Source: Daily Worker, April 23, 1929
Transcription/Markup: Paul Saba
Copyleft: Internet
Archive (marxists.org) 2018. Permission is granted to copy and/or distribute this document under the terms of the Creative Commons License.
Alberto Castrillon, the leader of the 40,000 banana plantation workers of Colombia in their strike a few months ago, has been court-martialed and sentenced to 25 years in jail. The first reports were that Castrillon was among those workers who were murdered. We learn now from the Confederation of Labor of Colombia that he had been jailed, and held incommunicado by the state police under the orders of the United Fruit Company.
The strike of the banana workers, arising out of their protest against the horrible conditions, soon transformed itself into a struggle against American imperialism. Hundreds of workers were ruthlessly murdered, and hundreds more were jailed by the Colombian government, acting as a tool of Wall Street. The United States Section of the All-America Anti-Imperialist League rallied American workers in mass protest demonstrations in support of the strikers.
The life of this anti-imperialist fighter is in danger. The workers and other sincere anti-imperialist forces who participated in the demonstrations organized by us, must raise the demand for the immediate release of Alberto Castrillon. The demand must be made not only upon the government of Colombia, but upon the United States government as well, under whose orders the strike was ruthlessly crushed, But we must also demand the release of the other imprisoned strikers. The sentence of Alberto Castrillon is another example of the policy of American Imperialism to smash any resistance on the part of the workers and peasants of Latin America to its brutal domination. Against this, a mighty wave of protest must be aroused.
The movement for the freedom of Castrillon and his comrades will gain strength with the growth of the U. S. Section of the All-America Anti-Imperialist League, and of the World League against Imperialism and for National Independence. For that reason, the All-America Anti-Imperialist League will make every effort to send a large delegation from the United States of America to the Second World Congress of the League to take place in Paris, July 20-31st of the year.
Demand the release of Alberto Castrillon and his comrades!
Support the struggle of the Colombian Federation of Labor against American imperialism!
Support the Paris World Congress against imperialism!
All-America Anti-Imperialist League, (United States Section.)
ALBERT MOREAU,
Director Latin-American Dept.
WILLIAM SIMONS,
Acting National Secretary