Brazil

The Marxist Left (Esquerda Marxista) stood in the internal elections of the PT winning a sizeable vote and a position on the national leadership. This represent the willingness of thousands and thousands of workers in the ranks of the party to break with the bourgeoisie and fight for the ideas of genuine socialism.

The Marxist Left of the PT (Esquerda Marxista) stood in the PT’s internal elections, winning a sizeable vote, much increased on previous elections, winning a position on the national leadership and taking the ideas of revolutionary socialism to every corner of the party.

Comrade Serge Goulart is one of 6 candidates for national president of the Brazilian PT (Workers’ Party) which will contest the party’s internal elections (PED) on November 22. The “Turn left, back to socialism!” list is standing him as a candidate and asking for your support to bring their ideas to the party as a whole.

In the last few days five trade unionists have been sacked by the A.L.L. (América Latina Logística S.A.) railway company (two in Bauru, one in Campo Grande and two in Corumbá), but the attack may become broader and the number of trade unionists that may be sacked is 23. We are appealing to all readers to take part in the protest campaign.

The recent municipal elections in Brazil have revealed a contradictory process, with the PT gaining in smaller towns and rural areas but losing ground in its traditional industrial urban strongholds. But there were some exceptions: where the Marxists of the PT stood the party vote went up massively and several were elected.

We publish a statement of the Marxist Left in Brazil (Esquerda Marxista), which is addressed to Lula and the government, condemning their approach to the crisis in Bolivia and calling on them to support the revolution.

A group of 113 professors, teachers, lawyers, writers, artists and trade unionists, among them members of the Black Socialist Movement and the Esquerda Marxista tendency, have signed an open letter expressing their concern at the Federal Supreme Court's latest proposals on "racial quotas".

The Movement of the Occupied Factories in Brazil is a glorious chapter in the struggle of the working class. Last year the courts and the police intervened in an attempt to smash the movement. In spite of everything it still survives at the Flaskô plastics factory in Sumaré, Sao Paulo. Here we provide an account of the struggle of the Flaskô workers and background to the movement as a whole.

Adilson Mariano is a PT councillor in the town of Joinville, Brazil. He has been sentenced to more than one year in prison for having led demonstrations against the unjustified increase in bus fares. Here we publish an appeal and model letter for you to send off to the authorities. Please participate massively in this campaign.

At the beginning of February the Esquerda Marxista (Marxist Left) group in Brazil held its congress, where they unanimously voted in favour of their affiliation to the International Marxist Tendency. The addition of this important grouping, which gathers within its ranks leaders of the occupied factories, of the Black Socialist Movement, important trade unionists and many revolutionary youth, marks a major milestone in the building of a genuine Marxist International in Latin America and the world.

José Carlos Miranda of the Black Socialist Movement and Roque José Ferreira of the FNITST-CUT (Railway workers), spoke in the Brazilian parliament against the new race laws being proposed by the government on November 26. Here we provide the videos.