First Published: People’s Tribune, Vol. 5, No. 6, July 1973.
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba
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As the crisis of USNA imperialism gets worse, most of the burden of this crisis gets shifted to the backs of the colonial workers. Puerto Rico is no exception. In an earlier issue of the People’s Tribune it was reported that in the first half of 1972, strikes or threatened strikes involved some 75,000 workers in Puerto Rico. This spontaneous fightback of the proletariat has not slackened, but is increasing.
In the early part of July, the Electrical Workers and Firemen went on strike. Picket lines had been set up in the vicinity of the Central Office of Firemen. In order to break the strike National Guardsmen were called out in full riot gear. Fighting broke out several times during the day with two firemen being very seriously wounded. Reinforcements of the National Guard were sent in during the evening and the whole area where the strikers were picketing was cordoned off so that the firemen could get no support.
A settlement was even reached by the Electrical Workers Union, but rejected by the workers in a mass meeting. On July 11th, a four hour general strike was called by several organizations to support the striking firemen and electrical workers.
We, the proletariat of the Anglo-American nation, must also support the struggle of these workers in Puerto Rico. One way is to call for the removal of all USNA troops. The bourgeois press has deliberately not been reporting on the situation in Puerto Rico to keep us in ignorance of the struggle of our class brothers and, sisters. But in spite of all the bourgeoisie’s tricks, our common struggle to overthrow USNA imperialism will unite us.
It is obvious that conditions for revolution in Puerto Rico are maturing. The one factor that is lacking, which would link the struggle of the Puerto Rican proletariat with those of the Anglo-American nation, the Negro Nation and the Southwest, is a multinational Marxist-Leninist Communist Party.
INDEPENDENCE FOR PUERTO RICO!
BUILD A MULTI-NATIONAL MARXIST-LENINIST COMMUNIST PARTY!