UNIONS PRESENT JUNTA WITH 38-POINT PLATFORM
[A 38-point memorial has been presented by the Central Obrera Boliviana [COB], the country's trade-union federation, to the military junta that took power when Paz Estenssoro fled the country in face of nation-wide strife. General Barrientos, the head of the junta, asked for a "reasonable time" before stating his reaction.
[The document, published about November 12, is especially valuable for what it reveals about the thinking among Bolivia's trade unionists in the days following the downfall of Paz Estenssoro, In the first part, an analysis is made of the causes of the "popular insurrection" that toppled the Paz Estenssoro regime, It is acknowledged that the military junta has. liberalized many things "but this liberalization is not sufficient," Every revolution is characterized by a change in the classes holding power and the transformation of the economic base of society; but this has not occurred in Bolivia, since both the political machinery of the "tyranny" and the economic power it represented still remain.
Lafter analyzing the situation, the COB offers the 38 proposals which we have translated below. }
% %
(1) Strict observance of the labor laws, the inviolability of union headquarters, the right to strike, the right to organize all sectors of the working class, and other social conquests. Mainten-= ance of the unity, democracy and independence of the trade unions.
(2) Immediate reinstatement of the leaders and workers fired from their jobs because of political or union activities.
(3) Annulment of the administrative and juridical proceedings maliciously initiated by the Paz Estenssoro tyranny in order to repress leaders and workers,
(4) Payment for the damages to trade-union buildings when they were attacked (headquarters of the COB and FSTMB in La Paz, of the COD in Santa Cruz, Radio Sumac Orko in Potosf, the Cochabamba workshops of the COD and the miners in Oruro, etc.).
(5) Annulment of the dictatorial measures under which divisive, parallel and phony union organizations were artificially set up in order to serve the ulterior interests of the tyranny.
(6) Full restoration of democratic rights and constitutional guarantees for all political tendencies.
(7) Prosecution of the former officials of the deposed regime for trampling on the Magna Carta, disregarding the country's social legislation, for illegal gains, fraud in handling public
ve hn
funds, perpetration of torture, murder and the violation of the human rights of the people.
(8) Immediate restoration of workers' control, with veto rights, in the nationalized mining industry, without any restrictions impairing this conquest of the people. Examination of the advisabil-~ ity of reorganizing the COMIBOL {[Corporacién Minera de Bolivia, in charge of the nationalized mining industry] along the lines of workers! self-management.
(9) Notification that the trade-union representation has been vacated in the Consejo Nacional de Reforma Agraria, Consejo Nacional de Vivienda, Cajas de Seguridad Social, Consejo Nacional de Coopera= tivas and other state institutions. Designation of new representatives by the organizations concerned,
(10) Designation of workers representatives in the Banco Central, Banco Minero, Banco Agricola, Consejo Nacional de Desarrollo, Corte Nacional del Trabajo, YPFB, LAB, Empresa Nacional de Electricidad, Empresa Nacional de Ferrocarriles and the Corporacién Boliviana de Fomento in order to show that the working class is the fundamental and irreplaceable factor in production.
(11) Complete freedom of the press and radio, including labor and university stations.
(12) Recognition of the democratic decisions of trade-union congresses and conferences to maintain workers guards and the arms held by labor.
(13) Fulfillment of the government offer to turn over to COB the plant and equipment of La Razon because of this newspaper's intellectual sponsorship of the murder of workers.
(14) Total destruction of the files of the former Control Polftico [political police], to be checked by the Comité Revolucionario del Pueblo [Revolutionary Committee of the People].
(15) Energetic struggle against illiteracy. Integration of primary education into the structure of the Ministry of Education. Restoration of the economic autonomy of the universities and the legal transfer of the ITB to the Bolivian University.
(16) Resumption of diplomatic relations with the republics of Cuba and Czechoslovakia.
(17) Recognition of collective bargaining for municipal workers in relation to civil-service careers and job permanency. Inclusion of government workers under the General Labor Law.
(18) Acceptance of the Czechoslovak contract to install an antimony smelter at Vinto.
Be
(19) Increase the capital in the nationalized and state enterprises by accepting international credit from any country in the world willing to grant it.
(20) Repeal of the ‘August ee, 1963, decree and. -re-~establishment of freedom of international trade. Diplomatic and commercial relations with the countries that offer us mutual advantages, without political discrimination.
(21) Revision of agrarian reform court decisions in violation of the law and against the interests of the peasantry by which large estates were re-established under false designations.
(22) Creation of a National Bank for Co-operative Credit and an effective material fostering of co-operativism in all fields,
(23) Integration of the. public health services: and establishment. of clinics in: the urban zones:and peasant regions.
(24) Confiscation of the MNR [Movimiento Nacionalista Reve~ lucionario] headquarters used for repressive purposes and the homes of newly rich members of the MNR, to be converted into schools. The rural properties of these elements: to be. turned over to the workers to establish vacation centers. Freezing of the bank accounts of members of the tyranny and investigation of their fortunes,
(25). Conversion of the zonal command headquarters of the: MNR into literacy centers and public libraries.
(26) Prosecution of the persecutors, torturers, criminals and murderers who belonged to the tyranny.
(27) Indemnification of the families of workers, peasants, students and-other patriots murdered by the Paz Estenssoro. dictatorship. oe
(28) Just attention to the wage demands’ of the. ‘workers as a means to increase purchasing power in the national: market «
(29) Lowering and freezing of prices of goods of prime necessity and electric rates. An active campaign against speculation. Creation of government stores to regulate prices,
(30) Study on including agricultural workers, artisans, independent drivers, professionals and other social groups in the benefits of social security.
(31) Improvement of the position of Bolivian women by granting them economic, social and political equality. Dissolution of all the feminine shock groups,
(32) Revision of the oil code to provide for workers! par-
let)
ticipation and with the objective of establishing the necessary safeguards for ‘the national interests...
(33) Economie rehabilitation and adoption of protectionist measures in favor of the best arts and industries and the country's other branches of production.
(34) Construction and financing of homes for all sectors: of the working class, eliminating © the system of political discrimination,
(35) Study of a plan to bring about. the return of. workers . and technicians who emigrated from Bolivia in search of freedom and Jobs. ;
(36 ) Utilization of the funds diverted to the political “ police, the militia, the pork barrellers, the unnecessary diplomatic posts, the official parliamentarians, as well as the MNR subsidies, the pay~offs for trade-union bosses and other similar funds for the immediate taunching of public ‘works to absorb the unemployed. 7 (37) Repeal of the. ‘decree which degraded independent professionals by involving them in the collection of taxes,
(38) Defense of the principles of self-determination and nonintervention, Struggle for the integration of Latin America, Better links with the Afro-Asian and nonaligned countries, A con-= sistent position against imperialism and colonialism,
With our best respects, cordially yours.
For the Nacional Executive Committee of the COB:
Daniel Saravia Quiroz Carlos Tovar Baldivieso
Benedicto Delgadillo José Marfa Palacios
Orlando Capriles Villazén Francisco Revollo
Guillermo Limpias . Mario Rico Galarza
Aldo Flores ' Ofelia Altamirano
Hugo Siles Gdémez Tomdis Lobera
Ravil Larrea a .
7
BOLIVIAN