IMF decrees more austerity for Mexican workers

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"Minimum wage for the president so that he can know how it feels."

SOCIALIST ACTION AUGUST 1986 When the name of Mexican President Miguel De La Madrid was announced on the public loudspeaker at the opening ceremonies of the World Cup Soccer Tournament, the crowd of more than 110,000 people began booing.

The crowd's whistling and jeering lasted eight minutes. When his name was announced a few minutes later, the jeering began again. The noise was deafening. When the president returned to the same stadium a few days later to attend the opening game of the Mexican national team, his presence was not announced to the crowd.

This was only the most dramatic and publicized expression of mass discontent with the government and its inability to resolve the country's worst economic crisis of this century. Inflation reached 25 percent in the month of April alone. The price of oil, the country's leading export, has fallen 50 percent this year.

In the last three years the peso has lost approximately 75 percent of its value in relation to the dollar. There is concern among U.S. and international officials that Mexico may stop making interest payments on its $98-billion debt unless it can borrow billions of dollars more from official sources such as the International Monetary Fund. On July 22 the World Bank and the International Bank For Development agreed to lend Mexico another $3.6 billion.

The government's response to the crisis has been to cut back subsidies on basic foodstuffs and to sell or close several state-owned enterprises. It recently closed one of the country's largest steel mills, putting 14,000 men and women out of work.

Like every economic crisis, the recession in Mexico is an assault on the standard of living of the working and peasant classes. Wages have plummeted, following a 15year pattern. The average worker today earns 30 percent less in real wages than in 1970.

Growing militancy

One result of the crisis has been growing militancy on the part of the work ing class.

On May Day, the powerful Mexican Union of Electricians broke with a longstanding tradition and marched twice, first in the official demonstration in the Zocalo, and then with the independent unions to the Monument of the Revo -lution.

In March, 25,000 striking teachers marched from Oaxaca in southern Mexico to Mexico City, protesting the control of their union by the pro-government labor bureaucracy.

The left-wing magazine "Proceso" referred to the month-long World Cup Palestine Human Rights Campaign National Conference September 19-20, 1986, Chicago "Palestine and Justice:

The Next Phase' anels:

"Unity in Diversity: Beyond Sabra & Shatila"

"Religious Aspects of Justice in the Holy Lan "Historical & International Dimensions"

'The Future: Where Do the Palestinians Go From Here?"

"Confronting Zionist Systems in the U.S."

''Bantustans in the Promised Land:

Israeli Apartheid & Palestinian Resistance' Speakers: * Rev. Allan Boesak, World Alliance of Reformed Churches * Dr. Ibrahim Abu-Lughod, Northwestern U. • Dr. Noam Chomsky, M.I. * Dr. Eqbal Ahmad, Hampshire College, Instit for Policy Studies Special Features:

* Palestinian Culture Exhibit " Artist Kamal Boullata will show and discuss his film "Stranger at Home"

Hotel Continental SOS No. Michigan Chicago, Illinois 60611 For more information write:

PHRC Conference 220 So. State St., Chicago, Illinois 60604 or call: 312-987-1830.

Mexican Workers Party (PMT) May Day Leaflet soccer tournament as a "truce," an excellent opportunity to cool some of the social tensions caused by the economic crisis. Soccer is Mexico's national sport and is followed passionately by millions of fans. The government and the mass media urged all Mexicans to unite behind their national team in its quest for the . world championship.

In the weeks prior to the World Cup, however, various community organizations protested the diversion of government funds from the reconstruction of housing destroyed by the earthquake of last September to preparation for the tournament.

In Ciudad Nezahuacoytl, a sprawling slum on the outskirts of the capital city that has been neglected by the government for more than 20 years, the government paved streets, installed drinking water, sewers, and public telephones in 20 blocks surrounding the "Neza 86" stadium—site of various World Cup games. But it continued to allow the rest of the area to remain under the same substandard conditions.

Despite its faithful payment of debt interest and its implementation of a rigorous austerity plan, the ruling party in Mexico, the Revolutionary Institutional Party (PRI), has also come under attack from the conservative, pro-business right -both in the United States and Mexico.

PAN claims fraud

Supporters of the conservative National Action Party (PAN), in the northern border state of Chihuahua, accused the PRI of electoral fraud. The PRI was declared the winner in 65 out of 67 elections for mayor in the state and a landslide winner in the election for governor.

The PAN has responded by organizing mass demonstrations and protests throughout the state. Five thousand PANistas blocked traffic for two hours on the Pan American Highway in Ciudad Juarez. Several operators of " maquiladoras," U.S.-built assembly plants that employ Mexican labor at sub-minimum wages, shut down their factories for brief periods.

These attacks by the "ultra-right" are evidence of a growing split in ruling circles about the nature of Mexico's political system and its response to the economic crisis.

The PRI has brought political stability to Mexico for 40 years by developing a monolithic party-state apparatus in which labor unions, peasant organizations, and even business groups are controlled by the ..S. Africa (continued from page 1: “S. Africa Blacks defy assaults; U.S. sanctions fight heats up LTV files bankruptcy; strike action planned”) miners had joined the strike action. Workers at eight chemical plants also went on strike for the release of their union leaders.

The strike actions reached a high point on July 14. Hundreds of thousands of Black trade unionists and students responded to a joint call by COSATU and student groups for a nationwide "day of action" against the state of emergency.

The students were demanding an end to government measures designed to bar student "radicals" from attending classes. The recent announcement that Black students will be required to carry special identity cards was greeted with derision. "If they want to give us identity cards, we will burn them before the eyes of the system," one student told reporters.

The work stoppages were strongest in the industrial districts of the Eastern Cape, where about 90 percent of the Black workforce stayed off the job. The General Motors assembly plant in Port Elizabeth was shut down for two days.

Participation remained relatively weak in many industrial districts of the Transvaal and the Western Cape and in the mines, however. The movement's ability to organize has been set back-however temporarily-by the new emergency measures. The state of emergency gives Pretoria a short breathing space while the Black movement strives to rebuild its organization.

Reagan opposes sanctions

In trying to buy time, the South African regime has been encouraged by the refusal of President Reagan and British Prime government. Such a system is authoritarian and corrupt by its very nature. Favoritism, nepotism, and the use of political power for personal gain are common.

The PAN and its allies feel that this system is outdated and in need of change. Their agenda includes a vast streamlining of the state bureaucracy as well as a closer alliance with the United States in both foreign and domestic matters.

Fear losing control

There are limits, however, to how far the ultra-right is willing to go to achieve its agenda. Traditions of working-class and peasant militancy are strong in Mexico, and any mass mobilization can easily escape the ability of capitalist politicians to contain it.

Even in Chihuahua, where the PAN has relatively strong support, the right is exercising caution. A plan to involve 80,000 "maquiladora" workers in a protest against the government was dismissed by the factory owners as potentially dangerous. An owner of a "maquiladora" told the San Francisco Examiner that the idea didn't make sense from the PAN's pro-business perspective.

The PRI has also come under attack from abroad. In May, a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations sub-committee began hearings on drug trafficking and corruption in Mexico. Assistant Secretary of State for Latin America Elliot Abrams testified that the U.S. government is "deeply troubled by widespread drug-related corruption."

In response to the U.S. Senate hearings, the Mexican government organized a march "in defense of national sovereignty" that was attended by 65,000 people in Mexico City.

Some, but not all, major left parties boycotted the demonstration. The Revo -lutionary Workers Party (PRT), which recently elected seven members to parliament, called the demonstration "a false anti-imperialist struggle." In a statement released after the march, it said, "We believe that supporting the Mexican government is at present the worst manner in which to oppose imperialism."

The PRT and other left parties call for concrete actions in defense of Mexico's economic and political sovereignty. The most important of these demands is a call for a suspension of payments on the foreign debt.

Minister Margaret Thatcher to call strong economic and diplomatic sanctions. COSATU has called the United States and Britain "the strongest allies of this intransigent government."

The South African racists offered special praise for President Reagan's warmed-over "constructive engagement" speech of July 22. Reagan cited everyone from Prime Minister Thatcher to "the teachings of the Gospels" to justify his refusal to mandate punitive sanctions.

"The South African government has a right and responsibility to maintain order in the face of terrorists," Reagan emphasized, thus echoing the same arguments that the apartheid regime uses to explain its stateof-emergency decree.

Most members of Congress-mindful of public opinion in an election year-felt it necessary to immediately distance themselves from Reagan's speech. Never -theless, none of the proposals up for debate in Congress call for full punitive sanctions-which would include a halt to imports of South African minerals used in the U.S. armaments industry.

Anti-apartheid activists in this country should have no confidence in the ability of Democratic and Republican politicians to substantially alter U.S. policy. The method that Black people are using in South Africa-mass protest—is the same that must be used in this country to achieve change.

The labor movement, Black organi -zations, and student groups must take the lead in building an authoritative nationwide coalition that can call massive protests in the fall. On June 12, close to 100,000 people marched against apartheid in New York. On June 28, some 250,000 marched in London. These demonstrations point the way forward.

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AL PRESIDENTE PA'QUE VEA LO QUE SE SIENTE