Peru: February 9, general strike until Boluarte is overthrown and the coup Congress is dissolved

By Alberto Giovanelli

The multiple actions of struggle that for more than two months have been spreading throughout our country, could take on February 9 a new impulse due to the call for a General Strike that, called by the CGTP, brings together the dozens of social organizations that are promoting the fight against Boluarte and the regime of 1993. The mobilization that, as we reported in previous articles, began in the south of the country, has been spreading to all the regions and in the last few days has moved to Lima as the epicenter of the demands.

Numerous delegations from the interior of the country, the youth, peasants, indigenous peoples, art workers and now the unions through the CGTP, are putting the government in check and overcoming dispersion in spite of still expressing many weaknesses. The continuity, which has been given in almost 60 days of struggle, has not been halted in spite of the 65 deaths and the indiscriminate repression that has been the only policy implemented since the civic and military dictatorship.

The call that the CGTP finally has the courage to make, abandoning, as a result of pressure from the rank and file, the demobilizing policy of the “national agreement”, is a transcendental fact because it could mean the entrance on the scene of the workers’ movement as a whole, since up to now, isolated sectors, especially those of the mining industry, teachers and fishing, have actively participated in the demand for Boluarte’s resignation and the closing of the congress. But once again, we want to emphasize that what is being questioned is the entire regime imposed by Fujimorism in 1993.

There is no way out without defeating the totality of the institutions that the people condemn. This affirmation and definition is of transcendental importance, because we clearly understand the hypothetical call for early elections as a trap that seeks to stop the mobilization and defend bourgeois institutionality.

Unfortunately, the center-left and the CGTP itself, are part of the trap by proposing holding elections earlier; just as an example, the public statements of Veronica Mendoza, calling for “national dialogue to debate the possibility of a constitutional reform” are sadly noteworthy. We want to be forceful and clear in the debate with the thousands and thousands of fighters who are mobilizing: new elections without defeating the 1993 regime will only lead us to new frustrations because we will have to choose among the same ones we repudiate every day in the streets of the country.

Starting with next Thursday’s strike, we will have to give continuity to it and maintain the offensive to achieve the fall of the government, the closing of Congress, the assumption of a government of the organizations in struggle and the call for a truly Free and Sovereign Constituent Assembly. This Constituent Assembly will have to debate the solution to the growing misery, the rupture with the IMF, the defense of our land and the independent management of our natural resources at the service of the great popular majorities.

We also understand that in order to carry out these tasks, it is indispensable to organize the vanguard behind a program of real change, which cannot be other than a socialist and revolutionary program, to turn everything around and that those who have never governed, the workers and the poor people, govern.

The ISL: consistent internationalism

Just as the Peruvian comrades of the ISL are at the forefront of the fight accompanying our people, the organizations sympathetic to our international all over the world have also expressed their solidarity with our struggle.

That is why numerous actions have been promoted in embassies, consulates and international organizations. In the coming days we will redouble our efforts in the 5 continents and we call for the broadest unity of action behind the condemnation of Boluarte, the civil/military dictatorship, the Congress and the defenders of the 1993 regime.

Just as in Buenos Aires the militants of the ISL rallied at the gates of the CELAC meeting, denouncing the inaction of that organization in the face of the dictatorship, we also rallied in different cities of Argentina, in Colombia, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Spain and innumerable other countries. We want to highlight especially as an example of class solidarity and internationalism, our sister organization of Ukraine, which in the midst of the war and facing extreme situations in the fight against Putin’s imperialism, ratified its support and solidarity with the Peruvian people.

At this time comrade Celeste Fierro will also be traveling to Lima, as Nadia Burgos did a few days ago, this time to be present during the general strike of this February 9 and then to tour different regions and participate in meetings with organizations in struggle to strengthen each one of the objectives that we propose in this revolution in march.