9 OCTOBER 1975 The Portuguese revolution is facing its greatest right-wing threat so far. to silence the working class newspapers and radio stations, faced with a growing revolt of the rank-and-file soldiers, the capitalist class and officer corps of Portugal is préparing a drive to smash the soldiers' resistance.
Left-wing regiments have been disbanded, 'unreliable' officers purged, and right-wing troops in Oporto have fired on the workers. New supplies of arms have been given to the pro-Government commando regiments. In the wings the fascists of the so-called Portuguese Liberation Army (ELP) are waiting, while the capitalist PPD claims to have organised armed militias and the CIA-financed Soares leadership of the Socialist Party is giving its full support to the On top of this, 5,000 right-wing troops have been recalled from Angola and the military comnand is preparing 'shock' regiments composed of officers and other reactionary forces.
The response of the rank-and-file Portuguese soldiers is showing the fruits of the last eighteen months of workers' struggles.
Four out of the five army units sent to seize the radio stations refused to carry out Government orders.
regiments took place at the barracks of the Lisbon light artillery regiment (RALIS). It was called to establish a coordinating committee to 'protect the gains of the workers'. In addition to the troops who mutinied at the radio stations, this meeting was attended by troops of the Coastal Artillery Regiment, the Setubal Infantry Regiment, the paratroops from Alfeite, and the garrison of the Almadea fort.
Today the artillery of RALIS guards the road to Lisbon. The regiments have pledged to arm the workers if the right attempts a coup.
Azevedo has declared that at this moment it is not fully possible to govern in Lisbon'.
But despite the rallying of the left-wing soldiers, the dangers are great. The Communist Party, in one of the greatest acts of betrayal in the entire history of Stalinism, is fighting every attempt to mobilise the workers against the right-wing threat. It gives gigantic publicity to the use by ultra-rightist general Costa Gomes of the example of how 'order and not anarchy' reigns in Poland and Russia. It mobilised its entire apparatus to attempt to stop the workers demonstrations against the Government seizure of the radio stations. CP leader Cunhal has backed the Government's moves with talk of the need for 'firmness'.
left can begin to win the mass of the workers from the suicidal policies of the CP, and whether they can draw the SP and CP workers into united action against the line of Cunhal and Soares. The hostility and militancy of the rank-and-file soldiers is for the moment thwarting the Government. But to maintain that opposition, the left-wing regiments need to feel the mass weight of the workers behind them.
Portugal is now at a decisive turning point. If the rightwing officers are defeated in their attacks in the army, the backbone of capitalist state power in Portugal will be dislocated. If the left-wing soldiers are defeated the way will be opened to re-create an army of repression against the workers movement. The situation cannot stabilise as it is now, and civil war is quite possible. solidarity with the Portuguese workers and soldiers is needed.
For a workers unice front against the repression! Arms to the workers!
Workers, soldiers, peasants united will win! WEEKLY No. 120 Defeated in its attempt to Revolutionary forces have won a wide following.
No wonder the reactionary Prime Minister
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WALTER CUNNINGHAM, IS NEAR For details and registration contact NAC, 30 Camden Road, London N.W.1. (Tel. 01-485 4303)
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DECISIVE TURNING POINT On 30 September a meeting of delegates from left-wing
GREAT DANGERS The decisive question is now whether the revolutionary
18-19 OCTOBER