Dy LIvio Mailall
(The following article appeared in the March 31 issue of the French Trotskyist daily Rouge. The translation is by Intercontinental Press/ Inprecor.]
Neither the French Communist Party nor other CPs are joining the campaign for a boycott of the World Cup football matches.* In this they are following the example set by the Argentine Communist Party (PCA), which is absolutely hostile to the effort.
This hostility does not reflect a mere tactical consideration of the moment. Instead, it flows from the whole orientation of the Argentine Stalinists. Unbelievable though it may seem, they offer critical support to General Videla. This is unmistakably confirmed in some of their recent statements, which have been picked up in the international press and particularly in the Italian press.
In an interview published in Corriere della Sera March 14, PCA Political Bureau member Fernando Nadra explains, among other things, that after the overthrow of Isabel Perón his party drew the conclusion that it was necessary to support the most democratic tendency in the new government, in order to oppose the reactionary, fascist sector. "Videla's first statement advanced concrete proposals for reestablishing democracy in Argentina," he said. "The PCA accepted this declaration, demanding that the promises be fulfilled."
An error or analysis? An error of prognosis? No: The PCA later reaffirmed its line and even went so far as to claim-denying all evidence-that "in 1977 the democratic position was reinforced inside the military government, however slowly, while the reactionary position was weakened." What a pity that the superexploited Argentine masses, oppressed by ferocious repression, and the thousands and tens of thousands of the dictatorship's victims have failed to notice this!
Several days after the Corriere della Sera interview, this knight of new hopes Fernando Nadra gave another interview, this one to his Italian comrades of l'Unità.
"We start from the idea," he said, "that a struggle is taking place between the elements of the democratic tendency inside and outside the government, and the reactionary and fascist forces inside and outside the junta. Consequently, all our activity is aimed at keeping the latter from gaining the advantage over the moderate forces that could take a step forward....
"It could be said that the moderate forces made an advance in this struggle in 1977 by consolidating 'Videlism,' the sector most disposed to reopening a dialogue with the political forces. It holds a perspective of quite a broad convergence and a civilian-military form of government. ..."
On March 27, Videla's spokesman got right to the point and said that "the period of military rule will not be short, because it is not limited to the restoration of order...."
We are waiting for the PCA's comments. Will it continue to explain its conceptions of a "lesser evil," "policy of alliances," and "openings" to a military team that has imposed and continues to maintain a bloody dictatorship?
We don't know what records will be broken in Argentina at the World Cup matches. But meantime, the PCA has already broken, singlehandedly, all the records for opportunism, treachery, and political blindness!
Notes
* European human-rights activists are organizing a boycott of the June 1978 World Cup football (soccer) matches, scheduled to take place in Buenos Aires, as a means of protesting repression in Argentina. For more information, contact the Comité pour le Boycott de l'Organisation par l'Argentine de la Coupe du Monde de Football, 14 rue de Nanteuil, 75015, Paris.—IP/I