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.