Peru unions launch new party-the Workers Party

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The following is an interview with Dr. Jose Ona, the legal adviser of the Peruvian National Mineworkers and Metalworkers Federation (FNTMMP) and a member of the National Executive Committee of the newly formed Peruvian Workers Party (Partido de los Trabajadores/PT). The Peruvian PT was founded at a delegated conference in Lima on Nov. 1-3. [For more background on this party, see the October 1985 issue of Socialist Action./ Like the Brazilian Workers Party, the Peruvian PT represents an important development in the Latin American workers' movement. It is based on the major independent unions of that country--a number of which have memberships in the tens of thousands. The phone interview was conducted on Nov. 6.

Socialist Action: What was the out -come of your founding national conference? Jose Ona: The conference was a re -sounding success. There were over 100 full and fraternal delegates from the entire country and dozens of invited guests from national and international workers' orga -nizations.

Genaro Ledesma, the president of the FOCEP [the Workers, Peasants, Students and Poor People's Front] was at our founding conference. Also present was a their country. But they support and sent greetings.

S.A.: What decisions did the conference reach?

Ona: The conference approved the formation of the PT. Resolutions were approved on the national and international situation. The programmatic theses were approved. And the statutes of the party were approved.

We also elected the party's first National Executive Committee, which is made up of 25 people. The PT's president is Alejandro Taza, the general secretary of the ElectroLima Workers Union. The party's secretary general is Maximo Paz Calle, leader of the National Mineworkers and Metalworkers Federation. Victor Cuadros, president of the mineworkers' union, is the editor of our monthly newspaper.

S.A.: What is the importance of the adopted resolutions?

Ona: These resolutions clearly spell out our position in favor of independent, working-class politics in Peru and inter -nationally. It is a position in opposition to the current government of the APRA, a government that represents the interests of the capitalist class.

Our goal in Peru is to forge a political instrument for the working class in alliance with the peasantry and all the exploited sec -tors for the purpose of seizing political power. Our objective is the transformation of the economic and social structures of this country, for the destruction of the capitalist system, and the creation of socialism.

We have also established an international line in solidarity with all people who are struggling for their liberation--against imperialist domination. Our goal is to genuinely put into practice proletarian internationalism.

Pirst and foremost is our defense Nicaraguan Revolution against the brutal imperialist attacks. We affirmed our solidarity with the struggle of the Salvadoran people and their leadership, the FMLN. We also expressed our solidarity with the Chilean and Bolivian people; with the Polish working class; and with the Black masses, who are struggling to bring down the apartheid system.

S.A.: Your solidarity with the Polish working class against the bureaucratic regime is extremely important. Unfortu -nately, this struggle is often overlooked or even attacked by revolutionary movements in Latin America and elsewhere. Ona: Yes, we think that the struggle of the Polish workers is a central struggle for the international working class. They are fighting to establish a regime that will be responsive to the interests of the working class. They are fighting to build a society where all forms of oppression will be eliminated.

S.A.: Have any sectors of Izquierda Unida [Left Unity or IU, an electoral coalition comprising most of the Peruvian left and sectors of the capitalist class] shown interest in your work?

Ona: Of all the political currents in the Izquierda Unida, only companero Ledesma was at our conference. Ledesma is coming closer to us politically and collaborates with our newspaper, El Trabajo. But IU as a front did not send greetings. Nor did we expect them to. We view this electoral front as reformist and class-collaborationist.

about doing political work within the mass movements. They have no revolutionary perspective to transform the country. S.A.: What about the rank and file of IU; in particular the trade unionists? Ona: To the extent that the PT has not yet developed as a concrete alternativ e to the paralysis and conciliationism of Il J, it is likely that large numbers of rank-and •file unionists will remain in IU.

At the level of the ranks of IU, there is a profound discontent with the policies that are being promoted by the leadership. We are confident that before long our party will attract these ranks.

S.A.: Do you feel that the Brazilian and Peruvian workers' parties are examples for working people in other countries of Latin America?

Ona: Definitely. In our opinion, the conditions exist for the formation of similar parties in other countries. And as far as Peru, we feel that we have a

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