[Marxism] CSN Statement on FARC

["nchamah miller" <nchamah@xxxxxxxxx>]

* *

Dear Walter Lipmann:





I am a bit surprised by the question given your trajectory as a Latin
political analyst who appears informed on many circumstances surrounding the
political conjuncture of Colombia and the FARC, a conclusion I reach by
reading your postings.  I shall not take offence at your North American
cultural approach although not amused by the paternalism implied in "claims
to be"



There are many aspects of your question which I cannot not address here but
refer to  the genealogy of the relations between the Communist Party and the
FARC. Surely, in the face of the recent events with the Government trying to
virtually shut down La Voz, the party's newspaper, and the series of
indictments against Communists you cannot expect the party to have a
"position" with respect to the FARC.  They have a position with respect to
the crisis and civil war in Colombia: 1) resumption of the peace process, 2)
humanitarian accord.



In a speech by Gilberto Vieira, in 1973, (Tribuna Roya No. 10 octubre de
1973)  the then Secretary of the Party articulated this relationship
succinctly, since you read Spanish fluently I shall not translate it,
because  I imagine this topic has a very restricted readership,  unless
somebody on this list-serve is adamant that I do so, **





"[...] la liberación nacional del yugo del imperialismo yanqui, cuya
opresión y saqueo es la cuestión principal de la vida económica y política
colombiana. Esta reivindicación es el centro de todas nuestras luchas
actuales. Y se expresa en todos los aspectos nacionales. La recuperación de
nuestra riqueza, especialmente el petróleo, que exige una inmediata
nacionalización. La independencia económica. La liberación de la carga del
endeudamiento externo y de los lazos de la dependencia financiera. La
modificación de la política exterior, subordinada al Departamento de Estado
norteamericano. La expulsión del país de las incontables misiones militares
y seudo-técnicas que pululan en todas las dependencias oficiales y en todas
las escalas. El rescate de nuestra política de educación de la tutela y la
penetración imperialista".





"El programa de la UNO responde nítidamente a la cuestión agraria
colombiana, al planteamiento de lucha anti-latifundista que ha inscrito en
sus banderas el Partido Comunista desde que surgió a la lucha política en
Colombia en 1930. Yo saludo la presencia en la UNO de los nuevos
contingentes de lucha contra el latifundismo que han venido desde Boyacá y
Córdoba a reforzar los destacamentos de la revolución agraria colombiana que
han hecho historia en Sumapaz, en el Tequendama, en el Huila, en el Tolima,
en el Meta!"

Today, the party is articulating its political platform under the umbrella
of the Polo Democratico, a position some of us have decried, but given the
current violence of political persecussions, it may have been a wise
political choice as we weather this storm, and we may yet stand to be
corrected.



nchamah



PS (sorry I missed you when you were  last in Toronto visiting your friends
here I was at that time in Bogota when the Party had made the decision to
join with the Polo).



To Greg MacDonald: your sources duly noted.
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