Bolivian Trade Union Congress

[LCMRCI <global@xxxxxxxxx>]

On June 27 the congress of the COB (Bolivian Labour Confederation) ended in
the defeat of the moderate left and pro-government leadership. Oscar Salas
was the executive leader of the COB who betrayed the last three general
strikes that extended for around one month (March 1994, March 1995 and March

1996). He is member of the Socialist Democratic Alternative (ASD), a right
wing split from the Communist Party, and he led a coalition composed by the
parties that are in the neo-liberal government (like the former Maoist of
the FRI and the MBL).
Salas losted the election to a left coalition led by Oscar "hurricane"
Ram'irez. Ram'irez led a left split from the Communist Party. He advocate
the rejection of the elections and to prepare for an armed uprising. The
miners, teachers, peasants and more radicalised sectors supported him.
Immediately after the election of the main posts in the COB's executive
committee the pro-government forces led by Salas used violence to sabotage
it. This created a situation that press a suspension of the congress for two

months.
In that congress Poder Obrero (Bolivian section of the Liaison Committee of
Militants for a Revolutionary Communist International) participated leding
the delegation of a small national union.We fought against the
pro-government forces but we also criticised Ram'irez. Despite his militancy

he wants a new radical version of a popular front, he is in a block with the

stalinist CP and he could made concessions to his former comrade Salas and
his sector.
The COB congress resolved a campaign for the freedom of 40 political
prisioners including Lucio Gonzales, number three of the COB leadership put
in jial in January 96, miner leaders like Macario Tola and Victor Ortiz,
Felipe Quispe and other peasant leaders, etc. We called to all our brother
and sisters in Britain to help us in that campaign.
Martin Mamani
Poder Obrero Bolivia

-------------------------------------
Name: POB
E-mail: poderob
Date: 07/01/96
Time: 10:15:51





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