[Via... http://www.egroups.com/group/Communist-Internet ] . . ----- Original Message ----- From: George G <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, May 21, 2001 1:00 AM Subject: [MLL] Colombia - Peace talks and popular struggle Spanish original follows the English translation Editorial from the journal Revolution, organ of the Communist Party of Colombia (Marxist Leninist), number 482, April 2001. Colombia: Peace, Convention and the popular struggle While Pastrana and his masters in Washington speak of peace they are carrying out a policy against peace. This has provoked great indignation and a popular struggle for social justice and national sovereignty. There are new guerrilla battles and the firm response of the ELN [Ejrcito de Liberacin Nacional - National Liberation Army - translator's note] faced with the official sabotage of the agreements for the meeting area where the National Convention would be carried out. As throughout the continent, in Colombia the renegotiation or adjustments to the agreements with the IMF are proceeding, under pressure of the imperialist plans for neo-liberal globalization, in particular the establishment of the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas, FTAA, in 2005. The draft laws and ministerial resolutions continue to facilitate the looting of our natural resources and the increasing dependence of the "eternal debt," which further reduce the expenditures on education, health and social security, by way of fiscal restrictions that are suffocating our municipalities and departments, the attacks on labor agreements, especially in the state sector, the epidemic of layoffs and unemployment, the decrease in public services, among other serious consequences. The peace of the fascistic Plan Colombia designed by the Yankee invaders does not lead to social justice and political liberty for the people. On the contrary, despite the existence of a public commitment before international opinion to assure the safety zone [zone free of combat - translator's note] for the National Convention called by the ELN, Pastrana delays its fulfillment and openly sabotages it. Before, he sabotaged them with his paramilitary forces; now, he adds an offensive operation by the legal army against the guerrilla detachments in the Sur de Bolvar, chosen as the safety zone. The infusion of war and budget resources through the Plan Colombia has emboldened the Armed Forces, although they continue to suffer blows from the insurgency, and their Commander calls the offensive actions against the ELN "an important step in the creation of conditions for dialogues and the safety zone." With sufficient reasons, the Central Command of the ELN on several occasions has suspended talks and postponed meetings, in order to denounce the serious acts of a double standard of the government and imperialism, regarding which Pastrana and his Peace Commissioner keep silent or try to deny the gravity of the acts which have led the comrades of the ELN to assume this worthy and politically correct revolutionary position. The fascist boldness of the trio Uribe Vlez - Castao (AUC [Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia - Colombian Self-Defense Units, name for the paramilitaries - translator's note]) - Visbal Martelo, promoted by all the mass media, and the orders of the high command of the Armed Forces to the AUC to step up their terrorist attacks against the people, have been responded to with important actions of the masses such as in Barrancabermeja and battles of the insurgency against the paramilitary gangs, where we must point out the unity of action between the EPL [Ejrcito Popular de Liberacin - People's Liberation Army - translator's note] and the ELN. The establishment and its supporters seek to reduce the panorama of peace a "humanitarian exchange" of police and soldiers for captured guerrillas, the end of kidnappings and of taxes imposed on the oligarchy and the imperialists, to a cease fire or "decline in hostilities" and to the renunciation of the popular struggle in exchange for political harmony or a social pact. The fighting National Strike of last March 22 and the subsequent mass protest actions make clearer the preparedness for struggle of the workers, the residents of popular neighborhoods, the young students, peasants and indigenous people. The union movement - despite the positions of some pro-Pastrana bureaucrats - has not fallen into the trap of talking over differences called for by the Minister of Labor, the social democrat Angelino Garzn, who tried to portray himself as the guarantor of the solution to the effects of the IMF measures, but without opposing them. This allowed him to become minister with the consent of Pastrana, the high clergy and the whole oligarchy. Everything indicates that the May Day marches will show a new demonstration of the advance of the decision of the workers and popular masses to continue consolidating and expanding united actions and strengthening and multiplying their organizations to continue the struggle for their interests and against Pastrana, the IMF and Plan Colombia, which are resuming the offensive of the northern empire. Editorial del peridico Revolucin, rgano del Partido Comunista de Colombia (Marxista Leninista), edicin nmero 482 de abril de 2001. Colombia: Paz, Convencin y lucha popular Mientras Pastrana y sus amos de Washington hablan de paz hacen una poltica contra la paz. Esto ha provocado mayor indignacin y lucha popular por justicia social y soberana nacional. Hay nuevos combates de la guerrilla y respuestas firmes del ELN ante el saboteo oficial a los acuerdos para la zona de encuentro donde se realizara la Convencin Nacional. Como en todo el continente, en Colombia la renegociacin o ajustes a los acuerdos con el FMI siguen su marcha, presionados por los planes imperialistas de globalizacin neoliberal que destacan la constitucin del Acuerdo de Libre Comercio de las Amricas, ALCA, en el 2005. Dan cuenta de esto los proyectos de ley y resoluciones ministeriales que facilitan ms el saqueo de nuestros recursos naturales y el incremento de la dependencia de la deuda eterna, que reducen ms el gasto en educacin, salud y seguridad social, va restriccin fiscal que ahoga ms los municipios y departamentos, ataques a convenios laborales especialmente en el sector estatal-, la epidemia de los despidos y el desempleo, la cascada de alzas en los servicios pblicos, entre otras graves consecuencias. La paz que se busca a la luz del fascistizante Plan Colombia diseado por los yanquis invasores-no pasa por la justicia social y la libertad poltica para el pueblo. Por otra parte, a pesar de existir un compromiso pblico ratificado ante la opinin internacional-de asegurar la zona de despeje para la Convencin Nacional convocada por el ELN, Pastrana dilata su cumplimiento y abiertamente lo sabotea. Antes, los saboteaba con sus paramilitares; ahora, le agrega una operacin de envergadura del ejrcito legal contra los destacamentos guerrilleros Elenos en el Sur de Bolvar, escogido como zona de despeje. La inyeccin de recursos blicos y presupuesto va Plan Colombia ha subido los humos a las Fuerzas Militares, aunque no dejan de sufrir golpes de la insurgencia, y su Comandante llama estas acciones ofensivas contra el ELN importante paso en la creacin de condiciones para los dilogos y el despeje. Con suficientes razones, el Comando Central del ELN en varias oportunidades- ha suspendido conversaciones y aplazado citas para denunciar los graves hechos de la doble moral del gobierno y el imperialismo, ante los cuales Pastrana y su Comisionado de Paz guardan silencio o tratan de negar la gravedad de los hechos que han llevado a los compaeros del ELN a asumir esta posicin revolucionaria digna y polticamente correcta. El envalentonamiento fascista del tro Uribe Vlez-Castao (AUC)-Visbal Martelo, promocionado por todos los medios masivos, y las rdenes del alto mando de las FFAA a las AUC de arreciar ataques terroristas contra el pueblo, han sido respondidos con importantes acciones de masas como las de Barrancabermeja y combates de las insurgencia a las bandas paramilitares, donde destacamos la unidad de accin entre el EPL y el ELN. El panorama de la paz, de parte del establecimiento y sus auxiliadores, quiere reducirse al tema del intercambio humanitario de policas y militares por guerrilleros presos, el fin del secuestro e imposiciones econmicas a oligarcas e imperialistas, al cese de fuego o disminucin de hostilidades y a la renuncia a la lucha popular a cambio del uso de la concertacin o pacto social. El combativo Paro Nacional del 22 de marzo pasado y posteriores acciones masivas de protesta, dejan ms clara la disposicin de pelea de los trabajadores, de pobladores de populosas barriadas, de los jvenes estudiantes, campesinos e indgenas. El movimiento sindical - a pesar de los oficios de algunos burcratas pastranizados- no ha cado en la celada de las mesas de concertacin convocadas por el Ministro del Trabajo, socialdemcrata Angelino Garzn, que ha tratado de proyectarse como garante de la solucin a los efectos de las medidas del FMI, ms no como opositor a ellas, lo cual le permiti ser ministro consentido de Pastrana, el alto clero y toda la oligarqua. Todo indica que en las manifestaciones del Primero de Mayo veremos una nueva demostracin de avance de la decisin obrera y popular de seguir consolidando y ampliando espacios unitarios y fortalecer y multiplicar sus organizaciones para continuar la lucha por sus intereses y contra Pastrana, el FMI y el Plan Colombia que resumen la ofensiva del imperio del norte. _______________________________________________ Marxist-Leninist-List mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxist-leninist-list
