[The following is an open letter issued in New York December 16 by exiled Peruvian peasant leader Hugo Blanco. The translation is by Intercontinental Press/Inprecor.]
To my people:
In recent years imperialism and the national bourgeoisie have carried out a brutal economic attack against the masses, lowering their standard of living to a miserable level.
To silence the just protests of the people they have used all forms of repression at their disposal: suspension of constitutional guarantees, imposition of a curfew, abrogation of freedom of the press and the right to strike, firing of workers, mass arrests, deportations, murder, and other such methods.
The main representative of the exploiters and the main instrument of economic and political repression has been a military government never chosen by the people and whose authority rests solely on the force of arms.
Despite all the repression, the working people have shown their capacity to mount valiant and tenacious resistance against this offensive. By their heroic struggles, they have forced the hangmen to retreat somewhat, and have regained a small part of the democratic rights that are due them. For example, the military government has been forced to lift its suspension of constitutional guarantees of individual rights, the curfew, some of the restrictions on press freedom, and so on.
The calling of elections for a constituent assembly is a result of the struggle of the masses. The exploiters are trying to change masks and put on one less dictatorial.
The workers must utilize every democratic gain they achieve in the course of their battle in order to make further advaners such as the leaders of the miners and the fishermen, and others.
I call on all the people's organizations, on all the exploited of Peru, to collaborate in this effort.
I will support the list of candidates chosen by the workers' organizations. And as a principle that cannot be negotiated, I will continue to defend the program of revolutionary Marxism, which calls for class independence, a democratic workers government to build socialism, and for a world socialist revolution.
Unity of all the workers, of all the exploited!
how aligne with the mases, no matter
No alliance with the bosses, no matter
Hugo Blanco
New York, December 16, 1977
Obrero Marxista Revolucionario- *Partido Revolutionary
Marxist Workers
Party;
Frente de Izquierda
Revolucionaria/Cuarta
Internacional-Front of the Revolutionary Left/- Fourth International; Partido Socialista de los
Van-
Trabajadores-Socialist Workers Party; guardia Revolucionaria-Revolutionary
Vanguard; Izquierda Popular-Popular Left.