Politicians' names
Why does the Militant always use the formal first names of politicians? The use of Bill instead of William Clinton or Bob instead of Robert Dole does not imply familiarity, if that is the reason you choose to use those names. These names are not nicknames used by friends or those in agreement with their politics. They are the forms of their names used by everyone but the Militant! People are accustomed to hearing and reading Bill, not William and Bob, not Robert. As a matter of fact, two people who are new readers of the paper asked me why you call him William Clinton. It's politics that distances you from Clinton and the rest.

Jane Peterson

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Caribbean economic crisis
"The question of the unequal distribution of wealth in the Caribbean remains unanswered. The neo-liberal economic order has failed and our struggle remains for a new system for an independent people," explained Sam Maharaj, the General Secretary of the All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers Trade Union at a Militant Labor Forum in Los Angeles.

Maharaj had met trade unionists from Los Angeles and other U.S. cities at the congress of the Cuban trade unions in Havana in May, and was anxious to develop international solidarity. He opened his presentation by saying, "Our struggles are virtually the same, whether you are a cane cutter in Trinidad, a Third World country, or you're a machinist in Los Angeles, the capital of the Third World."

He gave a history of British colonialism and then explained the reason for the renewed interest by major capitalist sugar firms, like the British company Tate and Lyle, in Caribbean sugar production (most major firms were bought in 1975 by the Trinidad government). The reason is the impact of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank's "prescription for economic development," which caused massive layoffs through the privatization of previously nationalized industries, cuts in social benefits, union busting, and severe economic hardships for farmers.

In Trinidad and Tobago, 25 percent of the 1.2 million people live below the poverty line, and the percentage living in absolute poverty is over 15 percent. Maharaj said many Caribbean governments were hoping to establish a NAFTA-type relationship with the U.S. to aid in job creation and economic development.

"The trade unions are the only organizations that have been able to unite the Indians (brought by the British as indentured laborers) and the Africans and the only social organizations that stand up against privatization and for social justice," he added. The major unions like the sugar and oil workers were built through struggles in the l930s. The sugar workers won year-round employment, big wage increases and benefits, and equal pay for equal work for women.

Maharaj expressed his admiration for the Cuban revolution, and the "happiness" of the Cubans as shown by their patriotism and their efforts to improve efficiency for the benefit of all the people. It was his first trip to Cuba, although other union members have received training there. He plans to participate with a larger delegation in the International Labor Congress to be held in 1997 in Havana.

Mark Friedman

Los Angeles, California

Fight political deportation
On May 30th, 1996, Julián Calero-Salazar, a Peruvian citizen residing legally in the United States, was arrested by agents of the FBI while he was attending an on-going hearing on his application for political asylum at 26 Federal Plaza, New York City. There was not a legal warrant for his arrest, except a request for his extradition by the Peruvian government headed by Peru's dictator Alberto Fujimori. If he is deported, the U.S. Government will be delivering an innocent man to be imprisoned for life and most likely to be tortured and killed.

Julián has been unjustly accused of being a member of the Shining Path in Peru which is a total falsehood. The problem began in the peasant community of Curi, a highland near Lima. In 1989, cattle and other livestock were stolen from Julián's farm and the thieves were arrested by the community. The police, historical allies of thieves and landowners in the area, entered the community of Curi and threatened to kill Julián and his family.

There is no due process for this law abiding poor man who was illegally arrested in the United States and is being kept in isolation at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in New York City under the inmate number 43027-054. The press does not report that Julián was legally working in this country, meeting his legal obligations, and paying taxes like any working-class person. He is well liked by friends and neighbors in his new home in the village of Wilton, Connecticut. Supporters are gathering 5,000 signatures asking the U.S. Government to release Julián now. The press falsely states that Julián was arrested while trying to "submit his application for political asylum," but the reality is that his application was being processed by the INS since 1994, and he personally attended previous hearings.

Friends of Julián Calero-Salazar

8 Huntington St., Suite 139

Huntington, Connecticut 06484  
 
 
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