MPP's and the PCP

["Chris, London" <100423.2040@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Maoist politics can take some indirect forms. Many sources
hostile as well as sympathetic, confirm that the key political
contest around 1970 in China took the form of Lin Biao proposing
that the post of Chairman of the PRC should be restored, and
that Mao was the obvious person to occupy it; and Mao becoming
increasingly suspicious of the loyalty behind this apparently
impeccably loyal initiative.

Olaechea and Borja may have read the signals correctly from
within the clandestine PCP and their contacts may be just that
bit better than Quispe's, and others outside Peru may gather round
them, if not formally endorsing the call for the WMC, as a gesture
of solidarity with the People's War, BUT

it is not clear that the superloyal initiative of the WMC is
in conformity with what the PCP wants. Rolf is a witness, as
a warm supporter of the WMC, that it may be seen by some as
a useful vehicle for those who are in fact critical of the PCP,
for their policy of making tactical compromises with Avakian.

Olaechea and Martens arguing with passionate loyalty for the
PCP and in total condemnation of Avakian, may (if they have
read the signals right) be loyal, or they may be *super* loyal -
I mean more catholic than the Pope, for reasons best known to
themselves.

It is particularly strange that their campaign requires the
denunciation of the Peru People's Movement in the USA and in
Europe.

There is evidence that the MPP's were regarded prior to the
Fujimori onslaught of the early 90's by the PCP as its preferred
method of international organisation.

I cite in evidence Simon
Strong, (not a source admired by Quispe), a cynical old Etonian,
who nevertheless IMO has a sneaking regard for some of the
courage of the people he describes (possibly in the way that
Fitzroy Maclean, who has just died, and is the supposed inspiration
for the James Bond movies, had a sneaking regard for the Yugoslav
communist partisans).

>From "Shining Path" by Simon Strong, 1992, Harper Collins
---------------------------------------------------------
p235

Mexico and the Dominican Republic also harbour Shining Path support
groups. While the Dominican Republic boasts a Committee to Support
the Revolution in Peru, Mexico hosts another kind of organization:
a Peru People's Movement (MPP). While Shining Path's CSRP's
usually maintain a public profile, devote themselves to pacific
cultural and political propaganda, are self-generated and are not
subject to party orders, the latter breed, which exists in at least
seven countries, is founded by the party, obeys the party leadership,
is semi-clandestine..."

page 240:

"The kernel of the [Peruvian] community [in Sweden] is the family
of Augusta La Torre; its grey eminence is 'Enrique', a handsome,
softly spoken man who generates the obedience of a respected,
senior schoolmaster. Peruvian police documents show that he
arrived in Sweden with his family in November 1982 following an
apparent split with Abimael Guzman. After writing a letter of
repentance, he created the Ayacucho Studies Group, which
won Guzman;s blessing in March 1986. Enrique received orders to
reorganize it and select the favoured militants - who had to send
letters of party loyalty. They became the leaders of what meta-
morphised into a Peru People's Movement (MPP).

"In May 1987 Enrique was appointed by Guzman to generate MPP's
throughout Europe. These were specifically to work with immigrants
as well as Peruvians and nationals; their degree of clandestinity
was to depend on local circumstances. They were instructed to
conduct propaganda work and link themselves to workers and
strikers. Where feasible, they were to generate public apparati
which henceforth were to be called Sun[sic]-Peru Committees
instead of the CSRP's (presumably in order to broaden their
appeal by distancing them from the revolution). And they were to
stimulate the radicalization and the reconstruction of communist
parties."

page 242:

"Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Greece and Switzerland are each host
to a Peru People's Movement directly generated by Shining Path.
Assorted, 'self-generated' support committees are present in those
countries as well as in the Canary Islands, Denmark, Finland,
Holland and Great Britain; it is probable they also exist in
Estonia."

------------------------------------

Now Simon Strong is a cynical journalist, and he may have overstated
the case for the sake of his book sales. His comments are subject
to question and rejection. For example there is one remark
that the MPP's "may" use violence, for which he gives no evidence,
despite the fact that it would be good reading if he could.

Nevertheless the broad picture is consistent with some of
Adolfo's remarks acknowledging that the MPP's are meant to have
particularly close links with the PCP. They are also consistent
with a picture of greater activity prior to the arrest of leading
members of the PCP in 1992.


It is interesting that there was never an MPP in London and
suggests a compromise that may either turn out to have been
wise, or may have come unravelled, according to your point of
view. Simon Strong at any rate does not report that Olaechea
and Borja were charged with the task of organising the party
externally in Europe.

It is strange (or not so strange?)
that integral apparently to Olaechea and Martens campaigns
for the WMC, is contemptuous denunciation of the MPP's.

Would they care to clarify the basis for their furious polemics
against the MPP's?


CB (SJ, for Adolfo) (cop, for Martens)




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