Communique From The MRTA National Leadership September 2000 To the national and international public, To democratic, progressive, and leftist organizations, To human rights and solidarity organizations, To our people: With respect to the recent political developments in Peru, the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA) would like to state the following: 1. The presentation of the video which showed a financial exchange between [security chief] Vladimiro Montesinos and [politician] Alberto Kouri made it perfectly clear how opinions are bought and manipulated, and it highlighted just how immoral and generally corrupt the current regime is. 2. The presentation of this video also shows us that the CIA's man, Vladimiro Montesinos, and the Fujimori regime have "fallen into disrepute" with their masters, Yankee imperialism, for what else could explain the fact that this was leaked from the all-mighty Montesino's bunker, which until only yesterday was so impregnable. 3. Most likely, Fujimori's pledge to dissolve the secret service SIN (Servicio de Inteligencia Nacional) and hold new elections was the result of secret negotiations resulting in a guarantee of immunity from prosecution for the crimes and corruption which took place during his regime. That's why personalities from the "creole politician caste", like the dictator's ex-prime minister Javier Valle Riestra, and government loyalist politician Martha Chavez, have stated: "Fujimori has acted in an honorable manner." Such statements are designed to make the dictator appear as a hero and a martyr who is defending "democratic principles and the honor of the country". They are trying to prevent his historical legacy from being that of a dictator and mass murderer. 4. The call for new elections appears to change the political situation, and it gives the system some support, since the "political class" will do everything possible to get the population to play the game of "formal democracy", as they promised during the recent OAS negotiations. Our people, who have been subjected to crisis, oppression, and terrorist dictatorship, are looking at this situation in the hopes that they will not have to resort to violence to bring down the dictatorship and win their basic rights. 5. Since 1997, the population have strengthened their struggles and have, in this, been influenced by the determination and courage of our brothers and sisters in the Commando Edgar Sanchez which resisted the dictatorship. Our people have come to understand that only unity and organization can bring down the dictatorship, and that in order to build a peace with social justice the neo-liberal model must also be defeated. The "Four Suyos" are an attempt by our people to gather new and various political forces outside the creole political caste. The people are strengthening their unity and creating conditions for the defeat of the dictatorship and its models. That's why imperialism, as a preventive measure and in fear of the mobilized masses, has "sacrificed" an individual who served its interests loyally for so many years. 6. As a part of the people's movement, the MRTA would like to stress that our struggle is not directed against one government or another, rather it is directed against a system which oppresses and exploits the people. Our fundamental task is to contribute to the consciousness-building and organization of our people, in order to create a peace with social justice. And in this struggle for our liberation from exploitation and oppression, all forms and methods of struggle are possible. In this situation, our organization declares the following: 1. Our people must take their destiny into their own hands. So they must remain active and participate in national politics and expand on the positive experiences of the "four suyos". In every part of the country, in every village, in every city, in every rural area and every region, we need committees of the four suyos as an embryo of people's power, which will consolidate into a political organization which will have a decisive say in the future of our people. The four suyos must transform into an organized political force which can defend the interests of the people with respect to the elections against the dictatorship and the neo-liberal opposition. 2. To have any kind of justice at all, those responsible for so much death and suffering among our people must be convicted, and those who would force back the will of people with violence must be scorned. 3. The measures announced by Mr. Fujimori amount to the implicit admission of his political responsibility for the criminal actions carried out by SIN under his power, and this makes him morally unfit to remain in office. He should resign and a transitional government should annul the Fujimori Constitution and all other laws which his government passed and transitionally govern the country according to the Constitution of 1979. 4. The MRTA calls on its members and the entire people to strengthen the autonomous base organizations and to develop the embryos of people's power. Let us raise the banner of mobilization and direct struggle to win a peace with social justice! There Are No Victories Without Struggles! Consolidate The "Four Suyos" As A Political Power! Freedom For The Political Prisoners! No Peace Without Social Justice! Tupac Amaru Lives And Win Will! MRTA National Leadership September 2000 (Translated by Arm The Spirit) ---- Con las Masas y las Armas, Patria o Muerte ... VENCEREMOS! MRTA Solidarity Page - http://burn.ucsd.edu/~ats/mrta.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------- Arm The Spirit is an autonomist/anti-imperialist information collective based in Toronto, Canada. Our focus includes a wide variety of material, including political prisoners, national liberation struggles, armed communist resistance, anti-fascism, the fight against patriarchy, and more. We regularly publish our writings, research, and translation materials on our listserv called ATS-L. For more information, contact: Arm The Spirit P.O. Box 6326, Stn. A Toronto, Ontario M5W 1P7 Canada E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] WWW: http://burn.ucsd.edu/~ats/ ATS-L Archives: http://burn.ucsd.edu/archives/ats-l -----------------------------------------------------------------
