Raising the Argentinian flag over the Malvinas THE GENERALS have run Argentina with a rod of iron since 1976, 30,000 oppositionists disappeared' kidnapped and vanished without trace For killed. believe a British victory in the South Atlantic will help oust this despicable nian people see it, according to an exile who spent five years in the junta's jails Rafael Runco, Socialist Chellenge, explains that they see the current conflict as a chance to settle accounts both with the junta and the junta? The Argentinian class, which has struggled heroically What led the junta to take the The armed forces took power in a bloody coup in 1976 because the inMay/June issue now out!
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PO Box 50, London N1 2XP Many British socialists But this is not the way the Argentiinterviewed here by Whom should we trust to deal with working creasingly strong working class popular mobilisations which had threatened imperansm s grip on the country. But after six years of dictatorship the country was in deepening political and economic crisis The military found it impossible assert its GOES TO WAR Cheques to: International, fleeing from it?
fleet, and recognise while we deal with ours.
against another working Rafael Runco says, stopping to help get rid of General Galtieri.
Police races inh when faced economic bankruptcy.
Also the internal solidarity of the armed forces was being weakened All underground movements recently started to reappear. From December when Galtieri took were strikes and demonstrations.
Un 50 March, there were including 20,000 in Buenos Aires. About 2,000 were arrested and, in Mendesa, one killed. There was a movemen, sappeared led by the relatives people and of political prisoners, against rights violations.
Even sections of the bourgeoisie were disturbed THe CUC class by the cconomic situation. So the armed forces were in a tight corner and need ed to do something.
They had three aims.
First, to divert attention from internal problems. Secondly, to regain prestige internally and also all over Latin America and the Third World, especially after sending troops to and intervening in Bolivia.
Thirdly, and perhaps
MOS importantly, to rebuild unity and solidarity within the armed forces.
What has been the response?
The government wasn't able to sell its line to the Argentinian people. From the very first, the demonstrations of 200,000 Argentinian firepower on the streets after 1976 military coup against it for six years? Or Thatcher, International working class unity is only possible if we refuse to support the aggression of our own ruling class class. As Thatcher's war-mongering is the best way after the occupation, everybody went on to the SUCCES celebrate because only ICCOYCTY or me istands.
but to demonstrate against the The slogan was 'Malvinas yes, government no' So the government's first they couldn't divert attention Irom problems. The second aim, that of gaining prestige, also failed. Although and Nicaragues like Cuba support they make clear that what the are supporting is Argen tina's anti-colonialist claim, but not the government.
Revolutionary organisations like the Salvadorean FMLN have taken the same position, and have also asked Galtieri to withdraw his troops Central America — which he has done. Thirdly the government failed to unite the armed forces.
What's been happening recently?
There has been a very fast recovery - bv oppositional organisations: in idaria, a unifying front of the five main political parties from the Peronists to Christian Democrats.
The trade п101 Neeration dominated the - 15 by Peronists, has been growing because most workers support it.
But people have taken advantage of this, and local CCTs and Multipartidarias are springing up everywhere. Frequently they have nothing to do with the bureaucracy, and in some Daces they are formed by the left, not by the five partes Becauss he name •Multipartidaria is allowed by the government, they are using it.
The unions have taken into their own hands and in every factory are setting up local CGTs.
So now have the strongest and best organised opposition the government ever In the first weeks the effects of the crisis were val) 8000 in on ante was rebirth colonial feelings, not just in Argentina but also reactionary governments like Venezuela and Peru posed Britain and America as well Even Venezuela, the most reac tionary civilian government in Latin has supported American strategy oI In Central America, has called for an Organisation of American states without the USA because When the actual fighting began, bringing the first casualties, think that the situation changed. Now the continuation of the conflict is the needs in orde to justify themselves continuing in government.
The people are saying •Malvinas yes government no'. But the govern ment knows that when the crisis is over they will carry saying 'government no'. So think that natche giving the justification the armed forces need in order to stay in power.
Argentinians don't want this war, any war But Britain's role in this conflict is the continuation of two hundred years of aggression.
Everybody is ready to go to war against Britain if Rafael Runco ed, so everyone takes advantage of them, and they are used as a cover to other activities A week after the crisis began cians and trade of polititrade unionists decided La proste government offered to pay the tickets, but they retused in a press conference They said they were going to explain point view, and that they would have nothing the govern ment.
They came to Europe and said they wanted to contact the British they received answer.
1980 Nobel prizewinner, Esquivel, spent two weeks in Paris trying to get a visa to come here to put the Argentinian people' point of view. He doesn't suppor the government he was in prison with me after he got the Nobel Prize The Home Office refused hir a visa.
The British government, and probably the have been closing their ears to any attempt by any section of the Argentinian people to explain the real situation.
If the TUC, or any sec tion of the abour move ment, invited them and if this was not a manoeuvre to use the opposition of Argentinians KOYCECH I think the ©GT would still be ready to come. We refugees ars willing to talk to anyone, if opposition to the government is not used to support the British in this war.
What do you say to peoBitightas a war against who support the fascist dictators?
We don't think a victory for the junta would mean the end perialism although would help Nor will British victory end the dictatorship The continuation of the war is what the needs to justify continuing themselves in power.
The only way to help the Argentinian people, not only in the war against imperialism but also in the war against the dictatorship, is to stop this war.
negotiate the can't back and CUSSIOT of sovereignty This is not because Galtier patriotic. His because the and company Argentinian people have taken the matter into their own hands What we would make cicar is that we are not go sovereignty. This is not ar is now an issue for th Argentinian people to be invited to Britain, to se
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who armed it, fêted its ministers, and closed Britain's doors to the refugees Socialist Challenge supports a class response: stop the war, bring back the people's rights - including sovereign- ty of the Malvinas/Falklands - in order that they can deal with their rulers.