Rony Cueto, Secretary General of the union representing subcontracted miners at the Shougang mine, as well as miner leaders Tomas Cari and Moises Pua, have been released from prison. We join our fellow workers in Peru in celebrating this victory which the miners themselves have credited to international solidarity.
The working class and oppressed peoples of Peru have gone through momentous struggles in the past few months. Basic human demands for safe working conditions, secure jobs, decent wages, and a healthy environment were answered by the repressive forces of the Garcia regime, backed by U.S. imperialism.
Capitalism and imperialism have nothing to offer the working class. In the U.S, both the Republican and Democratic Parties are pushing Free Trade Agreements which aim to deepen superexploitation in Peru and Colombia and suppress struggle against imperialism in Latin America.
Revolutionaries stand for powerful united struggles of the working class in Peru and across national borders. In Peru, a general strike coupled with international solidarity can beat back the current attacks. Above all, politically advanced workers must join together to re-create the Fourth International. This is the leadership our struggles need to carry out the genuine perspective of socialist revolution. The miners at Shougang and elsewhere have presented a strong challenge to ruling class assaults and represent a source of inspiration to all of us who want to fight the miserable system we live under.
August 5, 2007