News from Cde Martin Rall and family
[email protected]
Here is something I neglected to do. But it is not too late. Comrade Martin
Rall wrote to me after a long time and kindly sent news of his family and
himself, as well as news of Argentina, where Martin's wife Carmen Baez comes
from.
Some of us will remember Cde Martin as a stalwart of the Johannesburg
Central Branch of the SACP and the Branch Treasurer for many successful
years. From his message, it is clear that the family's revolutionary
traditions continue.
As you will also see, Comrade Martin just about prophesied the win of the
right-wing candidate (Macri) to succeed Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner,
which duly happened a few days ago. But, he says it will probably be o.k.,
because of left wing strength in the legislature.
Comrade Martin continues to get our CU e-mails. It's great that he has found
a political home that practices alliance politics like we do.
All of the revolutionary best to you, Cdes Martin, Carmen, Pablo and Steven.
VC
On 8 November 2015, Comrade Martin wrote:
We are all well. Carmen and I didn't manage to get work suitable for our
experience and interests in Argentina, so are both doing international
development consulting (mainly in Africa). I am in Ethiopia at the moment
and Carmen is in Cuba, both monitoring projects funded by the EU. Then I go
to Nigeria to do some work in support of a British NGO working there.
The boys are very well, both thoroughly adapted to Argentina and in socially
committed work. Pablo is now a doctor, doing what they call social medicine,
which is like a combination of (public sector) GP and health promoter.
Steven is still studying environmental sciences, but taking his time as he
spends more time in student politics (on the left, of course!).
I joined an offshoot of the Communist Party of Argentina (PCA), which
refused to apologise for Marxism-Leninism in 1990 and believes in popular
front politics (called the PCCE or CP-Special Congress). In Argentina this
means not being anti-Peronist, which is the great dividing factor. The PCA
can't get over the persecution of the communists by the last Peronist
government (1973-6).
PCCE logo
Anyway, we are a small party, part of the governing alliance (FPV) of about
10 parties, and like the SACP we don't run candidates of our own, but try
and get ours on the FPV lists. We are very active, even when it's not
election time (as it is now), holding weekly meetings of our branch, weekly
tables and usually at least one other activity during the week, like
painting slogans on walls, leafletting, etc. I feel like a pensioner in the
branch (and in the party in general), as all the others are under 35, and
the majority under 25. This is another difference between us and the PCA -
they are mostly over 60 and do little practical work. The participation of
the youth in politics in Argentina is a key feature of this period and is
very encouraging for the future.
Currently we are campaigning for the FPV candidate for the presidential
election run-off on the 22nd. After 12 years (3 terms) in power led by the
Kirchners, we are facing the real possibility of the right wing candidate
(even more to the right than the DA and a personal friend of Donald Trump!)
winning, which is a very depressing prospect. But we have a solid majority
in the Senate and are the biggest minority block in the House of Assembly
(capable of forming majority centre-left alliances), so he won't be able to
do much in terms of pushing through any right wing legislative programme.
Keep well and give my regards to all the comrades,
Martin
(Write to Cde Martin Rall at [email protected])
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