Mexico: Socialist Perspectives for the Mass Protests against the Gasolinazo

Report (with Pictures and Video) by the Agrupación de Lucha Socialista (Mexican Section of the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency), 11.01.2017, https://agrupaciondeluchasocialistablog.wordpress.com/

 

 

 

On January 1, President Enrique Pena Nieto announced the slashing of state subsidies for gasoline in the coming year, a measure that will result in an increase of consumer prices by 14–20%. In response, tens of thousands of Mexican workers and peasants have spontaneously protested against this decision (popularly called gasolinazo). The regime is attempting to suppress the protests using the utmost brutality, which has thus far resulted in the death of four demonstrators and the arrest of more than 1,000 persons.

 

The members and sympathizers of Agrupación de Lucha Socialista (the Mexican Section of the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency) are actively intervening in this mass struggle. They have participated in mass demonstrations and in several Asambleas Populares (Popular Assemblies) in Mexico City and other locations (see the pictures, below). Immediately after the start of the protests, the comrades issued a statement and published a bulletin. (1)

 

Below we translate the conclusions and slogans of the Mexican section’ statement:

 

* It is high time for the oil workers and rank and file members of MORENA to demand from their leaders (Romero de Schamps and López Obrador) that they openly support the protests and are mobilizing against the gasolinazo; if they refuse these demands, the masses will have to take the initiative into their own hands and to go around these ostensible leaders so that the unity of the working people can be realized in the streets.

 

* It is vital that the EZLN-CNI, the CNTE, the SME and other popular movements, social organizations and trade union leaderships, all of which claim to be democratic and independent, speak out and mobilize their supporters to express solidarity and give active support to the popular mobilizations against the gasolinazo and for the downfall of Pena Nieto and his reforms.

 

* We call for the expansion and generalizing of the blockading of gas and oil transporters as well as the transnational cargo trucks, while allowing ordinary persons to pass. Likewise, we call for the continuation of the occupation and blockading of oil installations, tax collection institutions, and governmental offices, and for the organizing of central mass demonstrations in front of the presidential palace, the Congress and the Ministry of Finance.

 

* Popular assemblies should be held in every neighborhood so that people can participate in the actions and set up committees supporting the mass mobilizations by disseminating information, providing food and medicine, and serving as guards in rotating shifts.

 

* It is vital to mobilize as massively as possible for the actions already planned for the month of January by peasants, trade unions, popular organizations and other sectors of society. In addition, major mass protests should be organized against the incoming US president, Donald Trump, on the day of his inauguration, January 20.

 

* It is also urgent to organize a national conference in the country’s capital, Mexico City, which will bring together the representatives of the popular resistance against the increased prices of energy, commodities and basic services. Such a conference should adopt a centrally organized plan of action to bring down the government’s reforms.

 

Workers, peasants, and the oppressed to the streets to protest against the gasolinazo and to retain the subsidies and the control of fuel prices by the state!

 

Fight poverty by increasing wages in accordance with inflation!

 

Down with Peña Nieto, down with the parties of the regime, down with the structural reforms and other privatization projects!

 

For the building of a National Struggle Front formed by popular assemblies and committees from every community, municipality and region of the country!

 

For a government of urban and rural workers and popular sectors!

 

For the renationalization of PEMEX and other strategic industrial sectors of Mexico under the control of the workers and the people!

 

 

 

Footnotes:

 

(1) ALS: ¡Contra el gasolinazo y el aumento generalizado de precios, unifiquemos la lucha por echar abajo a Peña y sus reformas! https://agrupaciondeluchasocialistablog.wordpress.com/2017/01/06/contra-el-gasolinazo-y-el-aumento-generalizado-de-precios-unifiquemos-la-lucha-por-echar-abajo-a-pena-y-sus-reformas/ respectively https://www.thecommunists.net/home/espa%C3%B1ol/contra-el-gasolinazo/

 

 

 

See pictures and a video clip of popular protests in which the Mexican section of the RCIT participated:

 

Pictures: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1206543846097145&set=pcb.1206543896097140&type=3&theater

 

Video: https://www.facebook.com/727068237358289/videos/1272010112864096/