Bolivia: workers march

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Hansen dead Berlinguer This would technically give Andreotti a" government majority; but the Socialists refuse to take the rap for the reactionary anti working class policies of the government while the CP enjoys the luxury of "opposition"

This seems all the more true when there is growing evidence that the Socialist Party is rapidly gaining potential electoral advantage at the expense of the CP.

In last year's local elections the SP gained votes at the expense of both the CP and the Christian Democrats.

But more dramatically. last week reports leaked out of Brussels that an opinion poll ordered by the Common Market Commission showed. that, -Jor the European elections at least, the Socialists would overtake the CP (with 24% compared with 22% for the CP).

It can be assumed that the Berlinguer leadership is anxious. to avoid an electoral catastrophe of these proportions in national So its A "march against fascism" on January 18 in La Paz turned out to be the largest mass demonstration which has occurred in Bolivia since the military coup d'etat by General Banzer in 1971.

Tens of thousands of workers, peasants and Pereda Sica 5 zess has just earned it tre seat in the USA of Josepr Mansem. Hansen, at one time a secretary to Leon Trotsky, was for many years a lead ing member of the US Socialist Workers Party.

While we are unable to carry in this issue an extensive analysis of Hansen's work, we are currently preparing a full length article which will appear shortly. students responded to the call of the COB (Bolivia's main union federation) onto the streets of the capital; and in other cities a one-day general strike call was widely followed.

The politics of this march, however show up the treacherous nature of the leadership of the present "opposition" in Bolivia.

Bolivia at present is ruled by a military junta led by General David Padilla who seized power in a coup in November from General Pereda.

Abortive elections

Pereda had taken power from Banzer last July during the counting of the abortive presidential elections in which he (the official army candidate) had failed to rig the ballot with enough efficiency.

Padilla came to power saying that he would guarantee new free elections in August 1979.

He was welcomed as a "democrat" by the petty bourgeois nationalist, reformist and Stalinist eaters o: Bolivia's masses.

= 2m a mere: this 55:3 =E: ==-- 2103: =3 rade iron leaders acts be aliowel to be candidates in the promised elections.

Austerity measures

At the same time his government announced series of anti-working class austerity measures involving massive price increases; and he reshuffled his cabinet to shift it clearly even further to the right.

Rumoured coup

But the COB's "march against fascism" was in no way directed against this reactionary butcher.

Its slogans were designed for the most part to defend him and his dictatorship against a rumoured impending counter-coup by Banzer.

The COB's main slogan was reportedly "No to a right wing coup-freedom though it also called for withdrawal of troops from the mines.

The abject reformist leadership of the COB is therefore prepared to trust bourgeois generals, who have amply proved their reactionary nature in practice, to guarantee democracy and workers' rights.

In this they parallel the two nationalist opportunists who will be leading candi dates if presidential elections do take place. praised :: = MNR 1 National Movement) iom 195: 10 1964.

Paz Estenssoro is reportedly hoping to fight with the support of the Christian Democrats and certain sections of the so-called Left Revolutionary Front. • And Siles can probably count on the support of the Guevarist MIR and of the CP which he had in last year's elections.

Only under an authentic Trotskyist leadership can the enormously powerful workers' movement in Bolivia develop an independent programme to unite behind it the oppressed peasants and the students to rid Bolivia once and for all of the çurse of military dictatorship and begin to build socialism.

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The Polisario's victory at Lem Sail showed once again how ineffective has been the reorganisation of the Moroccan army, undertaken by the French imperialists after its setbacks and defeats in late 1977.

But the Polisario's warning of its growing strength was not directed at King Hassan II of Morocco alone, but was also intended for the ears of the military dictatorship in Mauritania.

When Ould Daddah's regime was overthrown last July, the Polisario declared a truce with the new government to allow them time to withdraw from the war.

The truce has not yet been broken on either side within Mauritania nor within the southern sector of the Western Sahara occupied by the Mauritanian army.

Need peace

But the military government led by Ould Salek has not yet been able to achieve the • compromise it so desperately needs.

Before they can salvage the shipwrecked economy, the colonels need peace in' the Sahara-but a peace that does not antagonise their powerful northern neighbours in Morocco.

Although the troops of the Moroccan state are reported to be withdrawing from Mauritania as requested. one false step by Ould Sales's gorernment could Ting them back, and in even greater numbers.

Now that the Polisario Front has declared its mounting impatience with the vacillations of the Mauritanian leaders, the day of reckoning for • these military dictators is dawning unavoidably on the horizon:

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