THEORETICAL ORGAN Of THE MLN

Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional CALL FOR A REVOLUTIONARY INDEPENDENTS BLOC STATEHOOD AND CULTURAL AGRESSION DOGMATISM AND ARMED STRUGGLE TWO fORMS OF JJVTERJV/ITiOJVyU ORDER QUEBEC NEWAfRIU CHILE QUEBEC < THESES DESDE El FORO /AITERWAC/OIVAl ON THE NATIONAl Quebec and the National Question 2 QUESTION DESDE MS RE/AS thing that capitalism outgrows: on Communique From The Eleven THESES ON THE NATIONAL. the contrary, its importance in- QUESTION creases. Contemporary examples in- P.O.W.'s To The People clude Northern Ireland, Wales and 3 1. National oppression intensifies Scotland in the U.K., Brittany, in the epoch of imperialism. The Corsica and the Occitane in France, bourgeoisie uses national oppression the Basques in Spain, the Puerto Ri- DfSDE LA to enhance its own profits, to ex- cans, Chicanos and Afro-Americans pand its empire, and to corrupt its in the U.S., and 1'Acadie and Que- CLANDESJINIDAD own working class with the crumbs bec in Canada. "The socialist revolu- Colonial Elections and the Struggle of the super-profits. But national tion," writes Lenin, "may breakout oppression brings a revolutionary not only in consequence of a great Of The Working Class response. Capitalism's general crisis strike, a street demonstration, a has been characterized by a growing hunger riot, a mutiny in the forces, Statehood and Cultural Aggression wave of revolutionary struggle or a colonial rebellion, but also in against colonialism, neo-colonialism consequence of any political crisis, Part 2 Dogmatism and the and racism. The uprising of the like the Dreyfus affair, the Zabern Armed Struggle oppressed nations in Asia, Africa incident, or in connection with a and Latin America has shaken im- referendum on the secession of an perialism. Iran, Palestine and Nica- oppressed nation, etc."Significantly, ragua are the most recent examples. Lenin's three examples are all drawn 2. The democratic struggle against from national oppression in Western DESDE LA national oppression is an essential Europe. element in the proletarian revolu- 4. The distinction between op- TRIBUJVA tionary struggle for socialism. It pressed and oppressor nations was would be a "fundamental mistake," described by Lenin as "the focal Statements to United Nations writes Lenin, to suppose such point" and "the cardinal idea" of Decolonization Committee struggles are a "diversion." The a communist position on the nation- struggle for political democracy, of al question. Refusal to recognize Jose Lopez (M.L.N.) which national liberation is one part, this distinction is a feature of op- Ricardo Romero prepares the proletariat for victory portunism in the working class (Chicano-Mtxicano Commission over the bourgeoisie."We must com- movement. Because the objective Ahmed Obafemi (R.N.A.) bine the revolutionary struggle conditions of workers in the op- against capitalism with a revolution- pressed and oppressor nations are DESDE NUESTRO ary program and tactics on all demo- not the same, communist activity cratic demands: a republic, a militia, addresses different tasks. PUAITO DE Y/STA the popular election of officials, Communists in the oppressed equal rights for women, the self-de- nation aim to push forward, deepen Forced Emigration and the termination of nations, etc.," wrote and radicalize the struggle for Development of Puertorriquenidad Lenin. national liberation. "When the revo- 3. The struggle against national lution is confronted with tasks of Solidarity Statement oppression, far from being "solved" a democratic and anti-imperialist in the advanced capitalist countries, character, (communists) aim to is a profound contradiction of great develop it unceasingly, to raise it to revolutionary significance. The a socialist revolution, to go over as "national question" is not some- cont. on page 4 FALL '80 DfSDF MS REIKS FROM WIJHIN JHf BARS COMMUNIQUE fROM THE ELEVEN PRISONERS Of WAR

mation of a peoples army to bring about peoples war, rejection of com- pulsory military registration to the armed forces of the U.S.A., support of all political prisoners and Puerto Rican prisoners of war, implemen- tation of a solid and unified anti- annexionist campaign. We hope that these ideas will serve Today, Tuesday August 26, 1980, as an incentive and catalyst for the dence and to expel our enemy U.S. we, the eleven Puerto Rican Prison- imperialism from our home land is ers of War, wish to make a public of vital importance as it was for our call for the purpose of stressing Nationalist heroes Lolita Lebron, various points of vital importance Oscar Collazo, Irvin Flores, Rafael to the Puerto Rican Liberation Cancel Miranda in their call to unity, Movement. as it was for our heroic revolutio- We call for the creation of a Pro- nary clandestine organizations: Independence Revolutionary Block Organizacion De Voluntaries Para as a first step towards the creation La Revolucion Puertorriquena, of the Puerto Rican National Lib- Ejercito Popular Boricua, Fuerzas eration Front. Armadas De Resistencia Popular, We address ourselves to ,all patrio- Fuerzas Armadas De Liberacion tic and pro-independence sectors Nacional Puertorriquena, in their affiliated and non-affiliated, com- acceptance of this call to unity mitted and willing to unite around given September 23, 1979 in Lares certain fundamental points in re- Puerto Rico, and as it is for us, the gards to the unity of the indepen- Eleven Puerto Rican Prisoners of dence revolutionary movement. War. We believe that the definition of This call for unity is a historical this Block has to be socialist in con- necessity and historical responsibil- tentand anti-imperialist in character, creation of such a Block, We under- ity in order to achieve final victory repudiation of colonial elections, stand that in the final analysis it will for our nation - Puerto Rico. the expulsion of U.S. navy from be those integrating the Block who We call upon all Puerto Rican Vieques to be seen within the con- will realize the work and develop a People to contribute with their texts and perspective of ridding all strategic program based on clear ideas and creativity to the creation Puerto Rico of imperialism, support points of unity. of a vehicle of unity which will bring for the armed struggle and all revo- For the Puerto Rican Indepen- about, and make possible the real- lutionary clandestine organizations dence Movement, the unity of its ization of the aspiration of our who are the embryo for the for- forces in order to achieve indepen- people in our homeland and in exile. DE PIE Y EN LUCHA Cont. from page 2 Quebec. Outside Quebec, the lin- que himself is afraid to even use the guistic rights of French-speaking mi- word, though his "sovereignty" is quickly as possible to the fulfillment norities are everywhere denied. the same thing as political indepen- of socialist tasks," writes Enver There is a long tradition of resis- dence. The "association" he pro- Hoxha. They expose the narrow tance to this national oppression poses will perpetuate the economic interests of the national bourgeoisie, that has often taken on revolution- domination by U.S. imperialism and which wants to cut the revolutionary ary'dimensions. Louis Kiel and 12 its junior partner, English Canada. upheaval short. This wavering class of the 1837 Patriots paid with their Levesque may become Quebec's threatens to retard and sabotage the lives for their armed resistance to Salvador Allende, leading workers national liberation struggle, and to the chauvinist English-Canadian into a bloody battle, all the while compromise with the oppressor. rulers. Following World War II, a insisting that the army will not fight. Finally, communists strive for unity renewed wave of national sentiment 7. The working class must lead with workers in the oppressor na- -inspired in large part by anti-co- the national struggle. Leadership tion. lonial revolutions in Asia and Africa of the independence movement Communists in the oppressor rocked Quebec. The national bour- must be taken out of the hands of nation fight for the right of the op- geoisie, which aspired to improve Levesque, and the proletariat put in pressed nation to self-determination, its own position with respect to its command. Of course, the united up to and including secession. They more powerful competitor in English front must encompass those distinguish themselves from oppor- Canada, dubbed this "the quiet revo- elements of the national bourgeoisie tunists, who use the abstract slogans lution." But the working class forces, and the intelligentsia willing to of "national equality" and "unity which had created the upheaval, accept'such leadership. Only the of nations" to cloak a chauvinist were far from quiet. Their partici- working class, guided by the Marxist- position. Communists aim to defeat pation in the national struggle is a Leninist party, can provide the un- the efforts of "their" bourgeoisie long history of strikes, demonstra- compromising commitment, as well to hold the oppressed nation by tions and street battles with the as the revolutionary tactics, neces- force. They refuse all privileges. police. The Front de Liberation du sary for victory. "Socialist Parties which fail to prove Quebec (FLQ) raised the spectre of 8. No nation can be free if it op- by all their activities now, as well armed struggle, and its revolutionary presses another. English Canadian as during the revolution and after manifesto of 1970 fell on receptive workers must learn that they can its victory, that they will free the ears among the workers of Quebec. never throw off their chains until enslaved nations and establish re- The labor movement, led by the Quebec is free. Our slogan is the lations with them on the basis of a militant Confederation des Syndi- right of Quebec to separate. This free union - and such a free union cats Nationaux (CSN), again and means we resist all attacks on Que- is a lying phrase without a right to again challenged the chauvinist op- bec and attempts to subvert the secession - such parties are com- pressors and their colonialized independence struggle, be they the mitting treachery to socialism," French-speaking agents. daily political intimidation of Davis, Lenin. 6. The struggle for the indepen- Clark and the Globe and Mail, or dence of Quebec is a component of the naked threat of armed interven- 5. For more than 200 years, Que- the revolutionary struggle for soci- tion. We strive for the military de- bec has been an oppressed nation, alism, independentist sentiments feat of the English-Canadian bour- first within Britain's North American among the workers of Quebec have geoisie in its efforts to suppress the colonies and then within indepen- unleashed powerful revolutionary national liberation struggle. We en- dent Canada. The suppression of the energies. These have taken on an deavor to popularize the progress 1837 rebellion, the Durham report anti-imperialist and socialist orien- of the struggle in Quebec among the (which advocated liquidation of the tation. We desire the development workers in English Canada, to build French nation), Confederation, the of this tendency, its advance to the solidarity, and to develop respect hanging of Kiel, the conscription stage of political general strike and for the militant example that is be- crisis of World War I through to the armed struggle, and its eventual tri- ing set. We desire increasing co- October crisis of 1970, are all umph over the English Canadian operation on an organizational basis episodes in the continuing oppres- chauvinist bourgeoisie. between workers in both nations. sion of Quebec. An obstacle along this path is the Features of national oppression of hesitant, wavering and compro- 9. The New Democratic Party the Quebecois include lower wages, mising national bourgeoisie. Rene (NDP) and the Canadian Labour higher unemployment, more dan- Levesque and the Parti Quebecois Congress (CLC) play a particulary gerous working conditions, limited represent this class. Parliamentarist repulsive role as spokesmen for the access to education, poorer housing, solutions, such as the referendum, English Canadian bourgeoisie within a higher mortality rate and inferior offer little hope of striking a decisive the labor movement. These organi- standards of medical and dental care. blow for independence. They zations represent the backward The English language continues to threaten to disarm and demoralize views of the more privileged workers hold a privileged position, even in the most militant elements. Leves- and the social-democratic intellec- cont. on page 8 DESDE LA CLANDESTINIMD FROM IHf JRlNCHfS COLONIAL ELECTIONS AND THE STRUGGLE Of THE WORKING CLASS

During the election year, it has union leaders) of participating class. They are also well aware that been noted that all the participating in the political struggle the workers, for some years, have parties have made a great show of - what class character the political been in a process of development of recruiting union leaders as candi- organizations that the workers political independence as a class. dates for office - a whole competi- participate in should have They have lost the hegemony they tion has emerged to demonstrate - what benefits come to the work- had in the first decades of the PPD, who is closest to the working class, ing class as such, and to the and everyone is struggling to be the who gives them more participation, unions, through the participa- substitute for it. and who represents them. tion of the union leaders in those Possibly the ones who have the This situation has developed a parties and in the bourgeois- most interest in this are the PNP; or great deal of debate in the heart of colonial elections. perhaps a very special interest. Being the left. Positions have flourished - should the unions determine the the present administration, it has which go from an idealization of political participation of their stood out because of its anti-worker unions, of a populist shape, to the leaders, and are their interests politics, and it needs a higher level classic magic wand that some groups above the general ones of the of mass support to be able to pro- have continued repeatedly waving working class? ceed with its plans for annexation. as a solution for everything, of the - is there any particularity in the The PPD needs to be able to erase necessity for the communist party. case of the UTIER? the anti-worker measures from its Everyone has made a party analysis, The bourgeoisie and the petit past administrations and try to throwing their coals on the bonfire, bourgeoise have found themselves channel popular disgust against the each above all, very partial. Certainly obliged by circumstances to disguise present administration. some have presented very valid ar- themselves as defenders of the work- Everything: its liberal declara- guments, but they have failed in ing class. Organizationally and in its tions, its new thesis, its worker lead- seeing the whole scope of the pro- levels of political consciousness, the ers, its attacks on corruption, its blem. working class is still weak. Moreover attacks on the PNP's americani- The elements that stand out and it can be said that they haven't zation, etc. are part of its new ward- seem of the greatest significance are emerged from the ebb tide into robe of opposition, "Puerto Rican- the following: which they fell some years ago. But ess" and workerism necessary to win - the necessity the bourgeois par- everyone needs them to fix their office. ties have had of presenting them- perch in the government. They know With the PIP, it's the same story. selves in worker's clothing that the economic crisis (above all Only with the working class can any- - the right and the responsibilities in entering a recession phase) is one push through any change in the the workers have (including the suffered principally by the working cont. on page 6 DE PIE Y EN LUCHA Cont. from page 5 That their division among parties zation of the class as to the develop- colonial political situation. Social which don't have this class character ment of the workers' consciousness. democracy knows it, and is inte- debilitates the class and submerges it Some have argued that the prob- rested in replacing yanki imperialism more in the political confusion, as lem is the lack of a working class with its own empire. Social democ- much through the participation it- party .Again they bring the simplistic racy has demonstrated internation- self as through the not-very-militant formula of parties, and don't even ally a great capacity for the bour- position the PSP took through explain how the existence of such a geoisie to maintain control through Lausell in the case of the UTIER. party would resolve things. In reality governments and parties flavored It remains clear, however, that if this ideal party existed, if Lausell with populism. what is questionable is not the polit- were its candidate and if it partici- With the PSP things are a little ical party participation of the pated in the bourgeois-colonial different. Although this party is union leaders. Not only do they have election process, its arguments pre- tightly linked organizationally and this right, but it must be defended. sented here would be the same. It ideologically to the petty bour- Even more it must be defended from would do the same damage to the geoisie, it persents itself as Marxist the point of view that they have the struggle for independence and so- and as a workers' party. The case of right to do so outside the bourgeois- cialism. In reality behind the argu- the PSP must be seen from the per- colonial elections, from clandestine mentation for a party is hidden the spective of the methods of struggle structures and in the armed struggle. hope of converting it into a power- (employed); and as to how one con- It must be clarified also that it is a ful party so that some individuals tributes to the working class gaining populist position to pretend that could participate in elections. From consciousness as a class and con- this participation can be determined this position, one of the arguments sciousness of the necessity for revo- by the unions. Where to participate used against the PSP is that Lausell lutionary struggle to take power. organizationally in the class struggle should be participating even when PSP politics in regards to unions and is a party oriented question which he has no chance. But if he had a to the use of union leaders has been the unions cannot dictate to their chance, would the action be correct? very opportunist, and this has been leaders. The unions are primary NO! debated so much that it is not structures of struggle, ideologically In the case of the UTIER, the necessary to go on recounting heterogeneous which in their present situation is graver. This union finds history. To a great extent, the rest development, respond to particular itself in negotiations and with the of the analysis is applicable to these interests of sectors of the working candidacy of two of its principal comrades. class, but not to the historic inte- leaders, which is weakening the What merits notice is that every- rest of the class (seizure of power by unity with which they should be one, from the right to the reformists, the class, socialist society). For this confronting the bosses at this mo- have been pressured by the awaken- reason UTIER cannot be consulted ment. The (mesquinos) party inter- ing and the unification demon- concerning the particpation of Lau- ests do not deserve the sacrifice of strated by the working class in the sell and Dupry. This would only con- the political and organizational past 15 years. But it doesn't follow tribute to dividing UTIER more strength of the UTIER. that anyone has a genuine interest than it has already been divided by To conclude: the effort of the in representing their interests, and the participation of these principal union leaders and of the workers on much less that anyone aspires leaders in the electoral process. the left, as well as the socialist organ- to a worker's state. The candidacy of the different izations themselves, should concen- The fact that they have been able union leaders is not going to con- trate, in regards their union work to integrate this gamut of union tribute anything to the development and with the working class, in the leaders, (from opportunists and graf- of the workers' movement. It has development and strengthening of ters to so-called Marxists) also shows no utility for the workers. The ranks the processes of union democracy, the low political development of the of the respective unions will be di- the creation of the political con- workers movement, the small vided along party lines among parties sciousness of the class, and the or- amount of class consciousness, the foreign to the class; will strengthen ganization of the working class not penetration of bourgeois ideology, their hopes for legislative reforms just in unions but primarily in par- economism and reformism, and the to alleviate their situation; they will tisan and non-partisan political or- precarious political organization of continue believing in the bourgeois- ganisms inside and outside the the left. This is not political partici- colonial channels for political unions. They ought to seek the pation of class conscious workers, it struggle. It will create a dependency struggle in the streets and the mobil- is completely the opposite. It is par- on what the leaders can do instead ization of the masses which will fos- ticipation that strengthens different of fomenting workers' participation ter political participation in the factions of the bourgeoisie. The in the struggles of the masses; it will struggle and preparethemasses; they workers haven't yet become aware strengthen the view of separating the should avoid methods that detour that political participation of the unions from politics, when they see from these objectives. Along this workers, as a class, is essential to the the disaster this brings to their political and organizational line, political ends of the working class. unions or to the political organi- cont. on page 8 PARJ DOGMATISM AND ARMED STRUGGLE unit HISTORY The Third Communist Interna- International and his Party's lea- with a courage and heroism with few tional, having as its purpose to re- dership that Mao illuminated the historical precedents. Thousands of unite and co-ordinate forces and correct road towards prolonged lives were lost. While the Commu- tactics that were capable of seizing people's war. nists operated in guerrilla units, the revolutionary state power by the The dogmatists, however, identi- non-Communist anti-fascists limited working class, was founded in 1919. fying armed struggle with insurrec- themselves to obtaining information The Bolshevik experience pre- tions, concluded that these insurrec- for the Allies. Very few, if any, sented itself as the beacon that illu- tional defeats signified the present were combatants. minated the path. For it was that incapacity or impossibility of taking Once the war had ended, the lea- party that had obtained the triumph, up arms, and began to preach the dership of the French Communist and its influence and prestige "parliamentary tactic" as the first Party literally disarmed its com- weighed heavily upon the revolu- stage of the "Revolution" that batants, whose organization was ex- tionary reasoning of that epoch. would fortify the possibilities and perienced, massive and solid; in o- The practice of the Russian com- ripen the "objective conditions" ther words, capable of developing munists had demonstrated the har- that would culminate in a victo- the revolutionary struggle for the monious combination of both rious insurrection. seizure of state power, at the War's elements, and the European com- end, and returned to the "revolutio- munists thought that the same could nary" parliamentarist tactic. be repeated in their countries. In The piglets, Orwell would say, addition, they concluded that the could no longer be distinguished Russian Revolution signaled the be- from the humans. ginning of the revolution in Europe, Historically, the dogmatists have and that this in turn signified the been extremely flexible in their tac- downfall of capitalism; all this with- tics (the very cry of "flexibility" is in a short period of time. a tactic). However, they have been Lenin shared this judgement, and extremely rigid in other things: they along with the rest of the Interna- have reneged on the working-class tional, had his vision set on Germany. But the "tactical" incidence re- struggle and have opted for comp- The German situationwas frequently sulted in a deviation. The "means" romise, with the active collaboration referred to as establishing parallels became an "end" and parliamentar- with the enemy class. The strikes, with the Russian experience. Parallels ism became a true means of politi- the mass demonstrations, and the that did not correspond with the cal and ideological perversion upon confrontations with the armed for- German political reality. the leadership of the Communist ces of the bourgeoisie have all been Three insurrections realized under parties. In Germany, in addition to replaced by the electoral fronts, the extremely unfavorable conditions the initial theory that the social strike-breaking pacifism, the eco- were smashed in Germany. democrats were the principal ene- nomism and other reformist lepro- The Third International firmly mies, the parliamentarism of the sies. maintained its insurrectional out- Communist Party facilitated the They are, objectively, the fifth look in its revolutionary thinking; fascists' rise to power. column of the "anti-fascist" or the defeats directed the revolu- All this was before the Second "anti-imperialist" bourgeoisie within tionaries to develop more effective World War. the working class. They are the forms of insurrection. But it was During World War II the French tranquilizing pill with which fascism only after more insurrectional de- Communists fought in the Resis- and imperialism paralyze the work- feats, and in spite of the Third tance against the Nazi occupation, cont. on page 3 DE PIE Y EN LUCHA DOGMATISM AND THE ARMED Cont. from page 4 Quebec's favored natural resources, STRUGGLE: advantageous geographic position ing class, while they prepare to re- tuals. If armed invasion of Quebec is along the St. Lawrence, and rich press and make war. threatened, it will be Broadbent and source of labor (paid less and treated McDermott egging the troops on to worse than workers elsewhere in the THE SOLUTION battle. 7 country), all contributed to the 10. There is another variety of strength of the oppressor. Quebec There is an old dialectical dictum chauvinist which attacks the nation- was the plum that made this group that the remedy is a product of the al movement from the "left." supreme not only in Ontario but on illness. Organizations such as the Commu- the Atlantic and Pacific as well. With the rise and proliferation of nist Party of Canada, The Forge, In Lenin says a revolutionary situation prolonged people's war on a world- Struggle and the Communist Party arises not only when the people have wide scale, the conditions which of Canada (ML), devote more energy reached a situation where "they have gave life to the development of to attacks on Levesque's petty-bour- nothing to lose but their chains," dogmatism disappear. From the ve- geois nationalism than they do to but also where the rulers themselves ry entrails of dogmatism have arisen the chauvinists in Ottawa. They be- are unable to continue in the, old the revolutionary elements which, tray their own Canadian - that is, way. Therefore, the possible break- reacting against the collaborationist English Canadian - nationalism. up of Canada prompted by the politic of the previous parties, have They see an independent Quebec as national liberation of Quebec, could routed their militancy along paths a threat to a "strong Canada," cause a crisis that would totally un- productive to the working class: though such chauvinist drivel is of- dermine the chauvinist bourgeoisie, Carlos Marighella was a member of ten masked in slogans about a "free and precipitate a revolution through- the Executive Commission of the union" and a "new constitution." out Canada. Communist Party of Brazil, Douglas For example, the Communist Party Bravo was a member of the Political of Canada (pro-Moscow) urges a November 29, 1979 Bureau of the Communist Party of strong Canada to fight U.S. imperial- Venezuela, and Salvador Cayetano ism, while The Forge (pro-Peking) Carpio was the Secretary General of urges a strong Canada to fight So- the Communist Party of El Salvador. viet imperialism. The Communist Dogmatism, however, is not dead. Party has a long two-faced history Cont. from page 6 The enemy sponsors it generously. of craven support for the most The politico-military develop- nationalist demands of the English valid for both public and clandestine ment of the revolutionary guerrillas Canadian petty-bourgeoisie, all the organizations, will be found the base will lead the working class in over- while condemning "nationalist to organize the working class for coming this limitation. The stupe- tendencies" among the workers of participation and leadership of the faction which its existence produces Quebec. The virulent, one-sided struggle for independence and social- is dangerous, but if revolutionaries attacks on the PQ pervade the pro- ism. orient themselves correctly, they paganda of these groups, not only can annihilate it. One never under- in Quebec but in English Canada as Taken from Urayoan, the official takes or adopts a centrist position well, where they fan the flames of organ of the Fuerzas Armadas de in relation to them. To do so would chauvinism. Resistencia Popular, (Armed Forces mean that Che's sacrifice was in 11. Just as struggles in Iran, Nica- of Popular Resistence) F.A.R.P., vain, and that the Mario Monjes be- ragua and Palestine have struck a 3rd year, May/June, number 3. came once again effective. mortalblow at U.S. imperialism, the struggle for the liberation of Quebec may devastate the English Canadian bourgeoisie, and bring on its own revolutionary crisis. Plagued by contradictions not only with Quebec NO but also with a long history of separatist movements in Maritime and Western Canada (mainly annex - ationists who wanted to join the von U.S.), the main source of strength of the dominant Montreal-Toronto capitalist group has been its rule and oppression of Quebec. This is the cornerstone of Canadian capitalism, in much the same sense as Ireland has "served" British imperialism. STATEHOOD AND CULTURAL AGRISSION Culture is one of the aspects of culture which the Spanish encoun- different conditions of life, from the society whose study presents major tered was affected by the imposition establishment of certain modes of difficulties. The principal barrier is of another culture that came accom- production appropriate to the that it is not limited to material panied by certain methods of pro- colony, the inhabitants of the Island production of a people, but rather duction and technology that were continued adapting features of the is a phenomenon principally of the more developed. The aboriginal cul- assimilated cultures, and at the same thought and the conduct of a social ture was halted in its own develop- time there emerged characteristics of being. Also we consider that there ment and succumbed before a more that society which distinguished it are multiple concrete and tangible developed social orgainzation. The from the metropolis as well as from manifestations of culture such as the same thing occurred with the culture the other colonies in America. instruments of labor, literature the that was brought by the African ele- This differentiation was forming a mode of production, the plastic ment. Uprooted from their milieu, new nation in America, the Puerto arts, customs, crafts, architecture, forced to adapt to other conditions Rican nation. Descendants of Tainos, clothing, music, language and dance. of life; their concept of the world, Africans, and Spaniards began to call All these elements manifest particu- themselves, and to feel like, criollos lar features of the culture of a people (creoles). The island economy and are possibly the principal in- acquired its own demands and in- struments to approach the study and terests. The people born here de- comprehension of the culture. They veloped a patriotic love of this island are a manifestation of and a part of, and a particular form of expressing but do not in themselves constitute, their sentiments. a culture. This human process that There emerged two essential we call culture also encompasses a elements for the consolidation of a way of seeing things, of appreciating people as a nation: the national feel- various natural and social pheno- ing of its component parts, that is, mena, of the concept of what is the consciousness of themselves as beautiful and what is ugly, of deter- their way of seeing things, their a nation; and what the sociologists mining what function anyone in mode of relating to other human call "spirit of the body" (a feeling of society (as a class or social sector) beings and their form of showing belonging to a larger group, family, can hope to fulfull, as well as a code their feelings were all changed.They team, barrio or country) together of ethics and the whole gamut of were assimilated culturally by a with certain economic interests that thoughts and tastes. All these are milieu and a culture that was at an needed to create their own road a- elements that sometimes are expli- advantage. head. citly manifest and other times are This process of assimilation that The new cultural formation which implicit and in use even though took place with the Taino and the was consolidated in the 19th Cen- never mentioned. The implicit African culture, which we have men- tury had in turn its own develop- character of many of these aspects tioned very superficially and with- ment. From the moment that we can is one of the barriers in the way of out detail, flowed in its turn into a observe the emergence of the new comprehending the cultural pheno- development of the predominant nation and its culture we see a menon of a people. culture, the Spanish. After this pro- movement that produced changes Two other characteristics of a cess one can no longer speak of a in two directions. In one direction culture are its dialectical essence and Spanish culture like the ruling cul- distinguishing itself more and more its dependence on the mode of life ture of the metropolis (also one can from its origins and building its own of the society. Culture is in constant not say that the culture of Spain personality; and in the other di- development. Like all social pro- remains the same before and after rection developing itself within the cesses it springs forth, develops and the discovery of America) corre- new mechanisms, channels, patterns changes, and can die. It goes on dis- sponding to the culture among the visions and interests which had been carding what is worn out, whatever Spaniards who lived in Puerto Rico forming in its breast. The struggle becomes an obstacle to the econo- at that time. In the process of cul- between the old and the new mic development of the society. In tural assimilation, from the adapta- dynamized a culture. In turn this this way the indigenous or Taino tion of the Spaniards themselves to cont. on page 10 DE PIE Y EN LUCHA STATEHOOD AND CULTURAL Also influential in the process of The assimilationists want to pre- AGGRESSION Yanqui intervention in Puerto Rico sent the Puerto Rican culture as acquires its own life and~even was the emergence of a captialist something static and superficial, as though determined by the mode of power in America and the commer- a process subject to the will and production-becomes independent cial relations already established be- whim of the Puerto Ricans. They and influences it. fore the invasion, between the attempt to show that conditions The key word in the process is Spanish colony and the U.S. This cannot exist, beyond the will of the "determined." Although a culture trade came to be part of the material people, that could assimilate the nat- develops into a structure of its own, base on which were developed classes ional culture into North American subject to its own laws of develop- and class interests which formed a culture. Moreover they pretend to ment, affected by interaction with contradictory nation where some show that the yanquis have no such other cultures, enriching itself by the defended the status quo, others intention. Let's read some para- acquisition of universal values, and sought to free themselves from the graphs from the pamphlet by Ro- even influencing the material me- colonial shackles that impeded their mero Barcelo entitled "Statehood is dium of its existence, it is limited development as a class, and others for the poor": by the material base on which it is sought to deepen the relationships "Puerto Rico is a duly constituted built.*! with the U.S. as a means to achieve people, with a way of existing-what It has been scientifically demon- their own interests. Within the pre- is called a culture-which is very strated that this material base is invasion commercial relations were much particular to us and well de- where there is erected the whole established the political and ideo- fined." edifice formed by political institu- logical bases that facilitated the mili- "What was the situation when the tions, the state, ideas, parties, religion tary intervention. These relations U.S. invasion came to Puerto Rico and other factors usually known as were developing the social base of in 1898 as part of the war between the superstructure of the society. support for the yanquis. Spain and the U.S.? Culture is a broader concept than From the North American inter- ".. .Then began a mistaken chapter superstructure because it integrates vention up until now the Puerto in the relations between the U.S. and aspects which constitute the ma- Rican culture has been a debate be- Puerto Rico. The Americans then terial base, or the mode of produc- tween two antagonistic currents. began an attempt to convert the tion. One was national affirmation and Puerto Ricans into Americans. And, In the material base the most im- the other assimilation into North mistakenly, some Puerto Ricans of portant factors are those which America. Both, with their own de- those times began to believe that revolve around the economic life of velopment and at the same time within a short time the Puerto a people. To the extent that the interrelated. The great difference Ricans would become Americans." economic conditions of life of the between them is that one, the pro- "This experiment lasted some population of Borinquen were dif- North American, has counted on the thirty years. And it failed, as it had ferentiating themselves and becom- whole material weight of the ruling to fail. Because the Puerto Ricans ing less dependent on the metro- colonial relations.The assimilationist are Puerto Ricans and we cannot polis, they were forging different ideology has been the foundation of ever be converted into Anglo-Saxons interests and methods of seeing the predominant modes of pro- without going crazy." things.* 2 duction cultural assimilation has "...This is so for many reasons. matched economic assimilation.The First because the Puerto Ricans of other current has had to fulfill the *1 The material base of a culture that time, who were our fathers and magnificent function of resistance. our grandfathers, had away of being is constituted by its geography, cli- It is not out of the geniality of mate and mode of production. By that they were not going to change the political rulers that the annex- for any other way of being, so mode of production we mean what ationists are governing now. Decades constitutes the productive forces, abruptly and almost violently. In of yanqui colonialism and an entire the second place the Americans did which embrace everything from the period of free associated state-ism social being itself as an entity with not move to Puerto Rico in great have been the base which has placed numbers..." experience, the instruments of work, annexationism on the offensive. If "All of the above only goes to ex- up to the technology and scientific in the past there have been criollos discoveries, and on the other hand plain a great truth which we all know who have felt themselves to be and recognize in our most intimate the relations of production which Spaniards and Spanish patterns of are established among human beings hearts and our way of being: that life were felt to be the ones that we Puerto Ricans are what we are, at aparticular historical developmen- should be imitated; today,thanks to tal stage of the productive forces. and what we are going to continue eighty years of yanqui imperialism, being." we also have a sector of the popula- *2. Other influential factors were tion which feels itself to be North the distance from the metropolis and American and whose patterns of life the state of communications media. copy those of the north. cont. on page 11 Cont. from page ir If the Puerto Rican culture has intensified the process of americani- succeeded in surviving and develop- zation in the whole educational "Our culture, as we pointed out ing itself as it has, this has been be- system, they hive proposed to abol- earlier, is our way of being. Is our cause of two fundamental factors. ish sovereignty in sports, they have Puerto Rican way of being going to When the North Americans invaded introduced the primaries of the change overnight when the U.S. Puerto Rico they encountered a Yanki parties and propose to in- Congress converts us, on our peti- nation already constituted, with troduce the U.S. presidential vote tion, into the 51st State? Clearly strong cultural characteristics in full with the intention of assimilation not. How is it possible to change? development. The mechanisms of the local parties; they have deepened Peoples ways of being are not some-- economic dependence and have thing that can be controlled by legi- attacked institutions like the Puerto slation." Rican Ateneo, the University and "When another piece of legislation the Institute of Culture. Their inten- made Puerto Ricans citizens of the tion is obvious: to eliminate the U.S. in 1917, our way of being did sources of resistance in the cultural not change at all. We kept dressing sphere. If this is so even while we the way we dressed. We kept eating are not yet a federal state, what what we ate. We continued to have remains for us when they win their the same religion. And we continued defense and development already goal? speaking Spanish. There is not one had decades of establishment and Under federal statehood all the aspect of Puerto Rican culture that had manifested themselves in the vital institutions of the people will has changed since 1917 as a conse- Grito de Lares, in a struggle to be integrated into the institutions quence of Puerto Ricans being made, abolish slavery, in art, literature, of the empire. The political system, by Congressional legislation, into politics, in an autonomous govern- the educational system, sports, the citizens of the U.S." ment and in a social class (the large legislature, the development of cul- "When Congress passes the law landowners) who, having economic ture, the whole judicial system, that converts us into the 51st State power, were seeking political power. would be at the service of the na- ...we will continue being the same Assimilation did not easily result tional interests of the U.S. Already, people, speaking the same language from these conditions, and the pro- in practice, many of these institu- that we now speak, dancing the same cess required fundamental changes tions fulfill this function. Statehood dances that we now dance, and cele- in the economic order. The first would end with taking away the in- brating the same holidays we now years were ones of unequal struggle stuments needed for the will of the celebrate." between a power, and an economy national struggle of the people to in transition that did not have be able to find means to concretize And he concludes: mechanisms for struggle. But what themselves in a development of their did exist was an economy that would culture. "How do we guarantee to the have to be absorbed in order to fa- Moreover they propose to bring Puerto Ricans that this will be so?" cilitate cultural assimilation, con- the people to stop thinking in terms "We guarantee it simply by insis- stituted an inital barrier of resis- of their national identity. They ting that it be so." tance. would not speak in terms of the The man who denied Puerto Rican Today, after 82 years of Yanki nation and the Puerto Rican people. culture, the party that describes our penetration, we find an economy They would be the people, and the culture as a provincial one, now absorbed by imperialism. Now they nation of North America. These are wants to give it a false strength and have the material base to complete the true objectives of the annex- limit it to dance, dress, food and the cultural assimilation. In the pro- ationists. In the past they have en- language. In truth, the reality of cess they gave accomplished the countered strong resistance from the what they describe has been dif- Americanization of a great sector people against the disappearance of ferent. The beginning of the century of the population, but they have the nation. Today, when the imperi- was a titanic resistance to preserve encountered a tenacious resistance alists have achieved absolute domi- our culture before the coarse and in the order of the spiritual culture nion over the economy, it is of vital savage yanqui attempt to assimilate of our people. The PPD and the ELA importance to strengthen the instru- us. The children of this land who served as an instrument of assimila- ments of defense of the culture and lived or were born in the beginning tion in order to create the platform to win national independence, the of this century know another reality. from which they launched the pro- only way in which the people and They have seen how "our way of statehood forces, who are hurrying the working class can create the being" has been changing. How a to surpass the servility of the others. mechanisms for strengthening and sector of the population has been The PNP has been outstanding developing the national culture to americanizing; how the "american for its attempts to consolidate the higher levels. way of life" has penetrated even into mechanisms of destruction of the our countryside. Puerto Rican culture. They have DE PIE Y EN LUCHA DfSDF'IfROM AJHl PODIUM UNHID NATIONS STATEMENT BEFORE THE Mr. President, and Distinguished Statement Before the Committee COMMITTEE ON DECOLONI- Delegates: on Decolonization of the U.N. By ZATION OF THE UNITED Ricardo Romero Representative of NATIONS ON THE COLONIAL J am Ahmed Obafemi, the Eastern the Chicano/Mexicano Commission CASE OF PUERTO RICO AND Regional Vice President of the Pro- of theM.L.N. PUERTO RICANS IN THE visional Government of the Republic I would like to thank all the UNITED STATES of New Afrika. I appear before you Members of the Decolonization ON BEHALF OF THE MOVI- today on behalf of 20 million New Committee, all the nations present MIENTO DE LIBERACION Afrikan people of the New Afrikan here today, who have made it pos- NACIONAL Nation, in North America, to ex- sible to address ourselves to the press our full support and solidarity question of Independence and So- for the Independence of Puerto Rico Jose Lopez cialism for Puerto Rico. and the 11 Prisoners of War. National Coordinator I also choose to take this oppor- The New Afrikan Nation is an August 18, 1980 tunity to address myself to the internal colony of the United States. plight of the Chicano/Mexicano The territory of the nation is located Honorable Delegates: people in the United States. in the southeast portion of what is I will begin by giving a brief his- currently called by imperialists the It has been exactly two years torical background and analysis of United States of America. As a since we last addressed this august the necessity of our struggle. colony, We have suffered the hideous body. At that time we outlined the Since the early 1500's, with the results of colonization, rampant un- conditions of the Puerto Rican peo- invasion of our homelands by the employment, wretched health care, ple inside the United States—or, as Spaniards, the Chicano/Mexicano and diabolical mal-treatment in the Jose Marti referred to it, to live people have struggled to gain their educational area. In the area of within the belly of the monster and Independence. We struggled against criminal justice at this very moment to know its ways. Spain for 300 years until finally, in the state of Illinois is attempting to Since that time, much has hap- the year 1821 we gained our inde- put to death 17 Black men on a frame- pened, particularly in regards to the pendence from Spain. up prosecution in Chicago. This revolutionary Puerto Rican indepen- Our people have a history of continues ,-,n American tradition dence movement, both in Puerto struggle that is unequalled in the his- wherein 54% of the persons executed tory of the Americas. Rico and in the U.S. We have wit- in the United States have been New nessed the glorious escape of William Our independence from Spain was Afrikans, although the New Afrikan short-lived, as the French imposed Guillermo Morales, the death of the population is only 12% of the total Patriot Andres Figueroa Cordero, an Emperor on our nation by the population of the United States. name of Maximilian. We struggled the unconditional release of the re- The New Afrikan people became maining four Puerto Rican national against this invasion by the French a nation upon this land via the in- and defeated them on the Fifth of heroes: Lolita Lebron, Oscar Colla- stitution of slavery when millions May at Puebla in the year 1867. zo, Rafael Cancel Miranda and Irvin of Afrikans were kidnapped from During this period we had a Flores, the issuance of a joint the Afrikan continent, and from neighbor to the north of us who was communique by four of the six ac- various tribal nations and brought the rising capitalist power, who had tive Puerto Rican revolutionary to the Americas. In North America deliberate plans to expand their guerrilla organizations in response a New Afrikan nation was born, the capitalism and looked to our coun- to the unitary call made by the captives from numerous Afrikan try as a basis from which they could Four upon their release. Since then, tribal nations merged into one begin. we have witnessed also, the horrible people during slavery, with one cul- Thus the Mexican nation was and barbaric assassination of the Pa- ture, a new Afrikan homeland, and triot Angel Rodriguez Cristobal, one language , / coming out of 80 years of internal cont. on page 13 ' cont. on page 16 cont. on page 18 13 Cont. from page 12 leader of the Liga Socialista Puerto- beration struggle which seeks to strategic role in the human struggle rriquena, at the hands of his jailers end internal colonialism and which for liberation. Why do we have the in Tallahassee Federal Prison. A in Miami gave a prelude of the mili- audacity to proclaim this? month later, we witnessed a poli- tant and revolutionary mood that is Honorable Delegates, the reasons tical execution, by a combined sweeping the Black community in are two-fold. We need only look commando force of the guerrilla this decade of the 80s. We wish, at around this room to see that natio- organizations, during an attack on this time, to make particular note nal liberation in this epoch is the a U.S. Navy bus—one of the most of the struggle of the people of motive force for social progress, dramatic and well-executed mili- Quebec for self-determination and and in the struggle for national in- tary actions in Puerto Rico's independence, and to extend to dependence. Secondly, Puerto Rico history. This incident, which left 2 them our revolutionary greetings. is both the Achilles Heel of U.S. sailors dead and 10 others wounded, Honorable Delegates, all these imperialism and its Trojan Horse. saw the revolutionary forces escape forces, and many of the nations re- There is no doubt in our minds that, unharmed, while some of the Naval presented in this body, in one degree regardless of who is elected in No- survivors were given the Purple or another are challenging U.S. vember 1980, the present Trilater- Heart—a military honor bestowed imperialist hegemony, particularly alist strategy will continue. by the U.S. government for actions as enunciated in its strategy of tri- Internationally this means that of courage demonstrated in a war lateralism. I am sure that all of you the declining U.S. imperialists will situation, a clear testimony that a attempt by whatever means to sus- state of war exists between Puerto tain a hegemonistic position over Rico and the U.S. On April 4,1980, the so-called free world. While try- we witnessed the capture of 11 ing to make some concessions to Puerto Rican freedom fighters, ac- three other Western economies, par- cused of membership in the heroic ticularly Western Europe, Canada, Fuerzas Armadas de Liberacion Na- and Japan, and perhaps even share some of its technology with emer- cional (F.A.L.N.) by the civilian ging Third World countries with police of Evanston, Illinois. It is mineral wealth, it will do everything this latter incident that we wish to possible to suffocate liberation address ourselves to today. struggles wherever they appear. Before continuing, it is appro- However, we know that the world priate that we salute those peoples is changing and inter-imperialist and movements who today, along conflicts are definitely emerging. with us, struggle against the greatest This brings us to the point of do- enemy of humanity, U.S. imperi- mestic trilateralism. alism : we stretch our hands to greet As the U.S. is weakened abroad, the courageous people of Iran who as its economic and political posi- have demonstrated to the world tion wanes, the U.S. monopolists, that a small nation can bring a major particularly the finance capitalists, power to its knees. We take note of are familiar with trilateralism. will have to confront major internal and solidify ourselves with the he- However, it is necessary for us to conflicts. For hundreds of years roic Chilean resistance against the elaborate a bit on the subject, as it the U.S., not content with settling bloody Pinochet's dictatorship. We relates significantly to Puerto Rico the lands of the native peoples, and salute the valiant people of El Sal- and Puerto Ricans in the U.S. not content with the takeover of vador, who like their brave neigh- The organization whom I have half the national territory of Mexico, bors of Nicaragua, have pledged to the great honor to represent before and not content with enslaving rid their territory of imperialism this august assembly, the Movi- millions of Africans, and not con- and its dictatorial lackeys. We em- miento de Liberacion Nacional tent with its military intervention brace the heroic Palestinian people (M.L.N.) has enunciated a four- in Puerto Rico, has attempted, by in their struggle against Zionism, pronged program for the total libe- whatever means—from starvation which is a specific form of racism ration of the Puerto Rican people, to lynching, from sterilization to and imperialism. We wish to ext- placing it within the context of the assassinations, from infanticide to tend our unconditional solidarity to world-wide struggle against imperi- national annihilation of these sub- the people of Ireland, who struggle alism and for social progress. In ject peoples— the U.S. has done for a United Ireland, to the Mexican analyzing our program, which is everything possible to transform revolutionary movement which essentially the program of the Puer- these peoples within its federal seeks to realize the dreams of Zapa- to Rican revolutionary movement, structure into objects. This policy ta in this new era, and the Black Li- we see Puerto Rico playing a can only be called genocide. cont. on page 14 DE PIE Y EN LUCHA Cont. from page 13 The common history of objecti- at the expense of millions of lives ism has developed a fully operatio- fication of Third World people with- of Jews, Poles and other Slavs, whom nal strategy to maintain its hege- in the imperialist borders of the he sacrificed as scapegoats. One mony ; that is, trilateralism. federal state has given birth to a does not have to be a wise man to And a challenge to this strategy common history of resistance. This decipher who are to be America's must be developed. We, as an orga- resistance of Native People, of Black scapegoats. They most certainly nization, intend to contribute our People, of Chicano-Mexicano people will be found in this country's in- grain of salt to the evolution of and of Puerto Rican people reached ternal colonies— the Blacks, the such a strategy against U.S. imperia- a high point in the 1960's. Particu- Chicano-Mexicanos, the Puerto Ri- list hegemony across the Americas, lar note of this is made in the Tri- cans and the Native Americans. based upon the principle of self-de- lateralist blueprint for fascism in Across the land we are seeing a re- termination and mutual respect, the U.S., Crisis in Democracy. This emergence of fascist and racist or- accepting the idea that we are dis- document, which we discussed ganisms, from the election of a Nazi tinct peoples whose conditions re- when we last addressed this body, to a Congressional seat in Michigan quire the realization that only a clearly states that fascism is the to open attacks by the K.K.K. on common strategy will insure the only alternative for the U.S. It is Blacks and Mexicans everywhere. destruction of our common enemy. within this context that one must The most blatant forms of racism Therefore, one of our organizational examine both police, F.B.I, and were channeled and orchestrated by perspectives, upon which we have I.N.S. terrorism in Third World the state against Iranian students in built our strategy, is to nurture and communities, as well as the re- the U.S., even to the point where enlist the support of oppressed na- implementation of draft regis- young Iranians cannot walk the tionalities as well as progressive tration. For as the U.S. tightens streets of America's cities without white people within this country. its belt, it must insure its ability fear of losing their lives. Today, as a consequence of our to combat the growing insurgency Not only are the masses of white efforts and those of the National from its internal colonies. people being mobilized to support Committee to Free Puerto Rican Honorable Delegates, one only the right-wing trend in the U.S., but Prisoners of War, this body is being has to look at America to see clear- an all-out effort is being made to addressed by representatives of the ly the road it is trotting. Cities are control the Third World population Chicano-Mexicano and Black libe- being transformed from dwellings in the U.S. As we mentioned earlier, ration movements. They have for the poor into renaissance centers a general wave of dispersion of Third come to demonstrate their support for the wealthy. The policy of gen- World communities in America's ur- for our cause as articulated by our trification is resolving one of Ame- ban regions is taking place. This eleven Puerto Rican Prisoners of rica's greatest problems— for, unlike dispersion is systematic, and well War. They have come, along with in any other cities in the world, in orchestrated. At the same time, their brothers from Quebec and the U.S. the poor and the people of certain areas in the suburbs are being Mexico, to tell you that by your re- color live in the inner cities, while opened for occupancy by people of cognition of the P.O.W. status for the white and the wealthy live in color. Do not be surprised if Ame- the eleven, you are actually recog- the outskirts. Through an urban rica's suburbs of today are trans- nizing the right, not only of Puerto policy that pours money directly formed into America's bantustans Ricans, but also of Chicano-Mexi- into communities, the Carter admi- tomorrow. At the same time that cano, Black and Native peoples to nistration is changing the urban this is happening, America's jails rid themselves of the shackles of co- settings of America. While Carter are filled with Third World people. lonialism by whatever means are whitens the cities, the financial oli- 70% to 809/0 of the nearly 500,000 necessary, including armed struggle. garchy begins to directly manage prisoners in this country's jails are Honorable Delegates, history them, even to the point where city Blacks, Chicano-Mexicanos, Puerto charges you with a tremendous re- budgets are now approved by fi- Ricans and Native Americans; al- sponsibility. Your support, the nance capital. They can no longer though we still constitute a minori- support of the General Assembly, trust the politicians to do their ty of the general population. Do the support of peoples everywhere, work for them. The whole super- not be surprised when today's is of the utmost importance in our structure increasingly is transform- American prisons are transforrmed quest to reclaim our national sove- ing itself into a fascist corporate into tomorrow's American political reignty, taken from us 82 years ago state. Fascism is characterized by internment centers. by the armed forces of the U.S. the state's ability to mobilize the Honorable Delegates, I did not There are only few of you sitting masses to wholeheartedly support wish to develop a thesis on domestic here today whose nation has not the programs of the national mono- trilateralism or fascism in the U.S. been a pawn of imperialism; there polies. One has only to look at I did want you to understand the are few of you who have not tasted Hitler addressing one million ap- situation of Third World people, the bitter experience of being a non- plauding German workers to under- their relationship to world-wide human entity. There are few of you stand that his ability to do this was imperialism, and that U.S. imperial- cont. on page 15 Cont. from page 14 who are not living the legacy of co- Rico. From our programmatic per- prison for criminal actions that in lonialism. spective, there are two other stra- most cases would be served under That the struggle from within the tegic points: international support probation. The state's attorney sta- U.S. is as legitimate an anti-impe- and solidarity, and the creation of a ted these people have declared war rialist struggle as that of peoples in National Liberation Front. on us, we have to teach them and Asia, Latin America, Africa and, their supporters a lesson. What is Europe. The eleven Puerto Rican the lesson—incarceration in control P.O.W.s were captured within the units, where a prisoner is not allowed enemy's lines. They organized human contact, not allowed to read themselves to challenge the power or write, not permitted visits, where of U.S. colonialism. They have he or she must vegetate for years. clearly stated that the struggle of the The charge of conspiracy which, if Puerto Ricans on the island and the present legislation is passed, can be struggle within the metropolitan an automatic death penalty. I could hearth are one and the same. They, go on but, Honorable Delegates, following the heroic examples of Honorable Delegates, let your there is no reason for me to. Most Oscar Collazo, Griselio Torresola, conscience guide you through these of you know that under the guise Lolita Lebron, Andres Figueroa difficult moments. It is imperative of a campaign of human rights this Cordero, Rafael Cancel Miranda that in the decade of the eighties, nation has the greatest human rights and Irvin Flores, have opened and colonialism be put to rest. You have problem in the world today. strengthened what we refer to as a tremendous role to play; accept The eleven have heard the call the rearguard struggle. the challenge. Two years ago I of freedom and they have respon- This brings us to the second point told you we, as a people, have ded. They shall continue to do so of our four-pronged strategy, the a> ;pted the challenge of history. until final victory. They clearly development of a rearguard struggle Tc ay we bring you the coura- understand that Puerto Rico can- deeply rooted in the Puerto Rican geo is examples of Luis Rosa, not be free without the emergence reality of the barrios of the U.S. Elizam Escobar, Carlos Torres, of a National Liberation Front. and capable of mobilizing the Puerto Ricardo Jimenez, Carmen Valen- The embryo of such a front is emer- Rican masses to support concretely tin, Adolfo Matos, Lucy Rodriguez, ging as the ideological debate shar- the revolutionary struggle of Puerto Alicia Rodriguez, Maria Haydee pened by the question of the po- Rico. We intend to develop a rear- Beltran Torres, Dylcia Pagan and sition of prisoners of war grows; guard movement that addresses it- Alfredo Mendez. These cadres ot and as armed organizations advance self to the reality of oppressed na- the Puerto Rican conscience in arms their joint politico-military work. tionalities here, and to develop a accepted the challenge to free our Puerto Rico will be free by the strategic unity with these forces. A homeland, to bring the struggle efforts of the Puerto Rican people unity that recognizes the diversity within the entrails of the monster and with the support of peoples of historical experiences and the and to tell the world that Puerto everywhere. Your recognition of commonality of our resistance. As Rico cannot be free without a the right of Puerto Rico to be free, we enter the decade of the eighties, strategy that revolves around the your support of the eleven to be concept of prolonged people's war. the very survival of our people will treated as prisoners of war, will ad- These eleven are committed to a life depend upon this unity. We intend vance the cause of humanity. As and death struggle against imperial- to develop a rearguard struggle that the Puerto Rican revolution grows, ism; they clearly understand the is capable of mobilizing solidarity I can assure you, U.S. imperialism consequences of their actions and from progressive whites and sectors will be altered dramatically. A free are willing to accept the responsi- of the white working class who have Puerto Rico in Latin America will bility. You, who have long lists of not been bought off by the state. In be the Achilles' Heel of U.S. Impe- doing this we hope to contribute freedom fighters, are being asked to rialism; and the struggle of the recognize their right to be Prisoners significantly to revolution in this Puerto Ricans and other oppressed country. We believe that from the of War, to be treated according to nationalities will be its Trojan Horse. ashes of a totally dismembered fe- international mandates of the 1949 Honorable Delegates, we call up- deral structure, a new order will rise, Geneva Convention, and subsequent on you to heed our message; we do a new order in which injustices, ra- U.N. resolutions. not want violence, we want peace. cial and national oppression cannot Even though the U.S. has charged You can ensure this through your exist. them with criminal activities, one direct involvement by demanding At this point we see that the pri- quick review of the transcript of that the U.S. respect Puerto Rico's ority, because of the rising contra- their so-called trials will suffice to right to independence and repatriate diction, because of the U.S. impe- tell you that they were tried for po- our freedom fighters, Nydia Cuevas rialist attempt to annihilate our litical reasons. An all-white jury and Pablo Marcano. nation through statehood, is_P_uerto_ condemned them to long years in cont. on page 19 DE PIE Y EN LUCHA cont. page 12 The provisional Government of Again in March 1971, United States of New Afrika citizens were released the Republic of New Afrika was Congressman John Conyers Jr. de- after serving fail terms. Three, how- founded by a Declaration of Inde- livered a Republic of New Afrika ever, were sentenced to life imprison- pendence in 1968, at a New Afrikan proposal to the then United States ment, one received two concurrent Peoples' Convention in Detroit, President Richard Nixon. The legal 10 year prison terms. In May 1973, Michigan. With the signing of the case for the existence of the Black seven Republic of New Afrika citi- Declaration We declared ourselves Nation can be found in the Article zens were ordered to stand trial on formally and before the world as Three Brief which was filed in federal charges on conspiracy and non-citizens of the United States and United States District Court for the assault - charges on which they were instead as citizens of ourownNation. Southern District (The U.S. vs. Imari found guilty and were sentenced to The Provisional Government is a A.Obadele). prison terms ranging from three to leader among the many formations However it is worthy to note that seventeen years. These prisoners be- which are currently working for the the Attorney General of Mississippi came known as the RNA-11. liberation of New Afrika and the stated to the press in April of 1971, Previous to the attack on the Re- New Afrikan people. The Provisional that he had no authority to negotiate public of New Afrika, the Counter Government is a political descendant with the Republic of New Afrika Intelligence Program had decimated the Black Panther Party, sent the of the slave rebels who fought to since he had no authority to negotiate Revolutionary Action Movement overthrow the plantation. It is also in the area of foreign affairs. members into exile and forced the a political descendant of the New In response to the Attorney Gen- Afrikan independence fighters who eral of Mississippi's request to rid Afrikan Peoples Party and many fought for the freedom of the New the state of the Republic of New others underground. The implemen- Afrikan communities in South Afrika, the United States Govern- tation of the infamous COINTEL- Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Loui- ment as a part of its war strategy PRO was declaration of war on the siana, and Alabama immediately "COINTELPRO" conspired to mili- Black community. It was an attempt after the institution of slavery in tarily attack the Republic of New to crush the indigenous leadership North America was declared to be Afrika. Shortly after sunrise on and to neutralize, (an intelligence legally abolished. The Provisional term for destroy), the movement of Government is a political successor Black people. Just as this government of the Universal Negro Improvement attempted to crush the people's Association of Marcus Garvey, the struggle on the Afrikan continent, Afro-American Blood Brotherhood, Southeast Asia, Latin Ameirca, and the Universal Association of Ethiopi- other parts of the globe so it saw the an Women, the Nation of Islam and need to crush the legitimate struggle numerous other formations. Our of its domestic colony here in North struggle for theindependenceofNew America. Afrika and the freedom of New It was during this period that the Afrikan people is conducted in union Black Liberation Army, an armed with the Afrikan Peoples Party, clandestine formation emerged in theNew Afrikan Prison Organization, response to the colonial violence of the Black Liberation Army, and the United States government. After various black united fronts including August 18, 1971, in Jackson Mis- many successful actions against the the National Black United Front, sissippi, the official residence of the state, the Counter Intelligence Pro- and the National Black Human Republic of New Afrika was raided gram isolated the Black Liberation Rights Coalition. by 15 policemen, and 14 FBI agents Army, and eventually rendered it In 1970 the Provisional Govern- seeking to serve a fugitive warrant ineffective v/ith the capture of many ment established its national govern- on a young man believed to be in of its soldiers. However, it still lives. ment headquarters in the subjugated the house. Gunfire was exchanged In May of 1975, the Republic of territory. and a policeman was killed and two New Afrika called upon the United The intentions of the Republic of other law enforcement agents were Nations Organization to recognize New Afrika were well k lown to the injured. Seven Republic of New the 15,000 square mile District of United States government as early Afrika citizens in the house and four KUSH, the Republic of New Afrika, as May, 1968, when the United others at the Republics nearby office also sometimes known as the wes- States State Department met with were arrested and jailed on charges tern side of Mississippi, as a Non- an official of the Republic of New of murder, assault with a deadly Self-Governing Territory within the Afrika and accepted a note contain- weapon and "waging war against purview of the Special Committee ing a request for negotiations over the State of Mississippi." The latter of 24 on Decolonization, for the questions of land and reparations. charge was based on a pre-civil war following reasons: The United States State Department statute. Eventually, certain charges cont. on page 17 said the note would be studied. were dropped and some Republic 17 Cont. from page 16 a. New Afrikans, persons of Afri- In the past few years the con- The Republic of New Afrikj kan descent, have been the majority ditions of New Afrikans have be- agrees with the United Nation1 population in this area for 200 years: come more deplorable. We have be- bodies when they say tl:at colonial- We have worked and developed this gun to organize around these con- ism is a crime of the highest sort, am land, and We have fought to stay ditions. Black people are being vic- therefore We support the rignts OT here; timized more and more by racist colonized nations to engage in armed killer cops. Black youth as young as struggle in its quest for indepen- b. But a white minority govern- 10 years old are being shot down in dence. ment rulesKUSHby fraud, coercion, cold blood! We find massive cut force, and naked violence, in collu- An armed struggle for the libera- backs in anti-poverty programs and sion with the District Courts and tion of Puerto Rico has been in pro essential services as well as attacks other agencies of the United States gress, and recently 11 Puerto Ricav. on affirmative action in education freedom fighters have been captured Federal Government; this white and employment. The response to minority Government in KUSH is a The United States government has the mass movement ofNewAfrikans lineal descendant of the Government attempted to apply criminal status has been more military aggression to thes; courageous freedom fight- found to be illegal by a Select Com- by the United States government mittee of the United States Senate ers, who in no uncertain terms have and right wing terror organizations in 1876 (see Senate Report 527, made it clear that they are embers such as the\Ku Klux Klan. The Part 2, of the 44th Congress, First of the clandestine army in their war Session), and it ruthlessly pursues resistance of the Black community of liberation for independence and a campaign of Genocide against the in Miami, Florida, Wrightwille, Ga., socialism for Puerto Rico. New Afrikan Population, in conra- and Chattanooga, Tennessee, are The Repbulic of New Afrika fears vention of the United Nations Con- clear expressions of Black people's for the life of these courageous vention on Genocide of 9 December struggle for self-determination. Puerto Rican freedom fighters under 1948 and the United Nations De- On November 5th 1979, the the jurisdiction of the United States claration of Human Rights, to which N ional Black Human Rights government without the rights of (the Latter) the United States is Co lition led a mass march of over the Geneva Convention, and there- signatory,and suppresses the authen- 5000 people to the United Nations fore call upon the Decolonization tic political will to the majority under the banner of self-determi- Committee to grant full status as population: nation for the Black Nation at that Prisoners of War to the 11 Puerto c. The minority white govern- time again We submitted a petition Rican freedom fighters. ment in KUSH, with the support to Salim Ahmed Salim, President In these great international com- and collusion of the United States, of the General Assembly, seeking mittments and declarations you have persistently interferes with the recognition of our Prisoners of War. pledged to support the independence exercise of New Afrikan nationality On November 2nd, just two (2) knowing that as those oppressed by the majority population in vio- days before the demonstration at colonies before us have gained their lation of Article 15, of the Declara- the United Nations, in an action independence so too will We witness tion of Human Rights, which reads; to dispell the United States govern- in the near future the Independence Article 15. "(1) Everyone has a right ments insistence that the Black of both Puerto Rico and New Afrika. to a nationality. (2) No one shall Liberation Army was dead, the armed clandestine formation went be arbitarily deprived of his nation- LONG LIVE THE CLANDESTINE into a New Jersey prison and freed ality nor denied the right to change ARMY OF PUERTO RICO his nationality." our most prominentPrisonerof War, We also requested the release of Assata Shakur. In Assata's own words she speaks about the army, LONG LIVE THE BLACK the RNA 11 and called upon the LIBERATION ARMY United Nations Organization to in- "There is and always will be until every Black man, woman and child sist that the government of the INDEPENDENCE AND is free a Black Liberation Army. We United States cease the use of SOCIALISM FOR PUERTO RICO criminal statutes against captured must defend ourselves and let no one disrespect us. We must win our male and female soldiers of the Black INDEPENDENCE AND liberation by any means necessary." Liberation Army and accord to SOCIALISM FOR NEW AFRIKA these soldiers full status as Prisoners The support of the New Afrikan Nation for the independence of Of War. This petition was denied. FREE THE LAND!!! In part primarily because our inde- Puerto Rico reflects an understand- pendence movement was in its em- ing of its colonial status based upon bryonic state of development and our own experience of 400 years of had state of development and had colonial domination by United not as of yet gained mass popular States imperialism. support.

DE PIE Y EN LUCHA Cont. from p'age 12 strife and revolution; and, being the imperialist division of our home- to be imbedded in the present so- economically powerless, was no land. ciety. Chicano/Mexicano people re- military match for the United States. Since 1846, the Chicano-Mexi- fuse to become part of the main- The United States, on the other cano people have been the victims stream and give up our cultural hand, since the presidency of and subjected to both physical and values. Thomas Jefferson had their eyes on psychological genocide at the hands The similarities of struggle that the Mexican nation, because they of the United States. we have with other peoples is clear needed new markets and labor We do not recognize the border in terms of the oppression in the power for their expanding capital- that divides our country, for that U.S. and the conditions that we ism, and they saw Mexico as a border was imposed upon us mili- face everyday. prime target. tarily by a capitalist power and is The same conditions that affect In the year 1825, Joel Poinsett, sustained today only by the mili- Black people in the South, lynching, the first Ambassador from the U.S. tary capabilities of U.S. imperialism. the raping, the mutilation, are faced to Mexico, was sent on a mission to For us to recognize the Treaty of in the southwestern part of the U.S. try and purchase the territory now Guadalupe Hidalgo, for us to recog- by Chicano/Mexicano people. known as California, Texas, New nize the border, is to recognize the That is why we can understand Mexico and parts of the states of legalisms of imperialism; and thus and recognize the colonization of Sonora and Coahuila. recognizing the right of the U.S. to Puerto Rico by the United States. When the Mexican government colonize the Chicano/Mexicano After U.S. capitalism perfected refused to sell her northern territo- people. colonialism with us, they exported ries, a mechanism was then put into The different methods which the the process to other countries . . .to order, whereby military force would U.S. used to colonize the Chicano/ other nations ... to the Caribbean, be used to acquire and control those Mexicano people were aimed at to the Philippines, to Cuba .. . areas. completely destroying us psyco- That is why we can recognize With the election of President logically through uprooting and and understand clearly the similari- Polk in 1844, whose political views destruction of our culture. By co- ties of struggle with the Palestinian had their roots in the great-nation lonization they wished to make us a people. chauvinist idea of Manifest Des- reflection of our enemy. Their The Palestinian people are in the tiny, the whole mechanism of capi- attempt to strip us of all our identity same position as the Chicano/Mexi- talism was set into motion for ac- had at its basis the desire to make cano people. quisition of the northern territories us more yankees than the yankee. They lost their land to Israel in of Mexico. 1948, when the Zionists held a In 1846 Polk declared war upon They attempted to destroy all of plebiscite and took it before the the Mexican nation, and with that our internal fabric as a people, in- United Nations. The Zionist idea started the 134 year period of in- deed as a nation! The living proof was supported by the imperialist ternal colonization for the Chicano/ of this came when we started to powers of the world and the settler Mexicano people who resided in the reject ourselves, when we started state of Israel was carved out of Pa- United States. to recognize the border, when we lestine. We also have a clear under- The territory acquired through started to say that we are Spanish standing of the struggle of the Irish American, or that we are Hispanics, that war included the states of New people for unification of Ireland, Mexico, California, Texas, the state that we were Chicanos, not Mexi- and we support that struggle as of Colorado and parts of Utah and canos . . .totally ignoring and trying we support the Palestinian people's to change who we really are, what Nevada, and all of Arizona. Today struggle for their homeland. we really are! to drive from Colorado to the Gulf, At this point I would like to ad- We see, then, a trend in the U.S. Brownsville, Texas is 1600 miles; dress myself to the current miserable for Chicano/Mexicano people to try to drive from Colorado to Oakland, situation of the Chicano/Mexicano to assimilate into the mainstream California is 1400 miles. In terms people within the U.S. We have of society, but it's impossible for of a land base, you can see that the one of the lowest levels of attain- us to do so because we refuse to re- territory that was taken from ment in the educational system of linquish our language, our cultural the Mexican nation constituted the U.S. And Chicano/Mexicano values and our way of life. an enormous amount of territory, people have one of the highest un- We must also address ourselves in total over 945,000 square miles. employment rates in the U.S. We to the question of racism in the U.S. This amounts to half of the Mexi- The North American people have are affected by institutional racism, can national territory. by some of the most deplorable of felt that they are racially superior Since 1848, as a consequence of housing conditions. to the Chicano/Mexicano people the signing of the Treaty of Guada- Chicano/Mexicano people suffer since the occupation of 1848. This lupe Hidalgo, there exists a militarily physical genocide at the hands of attitude was evident in the position imposed border across our nation, the police departments across the a border which attempts to legalize of Manifest Destiny and continues United States, cont. on page 19 Cont. from page 1 do, Texas War status of the Eleven Puerto Ri Last year, tor ex- Mario Vasquez from Michigan can Companeros and'Companeras: ample in: Kiko Martinex from Alamosa, Carlos Alberto Torres Texas 34 Chicano/Mexicanos Colorado Luis Rosa were killed by police Antonio Alcantar from Laredo, Alfredo Mendez California, 23 Chicano/Mexicanos Texas Adolfo Matos were killed by police Carlos Zapata from Denver, Co- Elizam Escobar New Mexico 22 Chicanos/Mexi- lorado Ricardo Jimenez canos were killed by police Luis Jr. Martinez from Denver, Carmen Valentin Colorado 18 Chicano/Mexicanos Colorado Dylcia Pagan were killed by police. These particular people were sin- Alicia Rodriguez Who knows how many more in gled out because they were political Ida Luz Rodriguez the other areas in which Chicano/ activists and leaders of the Chicano/ Haydee Beltran Torres Mexicano people live. Mexicano struggle. They were in- All who are incarcerated in the As we struggled to regain and re- volved in the student movement in United States Prisons. tain our national identity as a peo- Boulder. They worked with priso- The Chicano/Mexicano people ple, the term Chicano came forth in ners in the State Penitentiaries.;, support the Puerto Rican Indepen- the middle of the 1960's, as a way they were involved in creating alter- dence Movement not only in theory of identifying ourselves as being native education institutions. They but in practice: this was proven Mexican, but living in occupied were spokespersons of our people's; when 3 Chicano/Mexicanos were Mexico, in the colonized territories struggle and that's why they be- sent to Federal Prisons for refusing of Mexico. came a threat. They had to be to testify before Federal Grand Ju- From these conditions we started dealt with. ries who were investigating the demonstrating, marching deman- Six of them died in two car ex- Puerto Rican Independence Move- ding civil rights and equal treatment plosions in Boulder and one was ment. patterned after the Black struggle maimed for life. Land will be reconquered! that was taking place in the United Ricardo Falcon was killed in Maps will be changed! States. Orogrande, New Mexico, by Perry Countries will be renamed! As our struggle heightened in the Viva Puerto Rico Libre! Burnson, a member of the American early seventies and we started to Viva Mexico Reunificado! Independent Party, which was move, the masses of the Chicano/ minimi minimi nun mm i n inn Mexicano people marched in the George Wallace's party at that time in 1972. There is also suspicion of Chicano Moratorium in Los Angeles, involvement by the C.I.A. through California, in protest against the their Operation Chaos program. Cont. from page 15 war in Vietnam. Three Chicano/ Kiko Martinez had to go into po- Mexicanos were killed by the We ask you to be like Prometheus, police at that demonstration. As litical exile! who dared to challenge the mighty Mario Vasquez also had to go in- our struggle intensified the repres- gods, not like Sisyphus, condemned sion intensified against our people. to political exile! forever to serve them. Luis Jr. Martinez was killed in In th~ state of Colorado we have Honorable Delegates, I would like the Symbols of Resistance of the 1973 by the Denver police. Still our people have always main- to leave you with a thought: if Chicano/Mexicano struggle. Puerto Rico is the Achilles' Heel Twelve young people, nine who tained active resistance to the U.S. imperialist colonization of our of U.S. imperialism abroad, and were viciously liquidated, two who homeland. Puerto Ricans in the U.S., united were forced into political exile and with their Black, Chicano-Mexicano one who remains maimed for life. We are the Chicano/Mexicano people and we remain one nation. and Native American brothers are The names of these companeros We do not recognize the border or its Trojan Horse at home; then to- and conipaneras are: gether with our allies in Canada, Ricardo Falcon from Fort Lup- the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Cur position today is the reunifi- Quebec, Mexico and Latin America, ton, Colorado our freedom fighters possess a Pan- Florencio Granados from Browns- cation of the Mexican nation to create the Socialist republic of dora's box with a storm the enemy ville, Texas Mexico. cannot contain. Heriberto Teran from Laredo, We recognize that Puerto Rico is Texas a colony ot the United States and we NO TO DEFEATIST SOLUTIONS! Chicano/Mexicano people support Reyes Martinez from Alamosa, YES TO PEOPLE'S WAR! the Puerto Rican people's right to Colorado FREE PUERTO RICO, Independence and Socialism . . . Neva Romero from Ignacio, Co- THE ELEVEN WILL FOLLOW! lorado That is why we are before this Una Jaakola from Minnesota body to ask your support in recog- Francisco Dougherty from Lare- nizing the Puerto Rican Prisoners of DE PIE Y EN LUCHA DESDE NUESJRO PUNJO DE VISTA FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW FORCED EMIGRATION

The emigration of Puerto Ricans by it (whose political life was rooted volved in sugar production, and the to the US since the yanqui inva- in the independentist sector of the imperialist financiers from the North sion of 1898 is a direct result of the Unionist Party). For it was within that helped entrench the yanquis colonial status of Puerto Rico. Al- this sector that the potential for the in Puerto Rico, and created the though even prior to the US in- creation of an independent natio- conditions for the wholesale des- vasion Puerto Ricans were forced to nal economic life lay. This, toge- truction of Puerto Rico's incipient emigrate, at that time it was to es- ther with the devaluation of Puerto national economy. For all practical cape Spanish persecution and op- Rican currency, the destruction of purposes this —together with the de- pression. small scale industry by the intro- nial to the owners of the coffee In order for one to better under- duction of North American products plantations (los hacendados) of the stand the relationship between yan- (soap, mining goods, canning, pre- power to legislate —delivered what qui colonialism and Puerto Rican serves, cattle, etc., etc.) and by ta- was effectively a "coup de grace" emigration, it is necessary to divide king over the land which previously to this sector of the population. the yanqui domination and pre- belonged to Puerto Ricans, had a It was this process which led to sence in Puerto Rico into two histo- devastating effect on the national the stifiling of the national forces to rical stages. economic life of Puerto Rico. develop an independent political The first stage covered a period The success in destroying the life. It was also this process which from 1898 to the 1930's. It was du- Puerto Rican national legislative forced more than 100,000 Puerto ring this period that US imperialism process was due primarily to the in- Ricans to emigrate. pursued a policy of entrenchment, ternal contradictions prevailing at The stifling of the national forces but in order for this phenomenon the time of the invasion. The yan- (economically and politically) gene- to take place it was necessary to qui placed in the leadership role rated a displacement which resulted destroy those forces capable and that force in Puerto Rico which in the forced emigration of artisans willing to consolidate a national staunchly advocated assimilation, and small proprietors to the United idea. those who saw Americanization as States. This process of emigration For this policy to be successful synonymous with democracy, pro- resulted in the depletion of a very two factors had to be assured. First, gress, modernity, indeed even with important sector of Puerto Rico's it was necessary to destroy the na- civilization. Led by Dr. Jose Celso productive forces which was cru- tional legislative process started in Barbosa, this force had economic cial to the Island's economic de- 1897 when Puerto Rico won a Char- and political interests compatible velopment. For it was the artisans ter of Autonomy from Spain. The with those of the invader and an- who possessed the necessary skills second component of this imperia- tagonistic ones to those whose inte- needed to help Puerto Rico's inci- list scheme rested on its ability to rests are best characterized as na- pient national economic life if it create a circumstance that would tional. These "pitiyanquis" were was to ascend. allow for the complete destruction only too willing to convert them- It was the depletion of this very of the incipient national economy selves into a parasitic or compra- important economic grouping via which was in the process of coales- dor bourgeoisie. Thus it was to the newly-developed mechanism of cence. the benefit of the imperialists to emigration that created the circum- The latter was to be accomplished create a leadership role for them. stance for further imperialist en- by the destruction of the coffee It was this concubinity between trenchment in Puerto Rico: by 1930 industry and the class represented Barbosa. those Puerto Ricans in- cont. on page 21 21 Cont. from page 20 period as the leader of the true in- protegee, to the governorship of the island had been etrectively con- dependentist ideology as well as the Puerto Rico. This appointment verted into a massive sugar planta- Nationalist Party. would be crucial—as we shall tion and a captive market for all In the face of this rising indepen- see later— to the imperialists' manner of US products, subject to dentist tide, the concubinity which plans for the colony. the political whims of Washington had existed for over 30 years bet- Of significant isapottsiee du- and the economic ones of Wall ween the accomodationists and the ring this time is the fact that, as Street finance. imperialists began to crumble. This Puerto Ricans clamored for an end By 1930, over 40% of the Puerto was due exclusively to the fact that to colonialism, the emigrants re- Rican population depended on sugar the balance of forces was tipping siding in the US made echo to this production. This dependency favorably to the side of indepen- call. Those artisans and small pro- brought extreme poverty to the dence. The imperialists and their prietors forced out of their home- point that the mortality rate was lackeys understood that the sugar land by imperialism now called on twice as high as that of the United cane workers made up the only force Vito Marcantonio to take the inde- States. Tuberculosis and every with a common material base and a pendence struggle to the Congress disease associated with malnutri- collective life, strong enough to of the United States. This Congress- tion reached epidemic proportions. destroy the chains of colonialism. It man from Spanish Harlem not only Puerto Rico underwent a change was also clear that a potential alli- defended the issue of independence from poverty under Spain's colonial ance between the workers and the but also put it in its correct histori- rule to dire pauperism under the Nationalist Party would serve great- cal perspective when he said "the wing of American imperialism. ly to accelerate the independence main cause of misery and unemploy- The monocultural character of process. It became clear that if ment in the Island is due primarily the sugar system forced the Puerto yanqui imperialism was to main- to the fact that Puerto Rico's eco- Rican masses to sell their labor at tain hegemony over the colony, a nomic life has been strangled by the cheapest rates imaginable. It systematic plan of repression had to American intervention." He under- was in this period of Puerto Rico's be devised. stood that the issue of colonialism history that the»true nature of capi- Toward this end the imperialists had to be resolved before anyone talism exposed itself to the Puerto developed a plan that is best charac- could address the problems of the Rican masses, for wages,were just terized as one that was in the na- Puerto Ricans in the U.S. enough to allow the cane workers ture of an iron fist hidden in a During the decade of the 30's, to reproduce themselves and to con- velvet glove. For this plan to be due to the success of a series of sume North American products in successful, a wholesale campaign liberal bourgois reforms and of the process. Thus, it should come of terror had to be unleashed against sending the independence forces as no- surprise that during this epoch the rising independence movement. into disarray, the yanqui imperia- Puerto Rico was bestowed the title It was also necessary to break the lists gained the necessary momen- "Poorhouse of the Caribbean" back of the developing workers' tum to begin to put into effect a thanks to the ogre of yanqui impe- movement. By utilizing systematic new economic order for Puerto rialism. repression it was possible to destroy Rico. Thus starts the second By 1930, the Nationalist Party any alliance between the workers historical stage of American pre- was emerging as a patient and potent and the independentist forces. sence and domination over Puerto leader of the independence forces. The second part of the strategy Rico. During this time the issue of inde- for the destruction of this alliance This new economic order for the pendence began to accelerate to the rested upon imperialism's ability to colony was not independent of the degree that it was soon to occupy institute new reforms. It was toward yanquis' global interest. The fascist the forefront of all struggles. It this end that the Franklin Roosevelt war had brought a certain degree of became so that even the accomoda- administration seized the opportu- prosperity to the United States, and tionists (those who supported assi- nity to extend to the Island the li- with it a redirection of its productive milation) had to say that they too beral bourgeois reforms comparable forces. The American involvement supported a type of independence. to those that had been instituted in in the war forced close to 100,000 To better understand the signifi- the United States. Roosevelt was Puerto Ricans to join the imperialist cance of this upsurge and the forces of the belief that as soon as Puerto military services. This resulted in which governed this period of anti- Ricans learned English, that would another displacement which affec- colonial struggle, one need look no create a sufficient base for economic ted the internal situation of the further than the sugar cane workers' and political advancement. It was colony. strike in 1934. For it was no longer this perspective which prompted War production and military pre- Santiago Iglesias Pantin, or the li- the appointment of Dr. Jose Ga- paration deeply affected the internal beral reformers whom the workers llardo to the post of Secretary of situation of Puerto Rico. Construe sought to defend their interests; ra- Education. Washington's second tion of military bases, roads, irriga- ther they looked ,to Pedro Albizu major reform was the appointment tion projects, energy generating sys- Campos, who had emerged in this of Rexford Tugwell. a Roosevelt cont. on page 22 DE PIE Y EN LUCHA Cont. from page 21 had now inherited uncontested earnings were saved and sent to terns, etc. created a new type of hegemony of the capitalist western family and relatives on the Island. work force in Puerto Rico. The li- nations, the Pacific and part of the This money was then put in circu- beral bourgeois reforms of the Orient. Thus in the US a new inter- lation through consumption, almost Roosevelt administration brought nal economic orientation occurred; all of it ending up back in the hanci- with them the necessary funds for and as a consequence, its productive of the US imperialists. F.vcn the the above-mentioned projects, and forces were realigned. The conglo- tourist trade was mostly made up even for the establishment of go- merates and the multi-national cor- of Puerto Ricans going back and vernment-owned corporations. This porations needed more and more forth to visit their families or to new economic activity had a nega- industrial workers. The economic do seasonal work. We can see how tive effect on cane production, emphasis was on industrial develop- the displacement of the excess in which had already suffered an ment, and as a result of this the agricultural productive forces, adverse transformation during the agricultural work was relegated to rather than having a negative effect, Depression (US quota sustem was a less significant category. resulted in a positive one for capital applied to Puerto Rico and sugar There was a vacuum in the Uni- formation. Unfortunately, it was beets from the Southwest had ted States agricultural sector, which only to help the imperialists. preference.) called and demanded workers who By 1948, Rexford Tugwell (the This economic activity was would sell their labor cheap. This representative of the imperialists) accompanied by a political reform particular internal economic situa- and Luis Munoz Marin (the head and a new concubinity. The re- tion brought about the recruitment lackey of the imperialists) had in- alignment offerees brought together of Puerto Ricans to do seasonal stituted a plan for mass emigration. a group of professionals headed by farm work in the United States. The plan also involved the US Luis Munoz Marin, and the masses Such an environment was condu- Dept. of Labor, which helped to of wage-earners (mostly made up of cive to a healthy take-off for accelerate the process of forced sugar cane workers and urban pro- "Bootstrap." For the implementa- emigration. The plan was accom- letarians) who had joined the new tion o Bootstrap, according to Ro- panied by a systematic propaganda Confederacion General de los Tra- bert Hk Ibroner, it was necessary to campaign, which made emigration bajadores. shift the country's productive forces so palatable that masses of Puerto The concubinity was consumma- from the area where economic ac- Ricans just packed their belongings ted by this Puerto Rican force and tivity was stagnant (agriculture) to and hopped on a plane, to sweep the imperialists from the North, another area of accelerated produc- up the riches off the streets of whose political representative was tion (industry) without hurting the the United States. Rexford Tugwell. This arrange- capita; formation base which is The emigration plan established ment brought about a new economic necessary to industrialize and de- a cozy relationship: Puerto Rico and political orientation. velop. In such a situation, industry would get rid of its excess in its This new economic orientation had priority over agriculture. Thus productive forces without losing was the "Bootstrap Program;" the a displacement of the productive or jeopardizing its capital forma- political one was to allow a Puerto forces occurs, the farm worker or tion base, and the US would receive Rican to become governor and to peasant has to be sacrificed and these emigrants and at a very low manage the colonial administration. the industrial sector gains in im- cost, and they sustained necessary This was a remarkable arrangement portance. labor force for its agricultural because: 1) sugar production did The question arises under "Boot- economy. not enjoy the eco- strap," where does the Nation But the U.S. got more than nomic advantages which it had prior aspiring to industrialize place the workers who were forced to work to the Depression; 2) the Nationalist excess of the agricultural workers for cheap wages. Through Boot- Party and the independence forces and peasants? strap, the whole economic and had been neutralized; and 3) the Because of the colonial relation- political character of the Island was Popular Democratic Party (PPD) ship that exists between the US and transformed. An unparalled tax had fused the workers' movement, Puerto Rico, the excess in the pro- exempt system was instituted and a the reformists within the indepen- ductive forces in the area of agri- haven for the Wall Street investors dence movement and the liberal culture were simply disposed of via was created. The money that was reformers into one political orga- emigration. generated by Puerto Rico's pro- nization which took orders from One aspect of emigration, and ductive forces, including that of the Washington, the State Department probably the most important for emigrants, was used to build fac- and Wall Street. the implementation of "Bootstrap," tories, roads and energy sources to It was the creation of this remark- which has been underplayed, is the lure the investors from the United able relationship, together with fact that Puerto Ricans who emi- States. By 1960, 77% of all the in- the end of the fascist war, that was grated contributed more to the dustry in Puerto Rico was in the to help the new economic order capital formation of Puerto Rico hands of the imperialists from the even further. Yanqui imperialism than any other single factor. Their cont. on page 23 23 Cont. from page 22 uncontested control of the labor immigrants brought and -,vi ; • North; and 85% of the captial was movement in Puerto Rico. To add helped them to formulate a coii: • - in their pockets. more obstacles to the Puerto Rican tivc life, once settled in the U.S. i - Puerto Rico underwent: a trans- masses, the Taft-Hartley Act, the amples: The Irish brought : formation from a labor intensive most repressive and anti-labor piece Catholic Church, their p< :.7. il system to a capital intensive system of legislation ever enacted in the Organizations and their trade union of production, but it did not enjoy United States, was also applicable movement. The jews broii^u wit! the benefits of this change. On the on the Island. Under such horren- them synagogues, their political ex- contrary, by 1960, the unemploy- dous, barbaric and oppressive con- pertise and their tradition as inde- ment rate was 13% (according to ditions, emigration became an pendent traders. We were and remain statistics from Dept. of Labor) in attractive alternative. colonial subjects and estranged ol comparison to an 11% rate in 1940. Puerto Rico was now on its way the United States, all at the same Also, by this date, Puerto Rico had to becoming an industrial/military time. lost more than one million of its Colony, with an unparalleled system The Puerto Rican immigrant people through forced emigration. of incentives, an ample skilled sought solely economic prosperity, Again, as it had happened during working force, roads sources of and our stay here was to be a tem- the first historical stage, a displace- energy all of which contributed porary one. Nothing attests to this ment of the productive forces handsomely for the investors from fact better than the return migration occured. This time, it was the sugar Wall Street. At the same time of Puerto Ricans and the traveling cane worker and the marginal urban there was no force present to oppose of over 1 million nationals to Puerto worker. This displacement was a these maneuvers, for the PPD and Rico every year. The most signifi- tremendous victory for the imperial- Washington had taken care of this, cant factor, is the one of support ists and their lackeys of the Popular by co-opting the labor movement, for Puerto Rico's independence, Democratic Party (PPD). By the destroying the Nationalist Party which has been waged by Puerto forced emigration of over 1 million and forcing the masses of Puerto Rican immigrants, and which will Puerto Ricans, the imperialists had Ricans to emigrate. be discussed at a later point in this robbed the base of the independence Through Bootstrap one can see paper. movement. t e integral relationship which The Puerto Rican immigrants The threat which the sugar cane exist, between colonialism and conception of the United States is workers and marginal urban workers emigration. Since the Yanqui in- yet another factor which must be in alliance with the Nationalist vasion of 1898, emigration has been pointed out. Due to the fact that Party, presented to the Imperialists < viewed as the perfect escape valve the Wall Street investors and Wash- presence and domination of Puerto for colonialism. The displacement ington desired us out of the Island, Rico, had difused due to forced which occurs, is another form of a massive propaganda campaign was emigration. Not only did the Imperi- separation and division; although it orchestrated. This campaign dis- alists benefit, but also the colonial is a temporary solution, thus far it torted the facts about life in the lackeys, for now the PPD no longer has worked well for American United States, and it was only a had to deliver the promises made to Imperialism. For, to this day, the tool to lure us out of our homeland. the masses of Bread, Land and Yanqui imperialists have retained We were told that richness awaited Liberty. So when Munoz Marin their colonial yoke over the necks us in the streets of the large metro- took the reigns of the colonial ad- of the Puerto Rican masses. politan centers of the U.S. The only ministration in 1948, he knew that It is precisely this integral rela- thing that we had to do was to there was no force present in the tionship which depicts vividly that sweep it off the streets and it was Island that could succesfully oppose the problems of Puerto Ricans ours. For the starving Puerto Rican him. whether residing in the Island or masses, this was the perfect tempta- It was precisely for the above the United States, can only be re- tion. mentioned reasons that Bootstrap, solved by destroying the structure Puerto Ricans emigrated by the as a liberal bourgeois reform was so of colonialism. To clarify this point thousands, and a virtual aerial bridge successful from its conception in better, one need only take a look was created. In less than 15 years, the 30's, to its implemention after at the Puerto Ricans living in the over 1 million Puerto Ricans had the War. It became the biggest and United States. emigrated. The economic prosperity most profitable maneuver of the The Puerto Rican who was forced and richness we were supposed to century for the Imperialists from to emigrate, is different than all sweep off the streets was no where the North. other immigrants living in the United to be found. With the introduction of Ameri- States. First, the Puerto Rican did On the contrary, what we found can industry, the capitalists best not come seeking a new homeland was dire poverty, extreme forms of ally, the North American organized or a sanctuary to escape from poli- racism and discrimination, and a labor movement also made its pre- tical or religious oppression. We did literal human race for the few sece felt on the Island. By 1955, not bring with us the cultural and menial jobs left in the inner cities, the so called Internationals, had the religious institutions which the other cont. on page 24 DE PIE Y EN LUCHA Cont. from page 23 to work in the most horrendous that experience left on their child A fact which we must point out conditions (in forms which resemble could not be cured. here is that after the Second World more a concentration camp than a But we still had to face and en- War, the urban center, or the so place to earn a living); For example, dure more hardships. We were sub- called inner cities have been depleted a group of migrant workers was sent jected to living in the most deplor- or drained of economic opportu- from Puerto Rico to work in South- able ghettoes: places like Hell's nities. The move now was from the ern Illinois. The workers arrived in Kitchen, Harlem, South Bronx,Will; large urban areas to the suburbs, March, wearing tropical clothes, iamsburg, in New York City, or in where the giant corporations had when the temperature was below the Near West Side of Chicago. space to expand, and where the freezing. Upon their arrival, they These slum-blighted areas, with whites could enjoy the life of were informed that the farm had houses infested with rats and roaches suburbia without having to worry stopped operations the previous year dilapidated, without proper sani- about blacks or other minorities because the train did not stop in the tation services, were traps which re- living next to them. So as early as town any longer. The Dept. of sembled pigsties rather than homes 1950, large urban centers like New Labor and the colonial adminis- where human beings were to live. York City, were decaying rapidly, tration had arranged for these The Puerto Ricans did not create primarily because they were losing workers to emigrate to this town. slums; we were forced into them. their economic base to the suburbs. The horrible experience of standing The ghettoization of the Puerto Ri- They no longer enjoyed the pros- in a strange land, freezing and can is another reflection of the be- perity which made them popular finding out that there was no work nign negligence of the colonial ad- at the turn of the century. had to be a traumatic experience for ministration and Washington, and So when Puerto Ricans arrived these workers. once again clearly proves that their en masse in New York City, because Another case which clearly de- only interest was to force us out of it no longer possessed the economic picts the negligence of the colo- Puerto Rico. or capital movement which it had nial administration and Washington, Today, after three decades of liv- enjoyed before, we faced dire con- was the Arizona Plan. Under this ing under the most deplorable, in- sequences. In the city the only eco- p1' i 5,000 Puerto Ricans were fra-human conditions, it is no sur- nomic activity which remained was su aosed to emigrate to do farm prise to find out that we are the light industry (mostly garment) and lab >r in that state. The recruitment most oppressed people in the United the service industry (mostly gen- process had already started when States. We have the lowest median erated by hotels and tourism). the Governor of Arizona found out; income per family, the lowest edu- The absence of economic oppor- incensed by such a move, he told cational level, the highest mortality tunities negated Puerto Rican access Washington that he would not allow rate, the highest percentage of sui- to a material base which could bring one single Puerto Rican in his State. cides, the highest incidence of alco- them parity with the rest of the If the Governor of Arizona hadn't holism and drug addiction, and alone North American working class. Be- found out, there would have occupy the bottom of the economic sides encountering this economic been 5,000 Puerto Ricans in a State ladder. In essence, it seems as if the situation, we also found a socio- which did not want them. This Puerto Rican has become the recep- economic political structure nour- clearly reflects the fact that the tacle and depository of all the social ished by racism, and alien to us. This only concern of the colonial admini- ills of American society, rather than situation still prevails today. stration in Puerto Rico was to rid the beneficiary of any social ad- The absence of the most funda- itself of its excess population. vancement. P-iental need of all workers, .which If this were not enough the Puerto Our assertion and affirmation is the need to have access to a Rican immigrant still had to en- that the colonial status of Puerto market to sell their labor, left the counter more - the malignancy of Rico and the colonial government Puerto Rican immigrant (mostly American racism. An example of and Washington are the key factors made up of workers) in a social this was the case of a Puerto Rican responsible for the plight of the limbo. The only work available to family sent to work in Batavia, 111., Puerto Ricans in the US can best us was that which no one else in the military ammunition factory. be understood if we compare our si- •wanted. Farm hands, seasonal work, Their teenage daughter had to attend tuation to that of another group of dish washers, factory laborers - jobs school outside of the camp. When immigrants, the Cubans. with little economic compensation she tried to be served in a restau- When the Cuban refugee program and very degrading to the human rant, the owner refused because she was instituted in the '60's, the immi- being. was not white. grant was provided with suitable The hastiness which the colonial The father was a World War II housing, health care, economic aid, administration and Washington used veteran and the mother had been employment and an environment to force us to emigrate, left us prey active in the labor movement. They conducive for the person to live to unscrupulous employers, to decided to sue the restaurant in a collective life and to develop. abide by contracts which were for discrimination. Although cont. on page 2 5 only beneficial to the contractor, they won the case, the scar which 25 Cont. from page 24 proved. When second and third timate representative ot the commu- There was not a single need that generation Puerto Ricans took to nity, for the contrary is the reality. was not addressed and met. the streets to demand the indepen- The other group is made up of By 1965, in the city of Chicago, dence of their homeland, the fact Puerto Ricans who support indepen- there were multiple agencies which that there is a correlation between dence and who see the end of colo- had been instituted for the sole pur- immigration and colonialism was nialism as the beginning of their pose of helping the Cuban immi- confirmed. freedom. Puerto Rico thus becomes grant. In that same year, there was Today the affirmation of Puerto- its homeland. not one single agency in the city rriquenidad has taken the forefront This group finds its historic roots which addressed, much less met the of the struggle. But to better under- dating back to the 1890's and the multiple needs of the Puerto Rican stand this affirmation, it is necessary organization of the Puerto Rican :ommunity. There was only one to put it in the correct perspective. Clubs, the Nationalist Party, the employment agency, administered The struggle of the Puerto Ricans— attack on Blair House, the attack on ay the colonial government of Puer- the protests, the riots, the demands the United States Congress. But to Rico, known best for its chroni- for redress— has created two distinct most important, it finds its roots in cally ineffective operations (this is groups within the community, with being Puerto Rican and a worker. the agency responsible for sending different aspirations and class inter- This affirmation is its essence. those workers which we mentioned ests. One group's economic and po- It is no surprise then, to see this earlier to Southern Illinois), but its litical base depends primarily on group seeking redress of its social, arimary role was to deal with the the poverty and infra-human condi- economic and political condition, 3uerto Rican migrant farm worker. tions of our community. This and at the same time fighting for The so-called industriousness of group, correctly called "poverty Puerto Rico's independence. the Cubans is not any different from pimps," has attempted to integrate It is in this struggle that the the industriousness of the Puerto and to climb or ascend the American Puerto Rican in the United States Rican or any other group for that social ladder. Petty politicians, pro- finds his affirmation for being. matter. What is different is the fessionals, patronage workers and As we stated earlier, the Puerto jreferential treatment which the religious leaders form the basis for Rican immigrant did not come to Cubans received in comparison. The this particular group. the United States seeking a home- 3uerto Rican immigrant is treated In spite of the fact that this group land, because he has one. And as a as a colonial subject, as a slave of aspires to assimilate into the main- result of the socio-economic-politi- the imperialists, but the Cuban, be- stream of American life, its social cal conditions prevailing in the cause of his reactionary, counter- position is often contradictory and United States, he has not assimilated revolutionary stance, is treated as precarious. Precarious because it or integrated into the mainstream an ally of imperialism. The prefe- must respond to the political party of American life. rential treatment of the Cubans is or political machine in power. It The absence of a material base not based on altruistic or philan- must form alliances and allegiances negates to the Puerto Rican the thropic motives, but rather, on the with the Republican or Democratic ability to join the rest of the North realities and necessities of imperial- Party or the powers to be. If it American working class Racism, sm. forms the wrong alliance or alleg- which is part and parcel of thr It is as colonial subjects that the giance, it is doomed. Contradictory socio-economic-political structure, Puerto Ricans must wage their because on the one hand its ambi- further negates the Puerto Rican's struggle in the United States. During tion as a group is to assimilate; and ability to assimilate or to integrate. the past three decades, we can attest on the other, what gives it its reason On the contrary, what these factors to the fact that the struggle to re- for being is the oppressive condi- do is to force the Puerto Rican to dress the plight of the Puerto Ri- tions of our community. So in affirm his "puertorriquenidad;" cans in the United States has al- order to perpetuate itself, it must otherwise he will be stripped of his tyays been accompanied by the identify with the Puerto Rican personality both culturally and his- truggle for independence. As the community and its struggle. Even torically. This affirmation is what ime has passed, the compatibility more, at times it is forced to constitutes the basis for his struggle. jetween the two issues has crystal- voice and defend the demands of This struggle is not an abstraction, ized and become more pronounced, the community. Thus, we can see for not only history proves its va- n the late '60's, the straggle gained how a Herman Badillo or a Robert lidity, but also the need for a people mew dimension. Garcia is forced to support the to be free. Only by destroying the Up to then, the struggle for inde- release of the Nationalists, and chains of colonialism can we be free. pendence was looked at as an issue the community's demand for Only by destroying the chains of ,Yhich was relevant only to the better education, health, housing, colonialism can we have a choice. Puerto Ricans with roots in Puerto employment, etc. This group A choice to return to a free Puerto lico. But with the emergence of claims the community as their con- Rico—the original aspiration— or to uch organizations as the Young stituency in order to survive. By stay in the United States and inte- Lords, this belief was totally dis- this we don't mean that it is a legi- grate into the North American work- ing class and wage class struggle. DE PIE Y EN LUCHA TWO FOR/MS OF INTERNATIONAL ORDER recognition on the part of the offi- War in Chicago, we had decided not cial international law. to press the issue further. The That step, to demand treatment friendly delegations that so desired as Prisoners of War was curiously made reference to the Prisoners of not taken, despite the fact that the War without this being included in During the weekend before the existence of a state of war between the Resolution. In this manner, the Decolonization Committee again Puerto Rico and the United States strongest and clearest Resolution heard the colonial problem of Puerto has been constant throughout the for the Independence of Puerto Rico, and during the two days when judicial struggle of the Nationalist Rico was approved by a majority our case was debated in the Com- Party. Moreover in New York, vote, not one vote against, and a mittee, there coexisted two forms William Guillermo Morales, and small minority in absention. of International Order, two concepts, then in Puerto Rico, Angel Rodri- The beginning of a long struggle two distinct methods of interna- guez Cristobal both assumed the for the recognition of the existence tional law: the official and the revo- position of Prisoners of War. But of a state of belligerence between lutionary. the 11 Puerto Rican Prisoners of the armed clandestine organizations, In relationship to both we, the War captured in Evanston were the representatives of Puerto Rican in- Liga SocialistaPuertorriquena, along first to direct themselves to an dependence, and the United States with our fraternal organization, the international organism claiming government represented by its armed Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional, recognition of their Prisoner of War forces, was brought before the (centered in Chicago), put forth a position, and demanding treatment official international legal order new dimension of the struggle for as such, in accordance with the represented by the United Nations. independence. The new proposition Geneva Convention, its Additional This occurred when the Cuban dele- was based on the position assumed Protocols, and four United Nations gate stated: "This year there is added by the 11 Puerto Rican Prisoners of Resolutions, especially R-3103, of to the repression and persecution War, captured in Evanston on April Dec. 12, 1976. of the persons and organizations in 4th, 1980. It is worthwhile to review the struggle for independence and self- In our position before the United situation created before the United determination, the incarceration of Nations Decolonzation Committee Nations by the Puerto Rican revolu- 11 young Puerto Rican Patriots in we put forth: tionary claim. We were the only Chicago, accused of violating the "We recognize the magnitude of ones who explicitly put forth the laws of the United States. Demon- this matter. The task of advancing real content of the petition made by strating the dignity that ennobles a step further before the internation- the 11 Puerto Rican Prisoners of them, they unanimously reject the al legal community the Puerto War-status of belligerents-while the power of the yanki courts to judge Rican claim for the recognition of rest of the speakers indicated the them, declaring themselves Prisoners the state of war existing between right of our comrades to such recog- of War, because the struggle against Puerto Rico and the United States. nition. Before such a situation, the foreign repression and colonial What these valiant comrades cap- ideal would have been to force the domination cannot be described as tured in the United States claim is machinery to include this claim in a crime. One day the international to be recognized as belligerents. the Resolution drafted by Cuba and community will recognize that all "By claiming this right now, our Iraq. However, due to the division those who Today struggle for in- comrades insert their claim within among the votes assured for Puerto dependence deserve that status..." a revealing and justly opportune Rico, the most energetic resolution The Liga Socialista Puertorriquena chronology. until now approved, would not have has for many years practically since "I have here clearly and directly been approved with this added pro- the moment of its foundation, re- exposed the contents of that simple vision. We can actually affirm that frained from entering inro alliances claim which expresses the high level three, maybe five delegations were and narrow relations with govern- of our consciousness: We are Priso- ready to do battle. But doing so ments or governmental parties. We ners of War." would have been to fall into the have limited our relations, very few We are clarifying a historical trap that the United States saw as to be sure, to revolutionary move- point of order; any one of the the opening of the heavens: to post- ments in armed struggle that have Nationalist Comrades captured since pone the discussion until next year nothing to do with their countries 1949 could have, under the sanction -the last recourse Washington had &governments, or with non-electoral of the Geneva Convention and its to win the occasion. Upon previous political organizations of struggle. Additional Protocols, claimed that consultation with our Prisoners of 27 SOLIDARITY MESSAGE

Companeros & Companeras of the gence of an armed clandestine admit mistakes and rethink strategy Exiled Chilean Community in movement, which today wages assures us that you move forward Venezuela; guerilla warfare, and tomorrow will towards your country's complete On behalf of the Eleven Puerto lead the peoples' war which will and total liberation. Rican Prisoners of War, Pablo Mar- transform our national reality, and The victories of Puerto Rico and cano Garcia and Nydia Ester Cuevas, lead our people to the establishment Chile will mark the destruction of we, the Movimiento de Liberacion of an independent and socialist imperialism as we know it. Our com- Nacional, wish to extend our revo- republic. The impact of the Puerto mittment to dig imperialism's grave lutionary greetings and support to Rican revolution must not be di- is sealed with the blood of our great the heroic cause of the Chilean minished, for while Puerto Rico is heroes such as Don Pedro Albizu people. small, its consequences will be great. Campos, and Angel Rodriguez Companeros, our solidarity must The four million rearguard members Cristobal. Your committment is not be denigrated to mere words, for existing within the belly of the mon- sealed in the highest example of solidarity is not words, and it is not ster assure us that our struggle will heroism of President Salvador charity, and must never, ever be in- be integral in the destruction of the Allende, and in the spirit of Calixto terpreted as such. True solidarity is, U.S. empire from within. Garcia. and will always be an act whereby Companeros chilenos, the task Companeros, the fate of Latin two forces strike one blow to one you have is equally important, for America hangs in the balance. The enemy. As revolutionary inter- the vicious intervention in your solution is simple and is to be found nationalists we must always remem- country by the yankee imperialists in the slogans of our two orgnn- ber that in a war to the death there and their fascist lackeys place Chile izations, but they must cease to be are no frontiers. Companeros chile- at the enter of the Latin \merican words and must become political nos, examine these words care- struggle! for Chile is not Ni -ragua, realities. fully, for they guide the destiny of and Chile is not El Salvado . This our two nations. All over the world is not to diminish the importance of people of merit have begun the task these two countries, but as Marxists of digging imperialism's grave. From we must understand that no two NO TO DEFEATIST SOLUTIONS, Palestine to Ireland, from the Phil- we must understand that no two NO TO IMPERIALIST SCHEMES!" lipines to Azania, people are rising things are equal; and mineral rich We also make your slogan ours: up and shouting in a thousand Chile will never peacefully remove "LIBERATION AND SOCIALISM, tongues, "Esta lucha va a llegar a la itself from imperialism's orbit. The WHATEVER THE COST! Guerra Popular!" coup against Chile, while a terrible Today in the Americas, the whole blow to the Chilean people, must be FREE PUERTO RICO of our hemisphere looks to Chile understood within a greater context and Puerto Rico, not because we by all of Latin America, for the DEATH TO PINOCHET AND THE wish it, but because it is in our two coup was an attack on the whole FASCIST JUNTA! countries that imperialism has dug of Latin America. The survival of its trenches. A great responsibility of the Chilean resistance must be WAR AND DEATH has been thrust upon our peoples, understood then within its proper TO IMPERIALISM! and we must be equal to our tasks. context. If Chile does not win, and In Puerto Rico, imperialism the fascist junta is not destroyed, no LONG LIVE THE UNITY OF THE designs a scheme whereby a whole country in Latin America will be CHILEAN AND PUERTO RICAN Latin American nation will be able to achieve revolution. So com- PEOPLE! swallowed up by U.S. imperialism. paneros, the importance of your But this scheme, to make Puerto task is not lost upon us. The future Rico change from an external to an of Latin America rests with your internal colony via statehood, is people. Your willingness to openly being challenged by the rapid emer- DE PIE Y EN LUCHA FROM THE BEACH TO IMMORMMIT

I sustained there and I sustain now that the CIA assasinated Angel Rodriquez Cristobal for being a promi- nent member of the Liga Socialista Puertorriquena, the only organization that has backed the revolutionary -- politico/military clandestine activity of the clandestine apparatus in Puerto Rico and the U.S.A. They have wanted to provoke, to make a provocation of the clan destine organizations, especially the FALN (Fuerzas Armadas de Liberation National) in the U.S. to provoke a reaction that would facilitate their penetration of the capture of some of their members. It is a provocation directed at the FALN with the precedente of Fraunces Tavern and the Anglers Club in hopes that the precipita tion of a punitive action could occasion and provide them the conditions to destroy the FALN in the U.S. and the clandestine movement in Puerto Rico. They won't get away with it.

Juan Antonio Corretjer

The yankee military strategists should not deceive themselves. The blood of the Puerto Rican martyrs and patriots will be revenged with the blood of the Imperialists. The Yankee occupying forces will be a tar- get of the Patriotic Fire every time that the assassin hand of the Imperialist takes the life of a Puerto Rican patriot. We warn the Imperialists that they should respect the life and security of our prisoners according to the Geneva Convention, otherwise they will be responsible for the irreversible consequences that will follow as a result of our people's popular indignation. The clandestine organizations that suscribe to this statement are not playing at war. We are prepared to take this struggle to its last consequences.

For independence and socialism Long Live a Free Puerto Rico!

Organizacion de Voluntaries para la Revolucion Puertorriquena, (OVRP), (Organization of Volunteers for the Puerto Rican Revolution), the Ejercito Popular Boricua, (EPB -- Macheteros), (Boricua Popular Army), and the Fuerzas Armadas de Resistencia Popular, (FARP), (Armed Forces of Popular Resistance).