What follows is the reproduction of an Open Letter to Social and Left Organisations emitted on 1st May last, calling to build an alternative of class independence for policies, programmes and electoral platforms of workers of the countryside and the cities, emitted by Workers’ Party of Paraguay
For an alternative of class independence
for policies, programmes and electoral platforms
of workers of the countryside
The possibility for defeating the Colorado Party
The possibility of the fall of Colorado Party already 6o years in the office opens a new transcendental period in our country. This probability stems out of thorough wearing away of this party’s model, based on privileges and clientelism* and the increasing sensation of exasperation spreading among the workers of the cities and the countryside.
Nothing else could be expected. After 60 years of mafia and economic stagnation, of poverty, massive emigration, invasions by great foreign proprietors and loss of national sovereignty in the Mercosur, IMF, DEA, CIA, etc, And it is now 18 years of democracy for the rich and mafiosos during which the colorados, on the one hand offered full liberty to legal exploiter as well as for the mafioso mercenaries and drug dealers and, on the other hand, the offered repression to workers, peasants and homeless who struggle for jobs, land and housing.
With the downfall of the Stroesner dictatorship the blessed “democratic transition began. They promised the moon and the stars but these promises were nothing but fairy tales: wolves were disguised as lambs so that they now can keep on robbing the country.
Because of everything this corrupt and mafioso Colorado Party administration represents, main enemy of the popular sectors and responsible for decades of hardship suffered by the Paraguayan people, we, the workers of the cities and the countryside, have a fundamental challenge ahead of us: PULL THEM DOWN!! And we shall achieve this if we unite the exploited sectors and resort to the best and most efficient weapon of the poor: mobilisation and struggle.
It is against this background that
National Accord is a wolf dressed up as a lamb
Now that the population is fed up with the Colorado Party, despair spreads over certain sectors foreseeing their defeat. A sector of the rich is changing colours, just as a chameleon would and once more is trying on the costume of lamb so as to be able to keep their fishy business, and now also trying on a new camouflage.
As a matter of fact, faced with this situation, a sector of the rich represented by the political parties of bourgeois opposition (PLRA, UNACE, PPQ, PEN, PPS) launched an Accord from where they propose to “change 6 for half a dozen”, which means that they want to look as though they are changing something so that actually nothing should change.
Because of the righteous anger and indignation against the Colorado Party it is possible to fail to see what sort of characters is to be found in the political opposition of the Accord. Many would even criticise them but will finally yield to them and bow to them as long as they displace the Colorado Party.
We must not forget that these political parties of the bourgeois opposition have been the accomplices and co-responsible for the application of the neoliberal measures against the poor of our country. The strongest criticism they posed against the
Fernando Lugo candidature and people’s expectations
In these transcendental times of the political life, up comes the candidature of Fernando Lugo who – because he is a former bishop and on different opportunities he participated in several social struggles – enjoys certain credibility and arouses hopes and expectations among the toiling masses. He is also the candidate with the strongest chances of winning the 2008 presidential elections if electoral polls are anything to guide you.
These great expectations of the toiling masses of the countryside and the city have to be taken into account with great care because if they are disappointed once more, an ever blacker period will open than the one we have been going through so far. That is why we must pose some topic the PT finds most disturbing.
It is with great concern that we have noticed that
We are sure that the Accord parties are basically discussing the posts they want to keep for themselves in the future
A wink for Oviedism
The party of the putchist
No deep changes coming from the rich
Definitely and categorically, you cannot talk of changes in the country if your allies are the rich, be they
Further concerns pile up. Other ensuing issues
For example, in relation to sovereignty, we can see
We read and we hear that the wants to be the great peacemaker and carrier of reconciliation. That he wants to harmonise the interests between the great foreign producer of soybean and the landless smallholder. In this kind of agreement only the poor can be losers: the government will provide the tree, the great producer the rope and the peasant his neck! This will be the end of this tragic story. How can anyone fail to see that by getting together with the rich he is dooming land reform and elimination of the great estates in our country where we have one of the greatest unevenness in land distribution in the world?
In other declarations published in the newspapers,
Lula’s Brazilian model and Bachelet’s in
That is how so far we can unfortunately see in his exposés for the press, Fernando Lugo tries hard to please the rich with who he is arriving at good agreements and is drifting away from the programme of defence of the interests of poor, of the great majorities. Is it possible then to expect deep changes that the great majorities need with such guidelines in the programme? If
That is why we warn the people in general and the social organisations that if
A deceit or a farce: discussing the programme for the poor with the rich!
A new trap has now been set: the Accord opens up to discus a “programme” with social organisation, the BSP, Tekojoja and the left parties. We can discuss no programme with the rich! How could we discuss the elimination of the large landed property with the owners of the large landed property? How can we discuss higher taxes on large properties with the great producers of soybean and the large estates? How are we expected to discuss sovereignty of
We demand that
We call on the social organisations, on the Social and Popular Block, the trade union centrals and the organisations of the poor of the cities, the peasants’ organisations, left parties and organisations (Tekojoja, CP, PT, P.MAS, PCPS, PH, PUP, Communers Movement) to demand that
– Break off all links with Accord
– Public split with former general Lino Oviedo
– Public split and no agreement with the leaders of sectors of the
– Out with all the representatives of the oligarchy from Lugo Project!
– For sovereignty of
– Suspend the payments of the foreign debt and use that money for the economic development of
– Elimination of large landed properties and guarantee of a radical and integral land reform ensuring land and credit for the production of food for the people.
– Expulsion of the great soybean and cane producers. End the agribusiness and monoculture for export.
– Increase tax on the great properties and great fortunes. Use this money to promote a massive plan of public works to build popular housing, hospitals, schools, and roads, electrify the countryside, etc using all the resources of the country.
– Jail for the corrupt and thieves of people’s wealth and public resources. Confiscation of all the ill begotten wealth. Use the retrieved resources for the people to serve a plan of autonomous development of
– No to privatisation of state-owned companies and for workers’ control of the running of these companies.
– Let the President of Paraguay be in the service of the poor guaranteeing land, Jobs and Sovereignty
Executive Committee
Workers’ Party
01-05.07
* A term coming from ancient Roman history refers to a plebeian who was under a patrician’s protection. Here: reference to corruptive protection given by politicians.