Domestically and internationally the Portuguese revolution stands at the crossroads. It is sixteen months since the overthrow of fascist dictatorship in Portugal. Sixteen months of political turmoil during which the forces of both revolution and reaction have been in constant flux.
Now these forces are beginning to crystallise-but in a situation in which the mass movement is dangerously split. The Socialist Party, led by Mario Soares, has become the stalking horse for imperialism and the cover for every reactionary interest in Portugal. In the north of Portugal anticommunist violence is now being stirred up by the Catholic Church. One of the firmest props of the former fascist regime, the Church exploits a 60 per cent rate of illiteracy amongst the impoverished peasantry.
On the other hand the Communist Party, which has been the main victim of this anti-working class violence, has used bureaucratic manoeuvres against the Socialist Party in the trade unions and organs of local government. They have attempted to secure their position by hanging onto the coat-tails of the Armed Forces Movement, rather than basing themselves on the independent mobilisations of the working class. Now the Armed Forces Movement is itself split in all directions. WORKERS DEMOCRACY To overcome the divisions in the mass movement and smash reaction, the existing organs of working class power in Portugal must be built and generalised on the basis of working class democracy in which all workers' organisations can participate. The workers' committees, the tenants' committees, the soldiers' conmittees and the Popular Assembliesthe unification of these organisations at a national level as the basis of a Workers' Government is the key to both the defence of the Portuguese revolution and the birth of a workers' state in Portugal.
Internationally as well, the workers' movement is split on Portugal. The traitorous leaders of 17 European social democratic parties have banded together to aid and succour Soares, and have supported the sabotage of the Portuguese economy by international capital through the imposition of import controls on Portuguese textiles by the Common Market countries.
At the same time international stalinism has proved incapable of even defending its own sister organisation in Portugal. The Kremlin remains mute while the Italian Communist Party, keen to maintain its 'historic compromise with capitalism, has more less openly condemned the 'left' attempts of Portuguese stalinism to keep control over the mass movement.
As in Portugal, the key to the international defence of the Portuguese revolution is the united action of the workers' movement. This means more than cutting through the barrage of slander, lies and distortion about events in Portugal in the capitalist press, radio and television. It also means solidarity actions which overcome the divisions in the workers' movement sown by the pro-capitalist leaders.
UNITED RESPONSE
In Britain itself small steps have been taken that show such action is possible. A public meeting last week in Liverpool called by the Portuguese Workers Coordinating Committee attracted over 100 people despite the holiday season. More importantly, the meeting was supported by both the Communist Party and the Labour Party, as well as the International Marxist Group and other organisations of the revolutionary left.
Local MP Eddie Loyden, a member of the Tribune Group, gave his support to the meeting, and one of the speakers was Labour Party member Tony Mulhearn, Vice-President of Liverpool Trades Council and a supporter of Militant. The District Secretary of the Merseyside Communist Party, Roger O'Hare, also spoke at the meeting, which was chaired by John Wilkinson, a member of the International Marxist Group and Assistant Secretary of the local Chile Solidarity Campaign. Speaking for the PWCC was Eduardo Guedes, who explained the significance of the latest developments in northern Following discussion from the floor-a model of working class democracy in which representatives of all the main organisations in the local workers' movement participatedthe meeting unanimously supported the establishment of a mobilising committee for the solidarity demonstration on 20 September. A CP proposal for a further public meeting before the demonstration was also agreed.
BUILD SOLIDARITY This display of unity in action and workers' democracy must be extended throughout the country as a model for the development of a campaign in solidarity with the Portuguese revolution. In this way we can not only give concrete assistance to our Portuguese comrades in their hour of need but also strengthen our own hand for the coming struggles against Wilson's policies.
2 union news red weekly 21 august 1975