growth of the lutionaries led by Castro launched simul- population and cannot offer steady, pro- taneous armed attacks on the Moncada ductive employment to the unemployed army garrison in Santiago de Cuba and and underemployed and to the thousands the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes barracks of Cubans who each year join the ranks in Bayamo, both in eastern Cuba, aim- Council of State Offi ce of Historical Affairs of potential producers. The possibilities ing to spark a popular revolt. The attacks Protesters march in Havana on April 6, 1952, to oppose the coup one month earlier of economic expansion through industri- marked the beginning of a growing popu- by Fulgencio Batista, who imposed a U.S.-backed dictatorship. At the head is Raúl Castro, who became a leader of the July 26 Movement and the Rebel Army. The July alization and high-productivity farming lar struggle against the regime. are hindered by our economic relations Released from prison as a result of 26 Movement’s revolutionary proclamation at the end of 1956 called on Cubans to “shake off the yoke” of the tyranny and appealed to soldiers to join the rebel forces. with the United States of America. We a broad amnesty campaign, Castro and need to end the frightful unemployment other surviving veterans of the Moncada and underemployment fi gures and cre- attack founded the July 26 Movement. In ate new industries to employ more than July 1955 Castro and other leaders left for the causes that produced it. ders and mistreatment of citizens and who Invoking the most glorious battles of have maintained their honesty. 40,000 young people annually. We need Mexico, where they organized an expedi- to change Cuba’s economic structure, tion of 82 combatants that returned aboard the peoples for their freedom, . . . we are The revolutionary youth aspires to an exercising, as a duty to our generation and army of the republic made up of soldiers establishing industries to replace imports the yacht Granma, landing in southeastern and produce for export. We need to change Cuba on Dec. 2, 1956. The proclamation to Cuba’s history, the right of resistance to who are brothers of the people, guardians tyranny that is granted us by Article 40 of of their liberties and rights. It will be pos- the nature of current U.S. imports and be- below was to be released following the come less dependent on a single market. Granma landing and the Santiago de Cuba the Constitution of the Republic. . . . Below sible to belong with pride to that army are the general lines of the governmental of the democratic government because it To achieve all this we must overthrow uprising of November 1956. It ends with Batista and mobilize all the nation’s eco- an instruction to July 26 cadres to circu- program [of the July 26 Movement]: . . . will not be a scourge to its people. On the contrary, it will be an instrument of na- nomic sectors, so that under the auspices late it widely. of a revolutionary democratic government A base for the new Rebel Army was The revolution and the tional progress, defense of the homeland, armed forces co-executor of the government’s plans we can move toward rational planning of established in the Sierra Maestra moun- our economy and establish a program of tains of eastern Cuba. The revolutionary Batista and a group of military leaders to distribute lands, test soil and subsoil, harmonize water resources, draw up maps, economic development under effective war culminated in a popular insurrection who have enriched themselves have put state intervention that supports, fi nances, leading to the overthrow of the dictator- the armed forces in confl ict with the na- carry out a census of agricultural resourc- es and cattle, give technical and fi nancial protects, subsidizes, or complements pri- ship on Jan. 1, 1959. Workers and farm- tion, depriving the country of freedom and vate initiative. ers took political power and opened the democratic life. To shake off this yoke, the assistance to farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs, and wage campaigns for In face of economic crises, sectors door to the fi rst socialist revolution in the blood of young Cuban revolutionaries and opposed to Cuba’s economic develop- Americas. Copyright ©2004 by Pathfi nder soldiers has had to be spilled. The shiny literacy, hygiene, popular culture, and reforestation. ment—sugar speculators, greedy im- Press, reprinted by permission. Material in boots that from Camp Columbia command porters, absentee corporations, and land- brackets is added by the Militant. the soldiers to oppress the people while The soldier will teach how to drill artesian wells, drive and repair tractors, grabbers—have put in place overseers to they receive millions from smuggling, il- wield the knife and the noose. From 1929 O licit gambling, drugs, and dirty business vaccinate cattle and fowls, and artifi cially inseminate cattle. to 1933 Machado was kept in power at all dealings have not gone to the mountains of costs. In 1935 and the following years Ba- The July 26 revolutionary movement, Turquino and Guantánamo to be with the That soldier, an agent of economic and cultural progress, will not be confused by tista was placed in power, and this tropical in fulfi llment of its promise of Freedom soldiers. The revolution will embrace all Attila was utilized again in 1952. Batista or Death, is initiating the revolutionary offi cers, noncommissioned offi cers, and unfulfi lled, demagogic promises of wage increases. By his own merits he will earn is the assassin of workers and peasants, struggle against the corrupt and criminal members of the armed forces in general of merchants, industrialists, and small dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista and all who have not been complicit with the mur- substantial per diem expenses paid for by the farmers and entrepreneurs who ben- entrepreneurs in crisis, of professionals, efi ted, by the corresponding ministries, by of housewives, of unemployed youth. autonomous development banks, or by the To stay in power serving his masters, Coming in January from Path fi nd er budget of the army itself. Batista has dangerously reduced reserves The revolutionary youth aspires to a in dollars, gold, and foreign currency. He Aldabonazo: Inside the navy that does not protect smugglers and has given away the resources of the sub- does not promote the Via-Cuba Canal trea- soil to foreign industry. He has attacked Cuban Revolutionary son. Rather, it aspires to a navy whose social conquests and facilitates private Underground, 1952–58 members—respected and admired in the foreign investment in an indiscriminate spirit of the mambí naval leaders, General way, compromising the economic and by Armando Hart Emilio Núñez, Pérez Carbó, and Castillo political future of generations to come. In this fi rsthand account by one of the historic leaders Duany—help foster the merchant marine, Thus, added to his political crimes against establish centers of nautical training, build Cuban democracy is treason to the nation’s of the Cuban Revolution, we meet many of the men economy. and women who in the 1950s led the urban under- dams, construct shipyards, protect the natural riches of the coastal zones, pre- We believe that true democracy can be ground in the fi ght against the brutal U.S.-backed pare nautical charts, encourage systematic attained only with citizens who are free, Batista dictatorship. Together with their comrades- scientifi c research of the Cuban seas, look equal, educated, and have dignifi ed and in-arms of the Rebel Army, they not only brought for marine species to catch and put to in- productive jobs. The revolution’s educa- down the tyranny, their revolutionary actions and dustrial use, and proudly carry the Cuban tional policy will be based on the follow- fl ag to fi sh for cod and other species in ing main lines: example worldwide changed the history of the 20th a) Turning the Ministry of Education century—and the century to come. $25.00 the open seas, waving the banner of the solitary star across the seven seas. into a technical body, taking up the old Special $20 pre-publication offer for Pathfi nder Readers Club members! The revolutionary youth aspires to a na- ideal of the 1940 constituent assembly tional police that guarantees democratic of keeping this ministry free of corrup- Order online from www.pathfi nderpress.com, coexistence, has true training schools, Continued on Page 7 or from bookstores, including those listed on page 8.

6 The Militant January 26, 2004 White House seeks temporary visa bill

Continued from front page origin once the permits expire. a burgeoning underground economy and • The U.S. government would sup- has made it more diffi cult for the employer posedly provide “incentives,” including class and the government to keep track of special savings accounts and retirement and control all these working people. Es- benefi ts, to encourage workers to return timates of the number of undocumented to their country of origin. workers in the United States today range • Those “who do not remain employed, from 8 million to 12 million—three to who do not follow the rules of the program, four times higher than 1986, when a ma- or who break the law will not be eligible jor immigration bill was enacted under the for continued participation and will be re- Reagan administration. quired to return to their home,” Bush said The aim of the bill proposed by the in his January 7 announcement. White House and its supporters in Con- Employers, he added, “must report to gress is to regularize the status of a sub- the government the temporary workers Militant/Eric Simpson stantial section of the working class that they hire and who leave their employer Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride arrives in Immokalee, Florida, September 27. Bill is undocumented by turning them into so that we can keep track of people in the proposed by White House would create a layer of immigrant workers with temporary temporary workers, while giving authori- program and better enforce our immigra- work permits, subject to tighter government control and to deportation at end of term. ties tighter control over them. tion laws.” The main provisions of the proposed bill are: Homeland security offensive ate a stable workforce and alleviate labor Immigrant rights organizations have • Undocumented workers in the United The proposed legislation is intended to shortages for low-wage and dangerous criticized some of the most glaringly re- States with jobs, and workers living abroad reinforce the “homeland security” offen- jobs,” especially “in agriculture and the actionary aspects of the proposed legisla- with job offers in the United States, would sive that the U.S. government is carrying hotel, health, restaurant and construction tion, but many accept its framework and be eligible for a three-year visa that could out to restrict workers rights in the name industries,” the Washington Post reported look for ways to improve it. be renewed for one more term. They of “fi ghting terrorism.” In his January 7 January 8. Margie McHugh, executive director would have to pay an as-yet-unspecifi ed announcement, Bush argued in favor of the “The economy can’t expand unless we of the New York Immigration Coalition, application fee and be sponsored by an proposed legislation by saying, “Illegal en- have workers to fi ll available jobs,” Ran- called the White House plan “signifi cantly employer. try across our border makes more diffi cult del Johnson, a vice president at the U.S. less than what was on the table before Sep- • Sponsoring employers would suppos- the urgent task of securing the homeland. Chamber of Commerce, told the Post. tember 11.” edly have to show that no “Americans” The system is not working.” “We’re unable to fi ll the jobs we’re creat- want the job. In a related move, the U.S. government ing,” said Lee Culpepper of the National Would strengthen hand of bosses • Immigrants would be issued a “tem- has begun fi ngerprinting visitors to the Restaurant Association. Joseph McInerney, Labor organizations have criticized the porary worker card.” They would be able United States from all but 27—mostly head of the American Hotel and Lodging fact that the measure would tie workers to to legally travel between the United States European—countries. Homeland Secu- Association, told USA Today that hotel their employers and undercut their ability and their home country, although not nec- rity Secretary Thomas Ridge said the new industry owners will draw on immigrant to defend their rights under the threat of essarily to other countries. regulation was “part of an effort to make workers to fi ll an estimated 700,000 ad- being deported. • The White House claims the tempo- sure our borders are open to visitors but ditional jobs by the end of the decade. In a January 8 statement, the New rary workers would have most of the same closed to terrorists.” With its proposed bill the White House Jersey-based Farm Worker Support Com- legal protections as U.S. citizens. The proposal is also part of the U.S. is outflanking Democratic politicians, mittee, CATA, said the bill was designed • The plan calls for an unspecified rulers’ preparations for depression condi- who have not offered any fundamentally “to ensure an underclass of cheap labor for increase in the number of green cards— tions, in which immigrant workers will different immigration legislation. It is of- employers.” While it “may provide a certain permanent residency permits—issued. be further scapegoated for growing un- fering a concrete law allegedly benefi ting measure of relief to undocumented workers Currently some 675,000 green cards are employment. The proposed immigration immigrants, while continuing to act under in no longer being pursued as criminals,” issued annually. bill would subject workers to deportation the banner of “homeland security,” which the legislation would leave workers “at the • The temporary workers would have if they lose their jobs. Employer groups politicians from both big-business parties whim of the employers with few protec- to return permanently to their country of have “welcomed the plan as a way to cre- have rallied behind. tions if their visas were canceled.” “You tell me, will these ‘willing work- ers’ have the right to speak up or organize on the job when they need to be sponsored July 26 Movement appealed to soldiers by willing employers? I doubt it,” said May Chen, international vice president of the Continued from Page 6 adults who already know how to read and reaucratic apparatus, giving provincial garment and textile workers’ union, tion. The ministry’s mission will not be write. These will be complemented by a and regional authorities more power of UNITE. confi ned solely to scholastic purposes. policy of creating or subsidizing librar- decision making within established gen- Given the prospect of several-year Its wider tasks comprise national educa- ies, museums, laboratories for scientifi c eral policy. This will eliminate a colonial delays in being granted permanent resi- tion as an entire process to be carried out research (either their own or in collabora- scourge that is endemic to the structure of dency, some groups point to the prospect jointly by all state bodies and directed not tion with those at universities and other the Cuban state. of immigrants being deported when their just to children and youth, but to adults centers of higher education and research), c) Restructuring our educational system, temporary visas expire, even while waiting and citizens in general. theaters, art fi lms, choruses, dance, sym- after a review of our school curricula, and to be granted more permanent status. The minister should be assisted by phony orchestras, and popular printshops. establishing an organic relationship be- For their part, right-wing politicians and permanent technical commissions with These are to be organized or created not tween primary, secondary, vocational, and commentators who oppose any relaxation a long-term policy. These will study in just in the city of Havana but throughout university education. It should be guided of immigration restrictions loudly criti- a rational and overall way the fi nancial the republic. To achieve these ends the by knowledge of the nation’s realities and cized the proposal. New Jersey Star Ledger and economic implications of educational most modern educational methods for the adapted to the new demands of progress columnist Paul Mulshine fumed that this is plans, keeping in mind educational statis- masses will be used, among them fi lms, as well as the needs and interests of those “an amnesty on the installment plan.” tics. Literacy campaigns will be carried radio, press, and television. whom educational policy is directed to- Columnist Steven Sailer argued that the out, together with basic education for b) Decentralizing the national bu- ward. intention of the Bush plan “is to use the It goes without saying that global ‘reserve army of the unemployed’ classrooms will not be for sale at to grind American working-class citizens’ the Ministry of Education of the pay down to the minimum wage.” revolutionary government, since the Some commentators have described organization of classroom study will the new immigration proposal as another be based on technical capacity and “guest worker” program. Such programs human dignity. have been arrangements between the U.S. The nation can expect from the and Mexican governments to guarantee a revolutionary youth a democratic stable, cheap workforce to U.S. agribusi- government of honest and capable ness. They have similarities to the latest men, full of love for Cuba. The proposal in that they sharply limit the most authoritative specialists and rights and mobility of workers, but the the healthiest intellectuals in the White House proposal is much broader country have already rendered their because it is aimed at all undocumented collaboration to the July 26 Move- workers. ment for a calm and profound study In 1986 the Immigration Reform and of national issues. Control Act was passed under the Reagan Cuba possesses natural and hu- administration. In another measure to sta- man resources, capital, technology, bilize the workforce by regularizing the and institutions that are necessary to status of a layer of undocumented work- transform us into a prosperous, demo- ers, it granted amnesty to nearly 3 million cratic, and civilized nation that will undocumented workers. shine in the constellation of peoples At the same time, the 1986 law insti- as a cultured and free republic, for tuted sanctions against employers hiring which dictatorships and empires are undocumented workers. These sanctions, The Nov. 30, 1956, uprising in Santiago de Cuba, timed to coincide with the Granma anathema. We will head toward that of course, have been used to strengthen landing by rebel force, was followed by a brutal police crackdown. Above, demonstration great destiny through the revolution- the hand of bosses, who can hire undocu- in Santiago on Jan. 2, 1957, sparked by the cop murder of William Soler, 15. He and a ary effort initiated November 30. . . . mented workers and then threaten to call companion were picked up by cops as they were painting anti-Batista slogans on city Council of the Cuban Revolution the immigration police if workers seek walls. They were tortured and killed, with their bodies dumped on the streets. Banner in to organize a union or otherwise defend back says, “Stop the murder of our children—Cuban mothers.” Don’t hold on to this, circulate it their rights.

The Militant January 26, 2004 7 Roosevelt’s war party jailed SWP leaders Printed below is a selection from The will. This is the aim of all his lies and Socialist Workers Party in World War II, deceit and broken promises. This is the a collection of writings and speeches aim of his acts of violence against the of SWP leader James P. Cannon from labor movement. 1940–43, one of Pathfi nder’s Books of With a brazenness unprecedented in the Month for January. This excerpt is American history, Roosevelt has inter- from “Why We Have Been Indicted,” a vened on the side of Daniel J. Tobin to try statement published in the July 26, 1941, to destroy the Motor Transport and Allied Militant answering the federal grand Workers Union, Local 544-CIO, sixteen of jury indictment 11 days earlier of 29 whose members have been indicted along members of the SWP and Minneapolis with the Socialist Workers Party members. Teamsters Local 544-CIO. Copyright Thus Roosevelt pays his debt to one of his ©1975 by Pathfi nder Press, reprinted most servile agents. by permission. But something more is involved. Tobin is a leader of the Fight for Freedom, Inc., Franklin Doublecross Roosevelt has sys- which is yelling for immediate shooting tematically lied to the American people. He war. The leaders of Local 544-CIO are has broken promise after promise. At this resolute opponents of war. In indicting the moment the army training camps are seeth- Local 544-CIO leadership, Roosevelt’s war ing with resentment against Roosevelt’s lat- party is striking a blow against the antiwar forces in the trade union movement. As he plunges toward total war, Roos- evelt would like fi rst to destroy all leader- Wartime protest meeting against jailing of 18 SWP and Teamsters Local 544 leaders ship and potential leadership of the anti- BOOKS OF war forces. Roosevelt and his war party understand very well that an honest work- and you have a clear picture of Roosevelt’s indications of the real motivation for this ers’ party like ours, with fi rm principles THE MONTH foul scheme. By a combination of force and persecution. They give their game away and cadres steeled and tempered in the fraud he proposes to dragoon the American in charge No. 4 of the indictment, which class struggle, can tomorrow become the masses into a war which they do not want accuses us of urging, counseling, and accepted spokesman for the great masses est broken promise: his solemn covenant and for which they would never vote. persuading the workers and farmers “that in the struggle to put an end to the war. with the draftees that conscription would Roosevelt’s typical combination of force the Government of the United States was The Roosevelt war party would destroy us be limited to a period of one year. And why and fraud is evident in the indictments imperialistic...” before that tomorrow comes…. is he seeking an indefi nite extension of the drawn up by his Department of “Justice” Yes, we have explained and shall con- We are no pacifi sts. We shall not turn term of conscription? In order to break his against the leaders of the Socialist Work- tinue to explain to the workers and farmers the other cheek to Roosevelt’s attack on solemn promise of last November that no ers Party. The basic motivation for those that the Roosevelt government is imperial- our party. On the contrary, we shall see American soldiers would fi ght on foreign indictments was stated by Acting Attorney istic in its every move. to it that every worker and farmer in this soil. General Francis Biddle on June 28, when Imperialism is the motive force behind country hears our true views and learns Couple with these broken promises he sought to justify the FBI’s Gestapo raids all Roosevelt’s war plans. Like Hitler, he how Roosevelt has engineered this vile Roosevelt’s strikebreaking use of troops, on the St. Paul and Minneapolis headquar- would be master of the entire world. Hitler frame-up against us. This case will be his terroristic use of the FBI and other gov- ters of the Socialist Workers Party. Biddle seeks that mastery as political agent for tried by the government in a courtroom ernmental agencies of repression against then cited and quoted from the antiwar Germany’s bankers; Roosevelt seeks that in Minneapolis and we shall defend our- CIO unions and the Socialist Workers Party, sections of the Declaration of Principles mastery as political agent for America’s selves there. Far more important, however, adopted by the 1938 convention of the Sixty Families, the DuPonts and Morgans we shall defend ourselves before our true Socialist Workers Party. and Rockefellers. judges—the workers and farmers of this But some strategist in Roosevelt’s war By his typical combination of force and country. It is their verdict, above all, that January BOOKS party has since realized how unpopular fraud Roosevelt is intriguing to secure as concerns us. would be a persecution of our antiwar cannon fodder and beasts of burden the And we are confi dent of their verdict, OF THE MONTH party for our antiwar views. Hence, masses of South and Central America. once we break through the fraud and deceit Biddle’s assistants have now drawn up an Next comes Dakar—that is, the Negro with which the Roosevelt war party seeks PATHFINDER indictment against us which makes no ref- masses of Africa. By bribery and pressure to conceal the true issue. The Socialist READ ERS CLUB 25% erence whatsoever to the antiwar sections upon Chiang Kai-shek, Roosevelt seeks to Workers Party is the antiwar party. The SPE CIALS DISCOUNT of our 1938 Declaration of Principles—in transform China’s war of liberation into a workers and farmers have no interest in this fact, the word “war” appears nowhere in war to serve American imperialism. war. They want no part of it. The antiwar The First Five Years of the the indictment! But before Roosevelt can hope to carry party and the tens of millions opposed to Communist International Carefully though they worked in pre- out this gigantic scheme of carnage and the war will join hands in the course of our By Leon Trotsky paring this indictment, Roosevelt’s agents world conquest, he must fi rst subjugate battle to free the twenty-nine defendants The early years of the were not quite able to erase the telltale the American workers and farmers to his from Roosevelt’s Gestapo. Communist Interna- tional, documented in articles and speeches IF YOU LIKE THIS PAPER, LOOK US UP by one of its founding Where to fi nd Pathfi nder books and E-mail: [email protected] BRITAIN leaders. Two volumes. distrib u tors of the Militant, Perspectiva MINNESOTA: St. Paul: 113 Bernard London: 47 The Cut. Postal code: $25.95 each. Mundial, New International, Nouvelle St., West St. Paul. Zip: 55118. Tel: (651) SE1 8LF. Tel: 020-7928-7993. E-mail: Special price: Internationale, Nueva Internacional, Ny 644-6325. E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] International, and Nýtt Althjódlegt. $19.50 each NEBRASKA: Omaha: P. O. Box 7005. CANADA UNITED STATES Zip: 68107. E-mail: [email protected] Teamster Rebellion Montreal: 1237 Jean Talon E. Montréal, ALABAMA: Birmingham: 3029A NEW JERSEY: Newark: 168 Bloomfi eld QC. Postal code: H2R 1W1. Tel: (514) 284- By Farrell Dobbs Bessemer Road. Zip: 35208. Tel: (205) 780- Avenue, 2nd Floor. Zip: 07104. Tel: (973) 7369. 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E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] 8 The Militant January 26, 2004 GREAT SOCIETY Tyson: Justice for all—In a company top dog John Tyson en- areas. The cancer-causing toxin is appraisal.—USA Today. Ver mont cop. He had held a Black previous issue, the Militant re- joyed a wage and benefi ts bundle inhaled and absorbed in bones. woman at gunpoint while he and ported on a rally of striking Tyson of $20.09 million last year, nearly Researchers checked accumula- Buckaroo city—In Charleston, other cops were hunting for a sus- meat packers in Jefferson, Wiscon- double his previous year’s theft. tion in baby teeth. West Virginia, an extra $1 a week pected robber who was described tax will be imposed on everyone as a Black man. Capitalism at its fi nest—“Hos- He seems in fi ne fettle—The working in the town. It will be pitals narrow their scope—more Prez told the world he enjoyed beef used to repair city streets and hire Tardy terror warning—“More facilities limit care to lucrative on New Year’s Day and intends to more cops. than a million people fl ying on Harry specialties such as cardiology and keep cow meat on his menu. He Christmas holidays with budget orthopedics. Some see potential also confi ded that in the coming Try it for breakfast—“To ease airlines may be putting their Ring confl icts.”—News headline. year there would be less fi ghting fear about jobs, put imagination to lives in the hands of an exhausted and more jobs. work.”—James Flanigan, Los An- pilot. A study into the stress and Brush baby’s teeth—An inde- geles Times business specialist. fatigue suffered by budget airline pendent study found that in a 40- Makes sense, no?—“Best pilots showed they frequently lose sin. They’re fi ghting a company mile radius of nuclear power plants gains are behind us: ’03’s robust Female, male—she’s Black— concentration because of punish- drive to slash wages and benefi ts. there is as much as 53 percent more [?] growth might not be sustain- The Vermont labor relations board ing schedules set by their compa- Meanwhile, it was announced that strontium 90 than in neighboring able.”—New Year’s economic upheld the fi ring of a University of nies.”—The Times, London. U.S. steps up attacks on Cuba, Venezuela Continued from front page relations with Cuba. Washington to provide as many as 20,000 from Cuba to the United States on fl imsy accused Cuba of “actions to destabilize In a January editorial, the Cuban daily visas to Cubans seeking to immigrate to the rafts or by hijacking planes or vessels. Latin America [that] are increasingly pro- Granma replied to Washington’s charges United States. U.S. offi cials said they would The 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act pro- vocative to the inter-American community.” of “destabilization” by Havana. “What is continue to abide by the provisions of the vides virtually automatic asylum and expe- He said, “Those that continue in destabiliz- meant by destabilization? Sending thou- agreement. dited residency to any Cuban who lands on ing democratically elected governments, sands of doctors to cooperate with govern- U.S. State Department spokesman Rich- Florida’s shores, regardless of crimes they interfering in the internal affairs of other ments in tending to the poorest and neediest ard Boucher told reporters January 7 that may have committed to get there. Under governments, are playing with fi re.” people?” it asked. “Is destabilization the U.S. representatives decided not to attend the “wet foot, dry foot” policy, any Cuban At a press conference two days later, U.S. sending of 15,000 doctors from Cuba to 64 the next scheduled round of talks because who reaches U.S. territory is admitted and secretary of state Colin Powell defended countries in the world where thousands of the Cubans were unwilling to “seriously those picked up at sea are to be returned Noriega’s comments. “I’ve been in senior people are treated and tens of thousands of address” key issues on the U.S.-proposed to Cuba. national security positions on and off over lives are saved?” agenda. Among the questions Washington The Cuban statement said the issues the last 17 years. And through that whole The editorial pointed to Cuba’s interna- claims Havana has not been willing to raised by Washington “have been exten- period of time, Cuba has been trying to do tionalist collaboration with Venezuela in discuss are alleged delays in issuing exit sively debated on many occasions in the everything it could to destabilize parts of “programs of health care, education, culture, permits to Cubans approved for visas by the last few years.” Cuba, the statement af- the region,” he stated. Powell said that all sports, social work, and other activities… U.S. Interests Section in Havana; coopera- fi rms, “has been and is willing to seriously 35 Latin American countries are democra- that benefi t the Venezuelan population, and tion in organizing a new lottery system for debate…all the issues mentioned by the U.S. cies “except one, and that’s Cuba, which where our country has some experience that Cuban applicants for U.S. visas; and access authorities.” continues to oppress its people.” it has placed at the service of Third World to a deeper Cuban port so that large U.S. “Obviously, in the imperial language Replying to the U.S. smears, Dagoberto countries.” Coast Guard cutters can return those at- of the U.S. offi cials ‘seriously addressing’ Rodríguez, chief of the Cuban Interests tempting to immigrate to the United States means that Cuba should be willing to make Section in Washington, said January 8, “If Flashpoint: Colombia-Venezuela border outside established channels. all necessary unilateral concessions and ac- there’s been a force for destabilization in the Washington’s propaganda offensive The foreign ministry denounced the Cu- cept all demands and whims from the U.S. continent, and of interference in the conti- has gone hand in hand with an increased ban Adjustment Act and Washington’s “wet authorities.” nent, I think that almost everyone in Latin U.S. military presence in the region. It has foot, dry foot” policy as the “greatest viola- Washington says it also wants to discuss America would agree that it is a country backed the Colombian regime’s border tion” of the migration accords and as “the travel restrictions placed on U.S. diplomats situated a little more to the north of Cuba,” skirmishes with Venezuela and its allega- real encouragement” to those who migrate Continued on Page 10 referring to Washington. tions that Caracas is letting its territory be According to the Associated Press, un- used by FARC and ELN guerrillas. Last named U.S. officials told reporters that year the Pentagon dispatched 150 U.S. “Cuba and Venezuela are working together troops to Colombia, and U.S. Special 25 AND 50 YEARS AGO to oppose pro-American, democratic gov- Forces are training Colombian army bat- ernments in the region with money, politi- talions. Under Plan Colombia, the U.S. cal indoctrination and training, such as in government is sending billions in military Ecuador and Uruguay. Venezuelan resources aid to regimes in the area. may have helped in the October ouster of In a January 6 press briefing, Gen. Bolivia’s elected, pro-American president, Richard Myers, chairman of the U.S. Joint Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada.” Chiefs of Staff, reported the presence of January 26, 1979 January 25, 1954 AP also reported that “U.S. offi cials said 1,500 U.S. troops in Central and South Deserted by his imperialist supporters The Washington State Legislature’s Castro has provided training, advice, and America that he said were “conducting and despised by the Iranian people, Shah Interim Committee recently conducted a logistical support for leftist groups in the counterdrug operations and other training.” Mohammed Reza Pahlavi fl ed into exile public hearing over television on a riot last region, a sign of re-engagement after relative Asked about the involvement of “terrorist” January 16. The tyrant ended his dark and summer in the Washington State Reforma- inactivity in the 1990s.” groups in drug and weapons traffi cking and bloody reign without even waiting for his tory at Monroe. The news agency cited anonymous U.S. U.S. government efforts to crack down on rubber-stamp parliament to confirm his The riot broke out August 20, 1953, at offi cials claiming that “Chávez has sup- them, Myers responded, “It’s true in South choice of Shahpur Bakhtiar as Iran’s new the close of “Yard Out,” the recreational ported Colombia’s FARC and ELN rebels America. It’s true in the Middle East…. It’s prime minister. period. The youths refused to return to and allowed use of western Venezuela as a part of a larger effort we’ve had ongoing As news of the Shah’s departure spread, their cells and began to throw rocks and springboard for attacks inside Colombia,” for some time—what we call maritime New York Times correspondent Nicholas any missile at hand. Windows were broken referring to the two main Colombian anti- intercept operations, where we look for Gage reported, “hundreds of thousands of and fi res set to several buildings. government guerrilla groups there. things like drugs moving…weapons mov- people poured out of their homes shouting The Monroe riot began over the disci- ing, or any terrorist personnel themselves ‘Shah raft!—The Shah is gone.’ The cacoph- plining of a Negro inmate, but was a protest Venezuela rejects charges moving.” ony of celebration continued all afternoon in general against racial discrimination in Venezuelan offi cials angrily denied the In his January 6 news conference, Norie- and well into the evening.” the institution. The slogan was “Break charges, accusing Washington of using slan- ga also criticized the Argentine government As a result of the revolution unfolding Taylor out of Deadlock.” der to undermine the Chávez government. of President Néstor Kirchner for not hav- in Iran, the imperialist grip on the country Ernest Taylor, a Negro youth, was beaten “What proof do they have of these state- ing met with U.S.-backed opponents of the has been greatly weakened. Washington over the head by a Captain Smith as the ments?” asked Venezuelan vice president Cuban Revolution during Kirchner’s recent has been forced to begin dismantling its latter was forcing the protesting boy into José Vicente Rangel. trip to the island. Last year the new Peronist top-secret equipment at bases along the “Deadlock” – a solitary-confi nement type After U.S. national security adviser government in Argentina restored full dip- Iranian-Soviet border, and the representa- of punishment. Condoleeza Rice declared on January 9 lomatic ties with Cuba. Argentine offi cials tives of U.S. corporations that dominate All that day [Taylor’s fellow prisoners] that the Venezuelan government should reacted angrily to Noriega’s comments. Iran’s economy have been sent streaming gathered in little groups, very agitated over allow an anti-Chávez recall referendum to Another source of tension between Wash- out of the country. the treatment given Taylor. Finally, the ac- take place, the Venezuelan president said ington and Latin American governments is Meanwhile, the mobilization of the cumulated resentment burst out. U.S. offi cials should not “stick their noses” a recent U.S. move to begin fi ngerprinting masses has won the release of hundreds of When the riot fl ared, the reformatory in his country’s affairs. and photographing visitors who arrive in the political prisoners, has put an end to news- offi cials called the State Highway Patrol, On the eve of a regional summit in Mon- United States. The Brazilian government re- paper censorship, and placed the regime’s Snohomish County deputies, the Snohom- terrey, Mexico, Chávez said statements such taliated by subjecting Americans arriving in torturers and hangmen on the defensive. ish County sheriff and a number of Everett as Rice’s were “preparing the ground” for an Brazil to the same treatment. Among work- Nor is the shah’s fall simply a victory for police as well as 15 or 20 King County attempt to overthrow his government, either ing people in Brazil the move has boosted the Iranian people. Their gain is a victory police offi cers. by a military coup or an assassin’s bullet. the popularity of President Luiz Inácio Lula for the oppressed and exploited throughout As the demonstrating youthful inmates A January 5 AP report quoted U.S. State da Silva, leader of the Workers Party. the world. gathered in the center of the baseball dia- Department spokesperson Adam Ereli as The anti-imperialist sentiment of the Ira- mond, they were caught in a cross fi re from saying, “Cuba has a long history of attempt- U.S. suspension of migration accords nian people has forced Bakhtiar to promise the north and south towers lasting about ing to undermine elected governments in Meanwhile, Washington unilaterally that no more oil will be sold to Israel and three minutes. the region. For that reason the close ties be- suspended talks on immigration accords South Africa. It was there that 21-year-old Walter tween the government of Venezuela and the between the two countries. In a January 5 And the prospect of a continuing revo- T. Lyshall was killed and three others government of Cuba raise concerns among statement, the Cuban foreign ministry said lution in Iran has shaken pro-imperialist injured. Venezuela’s democratic neighbors.” the U.S. move was aimed at “torpedoing regimes in the Middle East and weakened The riot involved about 200 of the The Chávez government has drawn the the progress of the migration accords… Washington’s position in the entire region. younger inmates of Monroe, who demon- hostility of Washington for taking measures and achievement of normal migration Meanwhile, the Iranian masses are con- strated against one of the greatest injustices that cut into the profi ts of fi nance capital, relations.” tinuing to push forward, demanding all the of the American capitalist system in or including a land reform law and a bill The talks are held every six months to democratic rights that have been denied out of prisons—namely, Jim Crow. These extending new rights to exploited indepen- discuss implementation of 1994 and 1995 them for so long, and insisting on the estab- young men felt the abomination of racial dent fi shermen. Washington is also hostile immigration agreements between Havana lishment of a society that will ensure justice discrimination so keenly they could not to Venezuela’s diplomatic and economic and Washington. The accords obligate for the oppressed and exploited. restrain themselves from acting. The Militant January 26, 2004 9 EDITORIAL WFDY meeting Continued from Page 3 the Iraqi resistance to occupation and stand for the unity Build youth festival in Venezuela! of Iraq against American plans to divide the country.” This echoed the Syrian government’s position, which is Build the 2005 world youth festival planned for Ven- ers—are helping working people in Venezuela to begin adamantly opposed to any federal structure, let alone self- ezuela! Get the word out to young workers resisting the taking their destiny into their own hands by making a determination, for the Kurdish people in the region. The bosses’ offensive, student organizations, farmers fi ghting difference in their daily lives through their own actions. oppression of Kurds in Syria by the ruling class there lurks for land, and any other youth group or individual who This is at the heart of the smears by Washington that behind this stance. shows interest in this gathering. Invite representatives of Cuba and Venezuela are “destabilizing” the continent Aristos Damianou of the National Democratic Youth youth organizations to become part of national prepara- by aiding anti-government groups throughout Latin Organization (EDON) of Cyprus proposed amending the tory committees to build the international youth meeting America. resolution to call for an immediate transfer of the admin- (see article on page 3). Get the truth out about Cuba and The source of instability on the continent, however, istration of Iraq to the United Nations. Venezuela to thousands of youth and working people in is capitalism and the imperialist system of domination. Newton of the Young Socialists in the United States the process. Washington has miserably failed in its promise that presented a different perspective. She argued that WFDY Carrying out this kind of work is one of the most bourgeois democracy and “free trade” would bring should not only oppose the occupation of Iraq by the An- effective ways to oppose the efforts by Washington to prosperity and stability to the majority in Latin America glo-American imperialists, or the UN for that matter, but overthrow the Venezuelan government. It is also an in- and the Caribbean. The collapse of the Mexican peso in call for the unconditional withdrawal of all imperialist tegral part of defending the Cuban Revolution. the mid-1990s, the economic freefall in Argentina two troops and other occupying forces from Iraq, as well as U.S. imperialism is stepping up its offensive against years ago, and the growing impoverishment of millions Afghanistan, the Balkans, Korea, and Guantánamo Bay, the people of Cuba and their socialist revolution, as the from Patagonia to the Rio Bravo are only a few examples Cuba. latest statements by Roger Noriega and Colin Powell of the nightmare the profi t system offers to all those The rivalry between the major imperialist powers was show. These moves build on the decades-long hostility who work for a living. That is what’s behind the recent also a topic of discussion. “With all the contradictions and and punitive measures by the U.S. rulers against Cuba. rebellion in Bolivia and the nationalist reactions by the interimperialist confl icts, the European Union (EU) has Washington’s aggression began in 1959, after the Cuban governments of Brazil and Argentina to new steps by had a clear position in line with its imperialist interests and people threw off the shackles of the U.S.-backed Batista Uncle Sam that attack their sovereignty. following U.S. policies,” stated the political resolution. dictatorship and opened the road to the socialist revolu- This recent, stepped-up U.S. offensive against Ven- Most delegates said they agreed with this statement. tion in the Americas. ezuela is of a different scope and character than the A number of organizations represented at the meeting, At the same time, the imperialists in the United pressures Washington has so far brought to bear against however, have in practice sided with the bourgeoisie in States, the European Union, and elsewhere are prepar- the Chávez government. The preparations for expanded their countries against other imperialist powers. EDON, ing to intervene anywhere in the Americas—beginning intervention against the South American nation, com- for example, and AKEL, the Communist Party of Cyprus, in Venezuela—where working people resist attempts by bined with the aggression against Cuba, will be more with which it is politically affi liated, recently changed the local propertied classes and their imperialist masters and more couched as part of Washington’s “global war their position and now back entry of Cyprus into the EU. abroad to turn back the clock. on terrorism.” That’s the meaning of the insinuations by The theses adopted by EDON at its January 2-4 congress, What’s the crime that workers and peasants in Ven- Gen. Richard Myers, the head of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of which were distributed to delegates at the WFDY meet- ezuela have committed in the eyes of the wealthy? They Staff, of involvement in drug and weapons traffi cking by ings, said that “there are separate positive elements in the have fi ercely resisted, and twice defeated, attempts by unnamed governments in Latin America and charges that EU, which should be made use of for the benefi t of work- Washington and its backers among local capitalists and Caracas is aiding guerrilla groups in Colombia. ing people.” AKEL won the plurality of votes, 35 percent, landlords to overthrow the bourgeois nationalist govern- At the center of this U.S.-led strategic offensive is the in recent parliamentary elections in Cyprus and is now part ment of Hugo Chávez, which was elected with massive transformation of the U.S. military and its repositioning of a coalition government with capitalist parties. support of working people. The toilers in Venezuela have around the world. An equally essential part of this new Anna Van Dorn of the Young Socialists of New Zealand used increasing political space since Chávez’s election, imperialist strategy—the foremost advocate of which has described how Wellington came to be part of the U.S.-led and have taken advantage of measures the government become the U.S. Department of Defense—is the attempt “coalition of the willing” that is occupying Iraq. “Wash- has passed that, if implemented, would strengthen their to impose, by whatever means, what the superwealthy ington has used this coalition, based in ‘new Europe,’ to ability to fi ght for land, jobs, housing, and other social U.S. rulers describe as democracy. deal further blows to its rivals in ‘old Europe,’ especially gains. Through these struggles millions of working As U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice those in France and Germany, who are not following people have become more self-confi dent and developed outlined, Washington will use the degree of adherence Washington’s lead quickly enough,” she said. “There is higher expectations. The road these workers and other by the Venezuelan government to the demand by the no united European Union. The only reason French and exploited producers are following can more and more pro-imperialist opposition for a recall referendum as German imperialism didn’t back the U.S.-led assault on clearly point to the historic line of march of the work- its main club against the Chávez regime in the coming Iraq was because its timing and the degree of U.S. domi- ing class: carrying out a popular revolution, conquering months. The imperialist rulers will seek to use illusions nation threatened their investments there and long-term political power, overthrowing capitalism, and joining in bourgeois democracy to try to win support for their strategic interests in the region. The imperialist assaults on the worldwide fi ght for socialism—in other words, the efforts to oust the Venezuelan government. Iraq and Afghanistan have everything to do with sharpen- dictatorship of the proletariat. Support to the struggle by working people in Ven- ing interimperialist competition and we must oppose the The U.S. government refuses to accept normal ties ezuela to resist any U.S.-backed attempts to topple the entire imperialist system and its wars.” between Venezuela and Cuba, because the Cuban people Chávez government, and opposition to Washington’s The WFDY General Council also approved two soli- have already traveled down this road. Thousands of Cu- latest offensive against Cuba, must be unconditional. darity statements. One backed the Democratic People’s ban internationalists—doctors offering free and quality Building the 16th World Festival of Youth and Students Republic of Korea in its effort to defend itself from attacks medical care, literacy instructors aiding Venezuelan set for Venezuela in August 2005 will be an important by Washington, Tokyo, and other imperialist powers, and youth to eliminate illiteracy in their country, and oth- contribution toward accomplishing this goal. supported Pyongyang’s right to develop nuclear weapons for self-defense. The second statement extended solidarity to coal miners in Utah fi ghting to organize a union, and to striking grocery workers in California. The WFDY plan of action for 2004 includes a solidarity N. Y. protest against cop brutality trip to Palestine March 5-12 and protest demonstrations and an “anti-NATO summit” planned in Istanbul, Turkey, Continued from front page The family currently has a civil lawsuit fi led against in June to coincide with the next NATO summit there. At is painted on the side of the Rosario home. On the front of the police department and the city. “I told my lawyers I this gathering Washington plans to accelerate the transfor- the building are the names of more than 50 young people don’t want a settlement. I want a trial,” said Margarita mation of the armed forces making up the U.S.-led NATO killed by the city police. The vigil was organized by Parents Rosario. “The point is to expose the cops. A civil ruling into a military alliance counter to the “France-dominated” Against Police Brutality. won’t put the cops in jail, but it will disgrace them.” European Union. Many of the 25 people who took part in the action are The two detectives who shot Vega and Rosario were involved in fi ghts of their own against police brutality. never convicted, despite evidence by the Civilian Com- They included members of the Acosta family, who were plaint Review Board indicating that they were shot while beaten and arrested by cops while attending a family lying face down on the fl oor. Rosario was shot 14 times U.S. attacks barbeque in front of their house in the Sunset Park in the back and on the side of his body, and Vega was area of Brooklyn last July 4; Juanita Young, whose son shot eight times in the back and the head. Continued from Page 9 Malcolm Ferguson, 23, was shot in the back of the head The same week as the Bronx protest, the family of inside Cuba and alleged obstacles that prevent them from and killed by police offi cer Louis Rivera of the police Amadou Diallo, an immigrant from Guinea who was monitoring the situation of those returned to Cuba and Street Crime Unit in March 2000; and Iris Vega, Hilton fatally shot outside his Bronx apartment by four cops of those arrested on the island last year for collaborat- Vega’s mother. of the elite Street Crime Unit, agreed to a $3 million ing with Washington’s efforts to overthrow the Cuban Margarita Rosario, Anthony’s mother and a founder of settlement of its civil lawsuit against New York. The suit government. Parents Against Police Brutality, said, “We are families was scheduled to be heard on March 1. Last March Havana imposed travel restrictions on U.S. that are determined to stick together to continue the fi ght Just after midnight on Feb. 4, 1999, four cops shot diplomats on the island in response to actions by Wash- because the execution of young people hasn’t stopped. If we Diallo 41 times as he stood in the doorway of his apart- ington that restricted the movement of Cuban diplomats to don’t continue this, the young people who have died have ment in the Soundview section of the Bronx. the geographic limits of Washington, D.C., and New York, no voice. We want to prevent this from happening again and In 2000 the four cops were acquitted in a state trial. where Cuba has diplomatic missions. stop the cops from functioning as criminals in blue.” The trial had been moved to Albany, New York, after In April Cuban courts convicted 75 individuals charged a court ruling that the political atmosphere in the with receiving funds and collaborating with U.S. diplomatic city—that is, the widespread protests against this personnel in Washington’s longstanding efforts to under- killing—prevented the four cops from getting a fair mine the Cuban Revolution. trial. It was, in fact, months of sustained protests in The Cuban foreign ministry added that Washington’s New York, drawing thousands of working people, that complaints were an attempt to divert attention from its led to the indictment of the cops and the abolition of own violations of the migration accords, including “the the Street Crime Unit. dramatic reduction of visas for Cuban citizens wishing to After the acquittal, thousands marched in New York visit relatives in the United States; the failure to return to in a series of protests against police brutality and the Cuba some of the illegal immigrants interdicted at sea [by freeing of the killer cops. the U.S. Coast Guard]; the encouragement to illegal migra- Under the terms of the January 5 settlement, neither tion and to the commission of violent acts to migrate, from the city nor the NYPD admit any wrongdoing in the radio stations based in the United States; as well as the lack case. of decisive action against alien smugglers.” Diallo’s mother, Kadiatou Diallo, said she felt satis- In another attack, the U.S. government expelled Roberto fi ed that after a years-long fi ght the city had acknowl- Socorro, a diplomat at the Cuban Interests Section in Wash- edged the shooting was a mistake. “An apology was ington, from the United States. According to the January 4 given today on the record,” she said. Washington Post, an unnamed U.S. offi cial claimed Socorro Militant/Dan Fein The city will pay the $3 million in a lump sum, had been expelled for “drug traffi cking” and “association Protesters gathered in the Bronx January 7 to mark anniver- and the state Surrogate’s Court will decide how that with criminal elements.” The Cuban government demanded sary of killings by cops of Anthony Rosario and Hilton Vega. is divided between the family and its lawyers. the U.S. State Department retract this false allegation. 10 The Militant January 26, 2004 $240,000 Pathfi nder sales goal surpassed

BY SAM MANUEL Jacquie Henderson from Houston. These WASHINGTON, D.C.—Promoters of sales increased the number of people who Pathfi nder’s titles on revolutionary politics come into the local Pathfi nder store looking scored a success in the international cam- for further titles, she noted. Pathfi nder sup- paign to increase sales of these books and porters in Houston surpassed their sales goal pamphlets, surpassing their goal of selling in October, November, and December. $240,000 worth of literature in the second In October, 59 books were sold at Hous- half of 2003. ton’s annual Latino Book Fair. On one of The books were purchased by work- his days off, one young worker helped set ing people and youth on street corners in up a table displaying Pathfi nder titles at the workers districts, on the job, in Pathfi nder University of Houston. He has now been bookstores, at political actions, to other regularly attending the Friday night Militant bookstores and libraries, and through orders Labor Forum in Houston and participating for university class readings. in classes on Pathfi nder titles. Substantially higher sales in December Henderson also reported that a bus driver Militant/Linda Joyce pushed this campaign to increase sales by 10 with a route that takes him between Mexico, Pathfi nder booth at fair in Madrid in September. Promoters of Pathfi nder books percent compared to the fi rst half of 2003. Houston, and the eastern United States has increased the revolutionary publisher’s sales by 10 percent in last half of 2003. The six-month campaign was led jointly been stopping by the bookstore for a couple by Socialist Workers Party branches in the of years now to pick up titles when he is United States and Communist Leagues in in town. In December he brought another in sales in December in comparison to the six month but even a year or two ago,” she other countries, whose members help orga- driver with him to the store. Both walked previous fi ve months,” said Maceo Dixon said. Dixon and Shangold are members of nize Pathfi nder bookstores in their areas and out with several titles and said they would from Atlanta. the steering committee that organizes the distribute Pathfi nder books and pamphlets be back next time. “Classroom adoptions—titles that have work of supporters of the communist in their workplaces along with supporters of In New Zealand a special effort in De- been assigned as reading by professors movement to print and distribute titles by the communist movement worldwide. cember registered the highest sales of the teaching university courses—were a big Pathfi nder Press. Barbara Bowman in Miami reported six-month campaign in that country. In the part of the December sales,” said Dixon. She gave an example of an independent that 41 titles were sold in December at the last three months of the year, supporters of These included 162 copies of Rosa Lux- bookstore in Harlem, New York. Over a year Pathfi nder bookstore there—nearly half of Pathfi nder, led by members of the Commu- emburg Speaks, the writings and speeches ago sales volunteers began to work with the those at the Militant Labor Forums, which nist League in Auckland and Christchurch, of the German communist leader Rosa buyer at this store to convince them to order are held weekly at the bookstore. In addition sold an average of nearly 150 percent of Luxemburg. They were ordered by a New on line, Shangold said. In December they to discussion on topics of interest to working their goal. Jersey bookstore located near Rutgers sent in an order for more than $900 in people, the forum in Miami had a special The Pathfi nder bookstore in Detroit held University campus in New Brunswick. A Pathfi nder titles. display of recommended books featured an open house over the holidays, reported campus bookstore in East Lansing, Michi- Volunteer sales representatives in each each week and an announcement of the Osborne Hart. It made its sales goal each of gan, ordered 124 copies of Malcolm X: The city have paid special attention to promot- weekly progress on the sales campaign. the last six months. Publicity for the event Last Speeches. ing Pathfi nder’s Spanish-language titles. Two young men who regularly attend the was distributed early and featured an ap- Over the six-month campaign, orders for “With the growing immigration from Latin Miami forums took a consignment of books peal to Pathfi nder Readers Club members the Communist Manifesto, the founding pro- America there is increasing interest in the with them on a visit to Mississippi over the to prepay for advance copies of new titles grammatic document of the modern com- titles we carry in Spanish, many of which holidays, Bowman reported. They sold $100 being released this month. These are Alda- munist movement, written by Karl Marx cannot be gotten anywhere else,” Shangold in Pathfi nder titles. One of them said the trip bonazo: Inside the Cuban Revolutionary and Fredrick Engels, led all titles with 727 said. She reported that during a visit to a was very effective because many people in Underground, 1952–58 by Armando Hart, copies sold. In December several classroom new Spanish-language bookstore that is just Mississippi don’t have access to books like a leader of the Cuban Revolution; Leur orders of the Manifesto came in, said Dixon, opening in the Bronx the buyer knew about this. “They want to spread the word, give Trotsky et le nôtre, the French-language who volunteers to pack and ship orders from Pathfi nder’s titles because a customer had people they know time to save up some edition of Their Trotsky and Ours by Jack the Pathfi nder distribution center in Atlanta. asked for El desorden mundial del capitalis- money, and do another trip in a month or Barnes; and Rebelión Teamster, the Span- Volunteers also fi lled an order from a Boston mo, the Spanish translation of Capitalism’s two,” Bowman said. ish-language edition of Teamster Rebellion college for 70 copies of Socialism: Utopian World Disorder by Jack Barnes. by Farrell Dobbs. and Scientifi c by Frederick Engels. A national distributor of Spanish-lan- Houston Latino Book Fair The open house netted seven advance “These orders are the result of cumula- guage books with offices in New York “Taking advantage of special openings at payments for Aldabonazo. tive work,” said Gale Shangold from New placed orders totaling several thousand conferences and book fairs was key to our The $240,000 goal was surpassed by York. “They often are the result of visits and dollars over the course of the campaign, success in the last three months,” reported nearly $3,000. “There was a $7,000 leap discussions with buyers, not just in the last she added. FROM OUR READERS BEHIND BARS Below the Militant is running time I wish all of you a happy New Facing deportation of the United States and Israel, of their crops and food, their rights, excerpts from letters sent by four Ye ar and success in the coming I am Colombian, of Palestinian which I am one more victim. and cutting off their source of prisoners at the Hudson County year. origin. My ancestors worked the I want to present concrete infor- potable water. They seek to push Corrections Center in Kearny, New I am from Cambodia and have land, cultivating olives and fi gs, mation about the critical situation people into the West Bank and Jersey—a jail used by the immigra- been incarcerated by the INS for in a community to the south of that confronts the suffering and divide it into three parts, while tion police. one year and 10 months. With me Jerusalem. martyred Palestinian people, who isolating the city of Jerusalem One of the four prisoners, Farouk sitting in jail my family suffers Today I am detained in the have been mistreated, murdered, from the rest of the Palestinian Abdel-Muhti, is an outspoken ad- from lack of fi nancial support. My United States and am awaiting and massacred by the diabolical, nation. vocate for the Palestinian struggle country doesn’t accept me and the deportation. racist, and rightist Israeli admin- The peaceful and native people for self-determination who was ar- INS doesn’t want to release me. I am writing to greet the weekly istration, aided by the bloodthirsty of Palestine seek justice and the rested in April 2002 and has been The people in my country are al- Militant for the unconditional and imperialist government of the right to sovereignty, self-determi- held without charges ever since. ways with the working class, like in solidarity it expresses for all im- United States. nation, and independence in their Facing deportation from the Vietnam, and we have learned that migrants in the United States and In the last three years, for defend- territory, occupied since June 4, United States, where he has lived the world is for all of us and not just especially for we who have been de- ing their human and civil rights, for 1967, with Jerusalem as its capi- since the 1970s, Abdel-Muhti has for some people. I read the Militant tained, that you continue protesting defending their land and dignity, the tal, and the right to return of the been shuttled among several pris- and support your views. and rejecting the assaults against us Palestinian people continue to be refugees of 1948 to their homes ons in New Jersey and Pennsylva- Today the policies of the ad- victims of the U.S. authorities. I join victims of the racist machinations and property in the historic land nia, as the authorities seek without ministration of George Bush are Farouk Abdel-Muhti in his constant of the occupation on the part of the of Palestine. success to isolate him and break terrorizing me and my family and defense of the freedom of expres- right-wing Israeli administration. Farouk Abdel-Muhti his spirit. The Committee for the children’s rights. I need you and all sion, for his selfl ess struggle in the The number of martyrs has Release of Farouk Abdel-Muhti of the people who read the Militant fi ght against the violation of human reached 3,295, from differ- is appealing for public support to to be steadfast with me and all the and civil rights, and in support of ent sectors of our people, of press the government to drop its INS victims. I need your support for dignity and respect for all human whom 553 are elementary Donate to the deportation proceedings and free my freedom and my rights. beings without distinction of race school students. him. Letters to demand his release Seoun Sory or ethnic origin. In an odious and criminal Prisoners Fund should be sent to David Venturella, I identify with a class position manner, they have ruthlessly Offi ce of Detention and Removal, used bulldozers to plow un- The ‘Militant’ receives many ‘Militant’ covers world and join in the struggle of work- Department of Homeland Secu- ers and immigrants, because I am der 60,467 dunums [15,000 requests from readers behind bars. rity: fax (202) 353-9435; tele- Congratulations on your 75th also a worker like my father and an acres] of cultivated land, The Prisoners Fund makes it pos- phone (202) 514-8663; e-mail: anniversary of service. I am a new immigrant in the process of being demolishing thousands of sible to send them subscriptions at [email protected], with reader of your publication. I found deported. homes, closing transporta- a reduced rate. A prisoner can buy a copies to the defense committee it to be very informative and broad I invite all immigrants that are in tion centers, leaving people six-month subscription for $6 and a at [email protected]. The de- in the issues and places it covers. this country, and all that read this cut off. one-year subscription for $12. fense committee can be contacted Unlike other papers that only article, to join in this cause and The Israelis have con- The Spanish-language monthly at P.O. Box 20587, Tompkins Sq. cover issues of U.S. interest, the strongly back us as we defend hu- structed a wall dividing magazine ‘Perspectiva Mundial’ Militant covers the world, giving Station, New York, NY 10009; man rights around the world. the Palestinian people in a offers prisoners a six-month sub- tel: (212) 674-9499; e-mail: voice to the voiceless and hope to Abdul Hamid Wady vulgar and racist way. They the despaired. Continue your en- scription for $3 and a one-year [email protected]. have held millions of dol- subscription for $6. O deavor to enlighten and encourage lars that belong to Palestin- the working class in all nations to Palestinian struggle To help cover the cost of these ians in Israeli banks, while special offers, please send a check With the working class stand up and be counted. Brothers and sisters, the New they continue to raze our I congratulate you for the 75 Until every working man earns a Ye ar promises many social or money order, earmarked “Prison- land, leaving thousands ers Fund,” to the Militant, 152 W. 36 years of your newsweekly educat- living wage—the struggle will and triumphs, and above all in the of Palestinians homeless, St., #401, New York, NY 10018. ing the people in the United States must continue. defense of human rights that are eliminating their source for justice and equality. At the same Edward Morgan outrageously violated by the rulers of employment, destroying The Militant January 26, 2004 11 Israeli troops step up West Bank raids

BY PATRICK O’NEILL would begin to “disen- 8 news conference—“a state for the Pales- In recent weeks Israeli soldiers have con- gage” from parts of the tinian people called Palestine; and a Jewish ducted a series of nightly sweeps through occupied territories. state, the state of Israel, which exists.” West Bank cities and villages, killing at least “The test will be in Powell added, “what we need right now 17 Palestinians and detaining and interro- deeds, not words,” he is for the prime minister of the Palestinian gating dozens more in the space of three said. “If it turns out Authority to get control of security forces weeks. Against the backdrop of continuing that there is no partner and to use those forces and use the other military assaults, Israeli prime minister Ariel on the Palestinian side, tools available to him to put down terror Sharon has insisted that Palestinians submit we will cut ourselves and to put down violence.” Qurei and others, to a so-called peace agreement, including off from them both he said, “have got to wrest authority away” a Palestinian statelet in the West Bank that politically and physi- from longtime Palestinian leader and PA would be hemmed in by Israeli forces and cally.” president Yasir Arafat. bounded by a massive wall. Sharon asserted that While the regime in Tel Aviv wields a big “if we receive security, Economic crisis, political dissent military advantage, it continues to confront we will give—give With the sealed-off West Bank and Gaza stubborn opposition from Palestinians. It a lot. If the terrorist Strip no longer readily serving as mass also faces growing war weariness among infrastructures will be sources of cheap Palestinian labor, the working people in Israel, reinforced by dismantled from the Israeli capitalists have stepped up attempts the accumulating effects of three years of root, if the incitement to lure workers from overseas. By the end economic recession. stops, then the govern- of 2003, reported the December 24 British “Since mid-December, the Israeli oc- ment of Israel under Guardian, about 260,000 immigrants were cupation forces have stepped up their ag- our leadership, under working in Israel, “having replaced Palestin- gression through the northern West Bank, Likud leadership, will ian labourers during three years of fi ghting.” focusing heavily on the city of Nablus and be prepared to do its They have come from countries in Africa, its adjacent Balata refugee camp,” stated part to make possible Asia, Eastern Europe, and elsewhere. the Palestine Media Center (PMC), which the establishment of The budget just passed by the Israeli par- is supervised by the Palestinian National an independent Pales- liament includes a range of cuts to spending Authority (PA). Nablus is home to 60,000 tinian state.” on government services, including Social people. The January 8 report added that Sharon’s speech did Security, reported the Financial Times. Israeli soldiers “have killed 14 Palestinians not receive unanimous Among other measures, the government in the city over the past three weeks.” acclamation from the Work crews construct 25-foot-high wall between East has raised the retirement age by two years. Israeli troops reentered Nablus January Likud delegates. De- Jerusalem and Abu Dis in the West Bank, replacing six-foot The UK paper noted that such measures 7, the day after a curfew imposed in late spite his ultimatums barrier that people would climb over to go to school and “are also Washington’s conditions for $9 December was lifted, and fatally shot two toward the Palestinians work. “Israel’s continued policy of building the wall means billion in loan guarantees granted this year, Palestinians who they claimed had fi red on and continuing refusal that talk about a Palestinian state makes no sense,” said which have helped Israel to raise fi nance them. “I don’t fi nd any justifi cation for kill- to negotiate with their Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qurei. through international bond issues at lower ing them,” Nablus governor Mahmoud el- elected leaders, a num- interest rates.” Aloul told Reuters. “It is just more military ber of convention delegates loudly booed evacuate a few tiny outposts, most of them Meanwhile, the number of Israeli troops pressure in order to make the Palestinians him for his statement that Tel Aviv might reoccupied since.” who refuse to take part in the repression in lower their political demands.” have to “relinquish some Jewish settle- Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul the West Bank and Gaza, while still small, The same night troops also killed a ments” in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Mofaz have reportedly listed six outposts has continued to grow. Late in 2003 three of- 22-year-old man in Tulkarm, to the north- The steps proposed by Sharon were for short-term removal. “But nothing has fi cers and 10 soldiers from the elite Sayeret west. According to the Palestine Media among those stipulated in the “road map happened on the ground,” reported the Matkal commando unit wrote to Sharon to Center they held 24 Palestinians overnight for peace” promoted by the White House Economist. say, “We have long ago crossed the line throughout the West Bank. since the spring of last year and provision- Wall around the West Bank between fi ghters fi ghting a just cause and ally accepted by Tel Aviv. The London- oppressing another people.” Sharon declares ultimatum based Economist noted that back when Amid the rhetoric about “peace ne- They had decided to go public with their Speaking January 5 at a convention of the “road map” was proposed, Sharon’s gotiations” and debate about whether or criticisms, said the Israeli troops, “out of his Likud Party, Sharon reiterated threats government had promised to enact this not to “disengage,” Tel Aviv has pressed deep fear for the future of the state of Israel that if the Palestinian leadership did not part of the agreement “immediately.” ahead with the construction of a 400-mile as a democratic, Zionist and Jewish country effectively clamp down on suicide bomb- Promises notwithstanding, the big-busi- concrete and steel wall that surrounds and and out of concern for its moral and ethical ings and other attacks organized by Hamas ness weekly reported, “nothing happened penetrates the West Bank. On December 31 image…. We will no longer butcher our and Islamic Jihad, the Israeli government bar some desultory attempts by the army to Israeli soldiers fi red tear gas and rubber bul- humanity by taking part in an occupying lets at hundreds of demonstrators in Budrus army’s missions.” who surrounded an olive grove to block the paths of demolition and construction crews. W. Coast grocery strikers maintain Seventeen people were detained that day and Cincinnati city workers the next. pickets, announce King Day rally As planned, the barrier will surround keep abortion coverage Budrus, cutting its residents off from their BY JAMES VINCENT reduce health-care costs for the chain by groves and livelihoods. In total some 70,000 BY VAL LIBBY LONG BEACH, California—“We’re $350 million. Palestinians in at least three towns will be CINCINNATI—Some 2,500 city work- fi ghting for all working people,” said Phil- In what it called a “good faith effort” to roped into Israel as the wall loops around ers here won back their medical coverage lip Alvarez, a produce worker with 10 years resolve the strike, the union also pulled its strategic and productive areas, including for abortion procedures December 5 when at Ralphs. “We are fi ghting to maintain our pickets at warehouses owned by the three Israeli settlements, incorporating about 80 an arbitrator ruled that a city council ban health benefi ts, a pension, seniority, a de- grocery chains. Some 8,000 Teamsters had percent of Israeli West Bank settlers into Is- on this section of the health plan violated cent livable wage—but the companies want been honoring the UFCW picket lines since rael. “The fence also would contain several the union contract. American Federation to take all that away.” November 24. unconnected sections around settlements, of State, County and Municipal Employ- Some 70,000 grocery workers, organized On January 2 the union fi led suit against including Ariel, a community of 18,000 Is- ees (AFSCME) Ohio Council 8 had fi led by the United Food and Commercial Work- Ralphs for hiring 50 to 100 union workers raelis some 15 miles inside the West Bank,” a grievance against the exclusion after it ers (UFCW), are on strike at more than 850 under false names and Social Security num- the Associated Press reported. came into effect in 2001 in a measure ap- stores in Southern California that belong to bers. UFCW offi cials told the Los Angeles Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qurei proved in a 6-2 council vote. a few grocery chains. Times that if Ralphs hires back workers pointed out January 8 that “Israel’s con- City attorneys had argued that because Now entering their fourth month on the lockout could be ruled a selective tinued policy of building the wall means the contract did not specify which medi- strike, UFCW grocery workers here are layoff, making other workers eligible for that talk about a Palestinian state makes cal procedures are covered in the plan, hanging tough. “We’ve had our strike pay unemployment benefi ts. The union has also no sense. the government could make exclusions at cut and most have had their health benefi ts fi led a complaint with the National Labor “If this Israeli policy continues,” he any time. AFSCME represents about 900 eliminated,” said Becky Jones, a cashier Relations Board. stated, “we are going to come back to the clerical and technical employees, as well with 26 years at Ralphs. While the strikers face increased fi nan- option of a single, bi-national state”—a as sanitation and water treatment workers, Jones and 20 other strikers were walking cial hardship, the supermarket bosses are position that would involve the rejection of registered nurses, and others. About 1,000 the picket line in front of Albertsons Janu- taking big hits to their bottom line. Safeway a separate impoverished Palestinian statelet AFSCME members are women. ary 9. Se and others noted that most shop- took an estimated $496 million loss in sales in the occupied territories. In addition to restoring abortion as a cov- pers continue to honor their picket lines. in the fourth quarter. Merrill Lynch report- Israeli offi cials were “furious” at the rhe- ered procedure under the medical plan, ar- The grocery strike began October 11 af- edly said it “expects the chains to ‘shrug torical suggestion, reported Agence-France bitrator James Mancini ordered the city to ter Vons, a division of Safeway, refused to off’ the continued short-term earnings dam- Presse. One anonymous high-ranking offi - reimburse any union member who had had budge in the talks. The following day Ralphs age from the strike and for their stocks to cial told AFP, “This is nothing less than a an abortion since the ban was put in place. and Albertsons, which bargain jointly with ‘bounce’ on an agreement,” according to threat to put an end to the state of Israel as Bob Turner, AFSCME executive director, the union, locked out their workers. By a 97 the San Diego Union-Tribune. a Jewish state, and we categorically reject said in a January 8 phone interview said percent margin the union’s membership re- UFCW Local 770, the largest of the it. Instead of threatening us, Mr. Qurei he was unaware of any AFSCME member jected the companies’ offer, which called for striking locals, announced several union would be best advised to come back to the who had yet applied for reimbursement, $1 billion worth of health-care cuts, a wage activities for January. They include a rally negotiations table and start implementing but that the union was “putting out a mass freeze for the fi rst two years of a three-year on January 17 at the Inglewood Forum, a the road map.” mailing to make sure members are aware contract, and a substantially lower pay and Martin Luther King birthday rally on Janu- U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell re- of their rights.” benefi t scale for new hires. ary 19, an event on January 20 sponsored by jected Qurei’s statement as well, pinning the City Solicitor Rita McNeil told the Cin- On December 19 negotiations ended af- the National Association of Letter Carriers, blame for the confl ict on so-called Palestin- cinnati Enquirer that she does not intend to ter the grocery bosses rejected a proposal and a benefi t showing of the fi lm Salt of the ian “terrorism.” Washington is “committed appeal the arbitrator’s decision unless told from the union that included cuts that would Earth for January 22. to a two-state solution,” he said at a January to do so by the city council.

12 The Militant January 26, 2004