A world-wide outcry is swell-
ing against fascist intrigue in
Portugal. From socialists, trade
unionists, Catholic leaders, Com-
munists — the demand is for
hands off the government and
the workers’ political organiza-
tions.

In Portugal itself, at Evora,
70 miles southeast of Lisbon, 50
members of the Socialist Party
protested with a sit-in, the anti-
Communist: policy of Mario
Soares, Socialist Party leader.

They called the protest against
“the Socialist Party leadership’s
attitude of complicity in the
face of the reactionary campaign
which has been launched against
the left . . .” and said they were
going to resign en masse from
the SP.

Solidarity from abroad was
turning into a flood. In a state-
ment Aug. 14, the Communist
Party of Canada expressed ‘“‘its
complete solidarity with the
Communist Party of Portugal
and all democratic forces in that
country. It pledges to do every-
thing in its power to unite Cana-
dians in a broad solidarity move-
ment of support to democratic
Portugal.”

Here is a sampling respon-
ses to the political struggle in
progress in Portugal.

MOSCOW — Volodia Teitel-
boim, member of the’ Political
Commission of the Communist
Party of Chile warned that what
was happening in Portugal looks
much like the actions that led up
to the 1973 bloody fascist coup.
“We Chileans hope that Portu-
gal will not become a European
Chile,” he said at a press con-
ference in the Soviet capital.

The counter - revolutionary
process in Portugal, he said, is
being. guided by the same CIA
centres in cahoots with domestic
reaction.

PARIS — The Central Com-
mittee of the French Communist
Party has launched a mass cam-
paign of solidarity with Portu-
gal under the slogan: “Portugal
_ Must Not Become the Chile of
Europe!”

Franccis Mitterand, general
secretary of the French Socialist
Party, and twice the united left
candidate for President of
France, in an official letter to
the French Communist Party,
said: “We are confirming by
this letter that, before any other
considerations, the Socialist
Party is ready to take part in

xi. 2
ie Fee,
. t

ALVARO CUNHAL
leader of the Communist Party

of Portugal

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—SEPTEMBER 5, 1975—Page 6

any initiative, any demonstra-
tion, which, without constitut-
ing an interference in Portu-
guese internal affairs, serves the
cause of the revolution, that is,
the march towards socialism.

“Our party has condemned...
the attacks to which militants
of the Portuguese Communist
Party have fallen victim; we
have condemned the attacks on
PCP offices.

“Because of the present sharp-
ening of tensions in Portugal,
and precisely because of the
appeals to fanaticism and hatred
which have been launched in
northern Portugal is a~ witch-
hunt against the Communists,
the French Socialist Party so-
lemnly reiterates its condemna-
tions, and expresses its support
of those parties and movements
which made the April 25 (1974)
revolution.

“We declare that we are ready
to take part in a campaign to
mobilize public opinion in sup-
port of the Portuguese people in
their struggle against all forms
of exploitation and oppression,
and to defend their right to live
free, without being subjected to
violence.”

The leaders of the French
Communist Party and the United
Socialist Party of France (PSU)
met in Paris and issued a joint
statement of solidarity with the
Portuguese revolution, denounc-
ing the fascist violence and ter-
rorism unleashed against the
PCP and Intersindical in north-
ern Portugal.

The French General Confeder-
ation of Labor (CGT) and the

Socialist-led Confederation of -

French Democratic Labor
(CDFT) issued a joint statement
condemning fascist terrorism in
Portugal and expressing their
“complete solidarity with Inter-
sindical (Portugal’s central trade
union organization).

The Workers Catholic Action
of France (Action Catholique
Ouvriere) in an Official state-
ment released in Paris, said:
“Militant workers, ACO mem-
bers, we express our solidarity
with the Portuguese working
class. In Portugal, joined by the
Church, there is going on a class
conflict started by the bourgeo-

_isie to annihilate the hopes of

the people. :

“The Church hierarchy conti-
nues to be on the side of those
who, in Chile, are torturing and
shooting down the _ workers.
These attitudes are the result of
human choice and have nothing
to do with (religious) faith.”

RCME — Italy’s three trade
union confederations, represent-
ing Communist, Socialist and
Catholic leaderships, jointly sent
a telegram to Intersindical, ex-
pressing their complete solidar-
ity and condemning fascist‘ at-
tacks on Intersindical offices and
personnel. The three are: General
Confederation of Italian Labor
(CGIL), the Confederation of
Italian Labor Unions (CISL) and -
the Union of Italian Labor (UIL).

The Italian Communist Party
and the Socialist Party of Italy
(PSI), in a joint statement, ex-
pressed their “lively concern
with the aggravation of the situ-
ation in Portugal and the dang-
ers this presents to the gains
which have been won since April
25, 1974.”

The Communist Party of Italy
called for the unity of Commun-
ists and Socialists in Portugal to
defend the *gains of the revolu-
tion.

A big rally in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, in support of the democratic

and the Armed Forces Movement.

By FILS DELISLE
Tribune Berlin Correspondent
BERLIN —/On behalf of the

working people of the German
Democratic Republic, Erich Ho-
necker has assured Portuguese
Communist leader Alvaro Cun-
hal of complete support for the
struggle of the Communists and

all democratic forces in Portugal

to beat back the brutal offensive
of fascism in their country.
Hohecker, general secretary of
the Socialist Unity Party, said in
a message wired to Cunhal: “We
have received with abhorrence
and deep indignation the reports
of the murder of upright fighters
for freedom, democracy and so-
cialism, the attacks against your
offices and the headquarters of
other democratic organizations.
As in Chile, reaction is now also
in Portugal trying to choke. the
young democracy with bloody
terrcr, with economic sabotage
and anti-communist hysteria.”
Honecker declared that the
people of the GDR “speak out
powerfully against the anti-com-
munist terror and the constant
blackmailing intervention of in-
ternational reaction, the same
reaction which approved the fas-

US. ships arms

LUANDA The Popular
Movement for the. Liberation of
Angola, headed by Dr. Agostino
Neto, has accused the United
States of military intervention
in Angola. This is seen as a
means of pressure on the Por-
tuguese government te alter its
policies. The MPLA says all
kinds of arms, up to and _in-
cluding heavy artillery, were
being unloaded at Carmona, a
base held by the Angolan Na-
tional Liberation Front (FNLA),
headed by Holden Roberto,
brother-in-law of President Mo-
butu of the Zaire Republic. The
FNLA military forces are being
trained by Chinese instructors.

cist Salazar and Caetano regimes
and supported them to the last
moment.”

Honecker’s message was one
of many sent from all parts of

' Europe to the Communist and

democratic movements in Portu-
gal. It reflected the widespread
concern in all the capitalist and
socialist countries on the conti-
nent over the fascist offensive
inside the country and the di-
rect and concealed interventions
from abroad on behalf of Portu-
guese reaction.

All Communist parties from
Paris to Moscow, as well as nu-
merous trade union and even
religious crganizations, have
sharply condemned these as-
saults, and those who have open-
ed the gates to reaction by divid-
ing the people’s forces.

Honecker’s message to Cun-
hal said: “The ink is not yet dry

‘on the final document in Hel-

sinki, yet the aggressive NATO
(North Atlantic Treaty Organi-
zation) circles, the European
Economic Community and the
(U.S.) Central Intelligence Agen-
cy are already stepping up their
reactionary activities against de-
mocratic. Portugal. They are
thereby intervening massively in
the internal affairs of the Portu-
guese republic. In the carrying
through of this policy, the lead-
ers of the Socialist International
have shown themselves to be
those who prepare the way.”
As if to emphasize the truth
of this estimate, Norway’s Social
Democratic leader and Prime
Minister, Anker Joergenson, vis-
ited Portugal a week ago, de-
clared the purpose of his visit
was to push the divisive policy
called for by the’ recent Stock-
holm conference of leaders of the
Socialist International, and ad-
mitted that his action could be
interpreted as intervention in
Portugal’s internal affairs, “if
you want to put it that way.”
In none of the European coun-

tries with strong socialist move-

i

PHOTO — NEW PERSPECTIVES
government. of Portugal

ments, however, was this policy

of the social democratic leaders &s
unchallenged. In France, despite —

Socialist leader Mitterand’s pat
ticipation in the Stockholm con
ference of the Union of the Left

consisting of the Communist,” :

Socialist and Radical Socialist”
parties, issued a joint declaration

protesting the anti-communist |
attacks in Portugal and calling |

upon all democratic forces in thé

country to work together to de |
feat the reactionary offensive. 19 |

Italy, the Communist and Social-

ist parties adopted a declaratiom — ’
along-similar lines. In the Fed- |
eral Republic of Germany there |

were numerous expressions 9 |

support for democratic uni

against the restoration of fascist —
dictatorship in Portugal, among. 7

rank and file Social Democrats.
In the GDR, a declaration wa
issued by 16 leading Christian5
Protestant and Catholic, which
said they were “particularly aP
palled” by the fact that ‘‘chur'
circles are also stoking the
anti-communism” in Portuga
“Churchmen,” they said, <‘wh?
supported or tolerated the fascist
regime are today calling for 4
crusade against communism. W¢ —
see in that a monstrous misus®

of church office and of the Chris- |
tian faith. We vehemently pro |

test.” :
The ‘Yugoslav Kommunisty
press organ of the country®
Communists, warned: “It woul
be a terrible mistake to assum
that this (fascist) offensive 5

directed only against Commun” |

ists. The counter-revolution, if !

is not stopped, will quickly tur™, | —

after the Communists, against
the Socialists, progressives, de
mocrats and the elements wi

forces.”

Even some important sections
of the bourgeois press,
Rome’s largest evening papel
Paese Sera, warned against thé

threat of a resurgent fascism i? |

Portugal.

their viewpoints in the armed — .

like |