What We can be sure of is that the inter-
»"8l contradictions within the movement
80ing to become sharper. Peronism

Ment with such contradictory forces.
© Would like to see a Peronist move-
neoriented toward a democratic and

limperialist direction that works
¥ are with the Communists and with

#| ~~ Popular and democratic forces.

: as Military coups have been a major
Vt Nomena in Argentina since the thir-
les, Why?

A: Military coups in our country
aa when certain conditions for
thers have matured. A government
lat doesn’t respond’ to these changes
tot Stay in power. The demand for
he’s Coupled with the resistance to
fse changes by the government in
Wer creates social unrest. That is, an
eared social and economic crisis
ial uces great social unrest. This so-
hi unrest leads to a political crisis, at
ich time the military intervenes, os-
Msibly to.establish order, but in reality
< t the revolutionary process. This
a been the situation up to the present

woe

Coups cannot, be avoided until we
B. eve the unity of the working class
= the democratic and popular forces.
h eae S new about this situation is
ne the present coup isn’t like the
ers. It has many new elements that
(Pave never appeared before.

hin? The army seems to be the domin-
he reustitution in Argentina. Whom does
hf Present? What is its class make-up?

0 a The army is really the important
tow Ical power in Argentina. Today,
hitierent its social composition is much
rich tom what it was in the past.
fy); © nally it was made up of sons of the
rey. _and the most conservative
Bn of the upper classes. Today it is
bets Posed of men from the bourgeoisie,
a ore urgeoisie, including even some
sf” Tkers of special trades and crafts. Of

fannot continue being a single move-

course, it doesn’t represent the working =

class, but it does include all the other
classes with their differing political
views. For this reason, the Argentine
army today is not homogeneous, it’s
heterogeneous. For example, there are

fascists who today are in the minority; -
. there are conservatives who are also a

small group; there are liberals, democ-
ratis and anti-imperialists with certain
left positions who make up the center
forces and are in the majority. If you
want to have a true and realistic as-
sessment of the Argentine army and
work in a successful way, you cannot
ignore this reality.

“U.S. imperialism
is today

the principal
enemy of
our.country

and our people.”

Q: What is the potential role of the
armed forces in progressive change?
Can it be transformed?

A: Potentially the armed forces
should and can play a very important
role in progressive change. They can do
it because, as we have said, their social
composition today makes them sensi-
tive to the problems of the working class
and the people. Besides, the armed

‘forces are extraordinarily influenced

by events taking place all over the
world, especially in Latin America. All
these struggles are observed and
analyzed by the military and contribute
to the transformation of their con-
sciousness in many cases, What occur-
red in Syria, Iraq, Panama, Peru or in
Portugal shows that the same thing
could happen in Argentina one day. Not
only can these transformations occur
but they are now in the process of trans-

_ formation.

Q: What is the nature and the role of
the Montoneros and the People’s Re-
volutionary Army (ERP)?

A: The Montoneros is an organiza-
tion of nationalist origin. It started as a
right-wing group and ended up as ultra-
left. The ERP is an ultra-left, Trotskyite
organization. Like all ultra-left groups

they have played and are playing today
a negative role in the national political
situation. Their extreme positions, their
adventurousness and terrorist positions
have endangered the democratic and
revolutonary process and have given
pretexts for right-wing terrorism that

_ today assaults the country and is the

cause of many crimes.

Q: What is the composition of these
groups?.

A: The majority are of bourgeois and
petty bourgeois origin, students and
professionals. In some cases they are
the.sons and daughters of very wealthy

people and from traditional families. Its
initial force has now diminished greatly -

and its influence is minimal. One of the
consequences is that instead of staying
in the country to fight, as we re-

volutionaries do, they travel to all the

capitals of the world, agitating and
making a lot of propaganda, just as they
did in Argentina:

Q: Where do they get the money to do
this?

A: That’s the question. Where does
the money come from? They’re living in
New York, Rome, Holland, Ireland,
Paris, Spain. They’re in all parts of the

-A: After its 60 years of existence our
party is very accustomed to working
under conditions of illegality, legality,
semi-legality and terrorism. We are
conditioned for difficult times like that
‘of today. Nothing has stopped us or will
Stop us. '

Q: What is the role of U.S. im-
‘perialism in terms of the Argentine
ea Does it support one fac-

ion?

A: U.S. imperialism is today the

principal enemy of our country and our.

people. It has its hand in the economy,
especially in industry, and through the
Minister of Economy, José Alfredo
Martinez de Hoz, it is trying to impose
conditions that will colonize our coun-
try. We believe the U.S. government is
supporting the right-wing groups
against Videla and the more moderate
faction in the government.

Q: What is the purpose of Carter’s
human rights campaign against Argen-
tina?

A: Carter’s human rights campaign
is directed toward supporting those
groups that are anti-Videlista under the
pretext of human rights. It does not exp-
lain who are the ones responsible for the

world. Who knows where the money
comes from? aa

Q: To what extent.has the Com-
munist Party of Argentina suffered
from terrorism and repression within
the country?

A: Terrorism and repression aren’t
the work of this government alone. They
come from the previous government.
Before the 1976 coup, during the yearsof
1974 to 1975, the country suffered one of
its most bloody and repressive periods
under the government of Isabel de
Peron. This is not well known, but it is
necessary to point this out. What we see
today is really the continuation of what
happened before. —

Our party has suffered from ter-
rorism and repression both before and
during the present coup. Our prisoners
and disappeared persons are from the
period of 1974 to 1977, that is, under the
government of Isabel de Perén and the
present government. We have suffered

25 assassinations, more than 100 mis-

sing persons whom we know nothing
about. In addition about 200 of our ac-
tivists are imprisoned.

Q: How do you organize under condi-
tions of semi-legality, terror and rep-
ression?’

™

violations. Instead it is being used to
destroy the present government. This
attack by Carter isn’t directed toward
other dictatorships which he considers
to be friends, like South Korea, the
Philippines, Haiti, even Chile. It’s di-
rected toward Argentina. Carter’s
campaign for human rights.in Argen-
tina is only a pretext, like it is all over
the world. It has no future if it doesn’t
begin with resolving human rights in

@he United States. :

Q: What are the government’s rela-
tions with socialist countries?

A: It has good, respectful relations.
Trade is improving. Last year the
Soviet Union was the major purchaser
of.Argentine products. We also have
trade agreements with other socialist
countries.

Q: So the Soviet Union buys more
from Argentina than does the U.S.?

A: Yes, the U.S. only sells to us, but it
doesn’t buy anything. This has created
an annual balance of trade deficit of
$400,000,000 for Argentina. Trade rela-
tions between the U.S. and Argentina is
a disaster for Argentina. In compari-
son, the relations with the Soviet Union
have been favorable for us.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—July 14, 1978—Page 5

T 1 Nel |