Blacks in Mianti Rebel Against Killing by Cops

Interview with editor of THE 'Are ito' magazine Pages 8-9 A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE VOL. 53/NO. 3 JANUARY 27, 1989 $1.00 Blacks in Mianti rebel Mexican gov't against killing by cops attacks oil workers' union• BY SUSAN LaMONT Joaquin Hernandez Galicia, head of the 200,000-member Mexican oil workers' union, was arrested January 10 after gov ernment troops staged an armed assault with rocket launchers and automatic weap ons on his home in Ciudad Madero. Doz ens of soldiers and three helicopters were used in the attack, ordered by the adminis tration of President Carlos Salinas de Gor tari. The 66-year old union leader was dragged off in his underwear. The Revolutionary Oil Workers Union of the Republic of Mexico (SRTPRM), the largest union in Latin America, organizes workers in Mexico's oil industry, PetroIeos Mexicanos (Pemex), which was national ized in 1938. Oil is Mexico's most important industry, Police arrested 400 people and wounded six during their occupation of Miami's Black community. Miami's rulers are trying accounting for more than 40 percent of na to pin blame for conditions faced by Black workers on Latino and immigrant workers. tional revenue, 40 percent of export earn ings, and 10 percent of the country's gross national product. BY TONY THOMAS started chasing them, allegedly for speed Lloyd died instantly. Blanchard died the A spokeswoman for Salinas said the at MIAMI, -On the evening of January ing. When they tried to stop, another cop, next day from injuries sustained in the tack on the oil workers' leadership "was a 16 Miami's Black community rose in re William Lozano, who had just stepped out crash. matter of national security." She claimed bellion after Miami cops murdered two of an apartment building, shot Lloyd at A crowd of community residents sur the federal attorney general's office had Blacks, Clement Anthony Lloyd, 23, part point-blank range. rounded Lozano and other cops, shouting, uncovered evidence that Hernandez was owner of a car wash, and Allen Blanchard, Lloyd, who was driving the motorcycle, "You no-good killers," "Why are white planning to "damage Pemex installations." 24, an unemployed construction worker. lost control and crashed head-on into· a police officers shooting Black men?" and Hernandez, known popularly as La Lloyd and Blanchard were riding a Buick driving in the opposite direction. "How can they kill him on Martin Luther Quina, was initially charged with illegally motorcycle through Overtown, Miami's The shooting barely missed children play King's birthday?" stockpiling weapons and ammunition. The poorest Black community, when a police car ing in a nearby park. When Miami Mayor Xavier Suarez and government claims to have found 200 sub City Manager Cesar Odio came to the machine guns, 30,000 rounds of ammuni scene they were pelted with rocks and bot tion, and other firearms in his home. Two tles. Police in full riot gear beat back the days later, charges of resisting arrest and Socialist candidate hits Bush crowd. murder were added, for the death of a fed Hundreds of Miami and Dade County eral agent killed in the assault. police rushed into Overtown. Within a few Eight others were arrested with Hernan support to Angola contras hours more than 140 blocks of Overtown dez, and during the 24 hours that followed, were cordoned off, and reporters were or some 40 more union officials and associates CHICAGO - "Working people here with UNIT A, "my administration w·ill con dered out. Some 400 people were arrested were arrested on charges of fraud, tax eva and around the country need to raise their tinue all appropriate and effective assis in the first few days. Most of them have sion, and illegal possession of weapons. voices in opposition to President-elect tance to UNIT A." been charged with "prowling" or "inciting Among them was the union's secretary George Bush's commitment to continue A Bush spokesman emphasized that to riot." general, Salvador Barragan Camacho. He backing UNIT A's fight to overthrow the such "assistance" means continuation of was put into police custody in a Mexico government of Angola," said Omari Musa, existing covert military aid, which has av Overtown residents began defending City hospital, where he had been brought Socialist Workers Party candidate for eraged $15 million a year since 1986. The themselves against police attacks with after suffering a heart attack. Union offi mayor of Chicago, in a statement released letter also congratulates UNITA for "its rocks and bottles. Cars, meat markets, cials have appointed Ricardo Camero Car here January 17. courageous demonstration over more than groceries, and other buildings were set diel, a close associate of Hernandez, as act Musa, a veteran Black rights and union a decade that solutions to Angola's prob afire. Cars carrying whites became targets ing secretary general of the union. activist, blasted Bush's January 6 letter to lems cannot be found through repressive after a white male in a luxury car fired into Meanwhile, the government deployed National Union for the Total Liberation of military force." Continued on Page 13 Continued on Page 10 Angola (UNIT A) leader Jonas Savimbi. In "UNITA's forces are to Angola what the it, Bush states that until the Angolan gov contras are to Nicaragua," Musa explained, ernment agrees to a negotiated settlement "an armed force that specializes in terror izing, murdering, and maiming civilians Forums focus on Curtis defense and attacking non-military targets." "The BY MARGARET JAYKO why he is sitting in the state penitentiary in South African- and U.S. -backed UNIT A The stakes in the international political Anamosa, Iowa, today. forces have been fighting to overthrow the fight to free frame-up .victim Mark Curtis The forums will discuss the importance government of Angola since 1975, when will be the centerpiece of a series of public of winning thousands of new sponsors for Angola won its independence from Por talks by national leaders of the Socialist the Mark Curtis Defense Committee. The tugal. In the process, they've killed, Workers Party. campaign's goals are to maximize the price wounded, and displaced hundreds of Curtis is a unionist and political activist the ruling class has to pay for railroading thousands." from Des Moines, Iowa, who is serving a Curtis to jail, to bust up the frame-up, and "It's not an accident that Bush's first 25-year jail sentence on false charges of to free Mark Curtis. foreign policy initiative is to reassert U.S. third-degree sexual abuse and first-degree The talks will be sponsored by the Mili imperialism's backing - in partnership burglary. Curtis is also a member of the tant Labor Forum and will take place in six with the apartheid regime in Pretoria- for Socialist Workers Party. cities across the United States on three con this terrorist outfit," Musa continued. The speakers will trace the roots of the secutive Saturday nights: January 21, Janu "The Brazzaville accords, signed last Curtis frame-up in the developing econom ary 28, and February 4. John Gaige, SWP month between Angola, Cuba, and South ic and social crisis of the capitalist system national farm director and SWP organizer Africa, mark an important step toward end and the resistance to the attacks on workers in Des Moines; James Warren, SWP or ing the war against Angola," Musa said. and farmers by the employers and their ganization secretary; and Craig Gannon, "But as long as Washington continues its government. As a packinghouse worker at SWP administrative secretary, will be the support for UNIT A, the war will continue, the Des Moines Swift plant, Curtis is one speakers. with devastating results for the people and of tens of thousands of young workers The forums will occur during six region Militant/James Kendrick economy of that country." around the world who have refused to re al political conferences sponsored by the Omari Musa, Socialist Workers Party The accords Musa cited were signed treat in the face of assaults on wages, SWP and Young Socialist Alliance. For candidate for mayor of Chicago. Continued on Page 13 working conditions, and rights. This is more information, see the ad on page 3. Jobless textile workers snatch up Action Program BY YVONNE HAYES here, and five textile workers loans by a management group in explained that the bank's holding The Action Program's proposal AND DEVIN OLDENDICK bought subscriptions to the Mili 1983. company loans were satisfied with for affirmative action hiring, train GREENSBORO, N.C.-"Scott tant. At its White Oak plant, jobs management's performance. ing, and promotion programs for Libin reports this evening on radi A massive and ongoing restruc were eliminated in spinning, Cone officials have blamed tex women and minorities also gener cal politics at the plant gate." This turing of the industry, including whole shifts abolished in beaming tile imports and a "soft denim mar ates debate. report on the team of socialist buyouts and mergers, has left and finishing , and weavers and ket'' for the layoffs. But as of last Racial discrimination has been campaigners at the gate of Cone some 4,000 textile workers in the creelers have been stretched out September the textile trade deficit prevalent in textile mills through Mills Corp.'s Minneola plant in Southeast unemployed since last along the line - responsible for was down 21.4 percent from the out the South, especially during more looms than ever before. previous year, according to indus the Jim Crow system of legal Over the last year the work force try publications.

Load more