From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: Latin American left meets in Managua
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 00:18:32 GMT

/** reg.samerica: 180.0 **/
** Topic: Green Left issue 65, August 5 **
** Written  6:15 pm  Sep  3, 1992 by jbinder in cdp:reg.samerica **
From: James Binder <jbinder>
Subject: Green Left issue 65, August 5

/* Written 11:25 am  Aug  5, 1992 by peg:greenleft in cdp:greenleft.news */
/* ---------- "Green Left issue 65, August 5" ---------- */
Latin American left meets in Managua

By Stephen Marks

MANAGUA - A meeting of ``the representatives of the workers, 
peasants and the poor of Latin America'' was Daniel Ortega's 
description of the Third Forum of Sao Paulo, held here from July 
16 to 19.

The Sandinista National Liberation Front leader made this 
observation in his opening address to delegates from 61 movements 
and parties of the left from 17 countries in Latin America and 
the Caribbean. Also present were observers representing 43 
parties and organisations from Africa, Asia, Europe, North 
America and Australia.

The forum is named after the city in which the first forum was 
held in 1990. Initiated by the Brazilian Workers Party, it drew 
together a large part of the Latin American left. The 
Revolutionary Democratic Party of Mexico sponsored the second 
forum a year later. Seminars around specific policy issues have 
also continued the process of dialogue and interchange between 
the Latin American left. Forum members describe themselves as 
``democratic forces with identities that are nationalist, popular 
and socialist''.

The development of alliances and broad fronts incorporating all 
progressive forces was seen as an absolute necessity in 
conference discussions. Delegations related numerous examples of 
left unity in the region.

Argentinean delegates spoke of growing support for the Southern 
Front alliance of parties in that country. Three federations 
linked to these parties are now merging together to form a single 
association.

Through practical and community-based work in poor 
neighbourhoods, Ecuadoran parties have built significant 
electoral support for the first time in 50 years.

The Frente Amplio, an alliance of several left parties in 
Uruguay, has won massive support in a nationally coordinated 
fight against the privatisation of state enterprises.

Participants stressed that the methods of overcoming oppression 
vary according to different conditions. The forum accepted the 
right of member parties to decide their own forms of struggle. In 
some countries, there are democratic spaces in the electoral 
process. Several important elections are due in 1994. In other 
countries the only option is considered to be armed struggle.

In Colombia, for example, the Simon Bolivar Guerrilla Coordinator 
unites three guerilla armies and has opened up more than 160 
different guerrilla fronts in response to increased military 
repression.

Latin America's oldest guerilla army, the United National 
Resistance of Guatemala, has forced the government there to the 
negotiating table. Recognition of its heroic struggle was shown 
when the UNRG was elected unanimously to the Working Committee of 
the Forum.

El Salvador was regarded as showing that negotiated solutions to 
armed struggles are possible.

The Pol Potist actions of Sendero Luminoso in Peru were condemned 
by an overwhelming majority of the forum.

In many Latin America countries, the left finds itself in a 
dangerous position. Some neo-liberal regimes are now moving 
towards military repression after they have wrecked the national 
economies and living standards of the poor.

The coups in Peru and Haiti were condemned, as was the increasing 
repression in Colombia and the now unstable Venezuela. Delegates 
from Argentina alerted the forum that their president, Carlos 
Menem, has warned the left to stay of the streets unless they 
want another ``dirty war''.

Alternative economics to neo-liberalism and new methods of 
struggle were the central conference themes. Neo-liberalism is 
the free market religion of privatisation and economic 
deregulation.

The Declaration of Managua, adopted unanimously as the conference 
document, stresses the continuing and future importance of the 
forum as a medium for building alliances and developing 
alternative strategies.

The declaration also challenges the multifaceted offensive of the 
North against Latin America and the Caribbean. It exposes the 
excuse of drugs and terrorism to legitimise intervention. The 
economic alternatives put forward are based on popular struggle. 
Demands include the democratisation of the United Nations, the 
resolution of the external debt, balancing out unequal terms of 
trade and reorienting the functions of the IMF and World Bank. 
Ecological and environmental solutions were also given a high 
priority. The forum rejected any notion of left parties managing 
a humane version of neo-liberalism.

A series of resolutions condemning the actions of imperialism in 
Latin America were passed and solidarity with Cuba was specially 
stressed. Conference proceedings, at times hotly debated, were 
conducted without exclusionism, sectarianism or arrogance.

International solidarity was another key theme, with the forum 
deciding for the first time to consider issues outside of the 
region. This linking with progressive forces in other parts of 
the world was reflected by the specially invited observers from 
countries including Malaysia, India, North Korea, China, 
Philippines and Vietnam. Special individual guests included 
Marxist economist Ernest Mandel.

As part of this outward-looking approach, the forum decided to 
hold a seminar in June-July 1993 on the theme of ``the left 
parties versus the New world order'' in Brussels. Later that 
year, another seminar will be held in Canada on free trade and 
Latin America. The fourth forum will be held in Cuba from July 20 
to 26, 1993, as an expression of ongoing solidarity with that 
country.
** End of text from cdp:reg.samerica **

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