tions, the Government has also decreed that annual bonus payments men were killed Marian Sling, 49a Tabley Rd, London N7. LEBANON-behind the civil war (speaker K.M. Jafar). London Socialist Forum, Tues 27 Jan, 7.30 at Conway Hall, Red Lion Sq (Holborn tube). ANGOLA Solidarity Committee national Day of ombat media distortion. Order leaflets now from ing campaign to A-9694540 or 01.734954 London Na Iphone AD HOC COMMITTEE to mobilise for 25 Jan demo soncanity with indian portical prisoners meets every mooy ar pmal ee doundary noad, London Nyvo. MOTOR INDUS HY-Institute tor workers Control conterence, sal si Jan, stans tu.lbam at AucW mouse, omanorook ringway, brmigam Recent events in Argentina highlighted a year of increasingly violent class conflict and brought nearer the hour of reckoning both for Argentine capitalism and for the working class ted mini-coup from 18-22 December when the most reactionary section of the airforce seized a few bases and called for a take-over by the armed forces. The movement failed partly because the armed forces were not united on a coup at this time and the army commander Videla was holding the diferent factions of the army in check, waiting for a more auspicious moment to strike. But secondly, the move failed in the face of a General Strike called by the CGT trade union federation, which mobilised the might of the Argentine working class.
The military organisations of the ERr (reoples kevolutonary Amy) and the Montoneros (armed left wing of Peronism) judged that the time was ember launched an attack on a barracks at Monte Chingolo, near Buenos Aires. Taking part were a total of 1,000 guerildiversionary actions, such as the taking the airforce strafing the barracks 130 guerillas were killed according to ERP.
Mini-Vietnam december mvo vine smaner 1orces but suficient to indicate that the guerillas were not smashed. At the same in the hills of Tueman province, where for over a year the ERP has operated a guerilla unit with the support of the local sugar-cane workers.
what makes the present conflicts so explosive. On the economic front, the official figure for the rate of inflation approaching a high state of decomposigovernment officials, generals and the President herself in the smuggling of cocamne to rarasuay On the one hand, there was an aborripe for a massive action, and on 23 Declas, including those involved in numerous of the bridges which separate that suburb from the capital. This action ended with - OVCI official sources, and 40 according to the There was a further armed action on eLe time a mini-Vietnam is being played out The background to this situation is tion - the most recent scandal involved Lorenzo Miguel.
The Peronist movement is now in total disarray, with the dissident Authentic Peronist Party" being banned after the recent events. This closes off the re maining possibility of co-opting the Peronist working class base into the official ветостас DarLY swucture The crucial element in the present atuation is a milant Workers move ment which has headed big upsurges since the semi-insurrectionary Cordobazo of 1969. Most notable last year was the general strike movement in June July, which thwarted the implementation of an austerity plan which would have unloaded the crisis onto the working class. In the month of December there were a total of two million workers in conflict, including workers of the Rebel airforce plane buzzes presiden public sector, the railways, the metal workers, workers in the meat industry, _the workers movement nas nou been intimidated by recent moves such as the use of troops to put down a miners strike and the widespread arrests and torture of trade union militants. It has also continued its struggle against the grip of the Peronist trade union bureaucracy. In recent months this conflict has intensified with the resistance of the militant SMATA metal workers union to government attempts to merge it with OUM, the official reactionary metal union led by Isabel Peron's favourite trade union supporter, the notorious The key question in resolving this crisis is that of the leadership of the tive this would have to unite the class and promote the development of bodies of workers self-defence, which are increasingly being formed in the heat of the struggle, such as in last year's Villa Constitucion strike wave.
A sympathising organisation of the Fourth International in Argentina, the PST (Socialist Workers Party), has been growing fast on the basis of providing a militant class orientation against the dominant Peronist ideology in the work ing class. The recent murders of its mintants snow now essenual Iis ce stress the question of armed self-defence palace in Buenos Aires ts aso imperave to cal ror me r mediate relesse ora casar Dasoners including those from militarist. organisations like the ERP. These are the policies necessary for a successful outcome to the present impasse.
In Britain we must be aware that the recent struggles have resulted in a massive wave of arrests so that the alls of the 'popular government' of Isabel Peron are rapidly filling up. ambassador in Britain, Anchorena, has been a keen supporter of the right-wing gangs which are terrorising the workers movement, and has used his position to smugele ouns to nis DIvale rascist amy We should demand his expulsion by the Labour Government as part of launching a campaign of solidarity whose first priority should be the freeing of political Juan Sosa
Paisley-will 'stymie any attempt to discuss power-sharing' Red Weekly 22 January 1976 JOHN MAGEE reports from Belfast