Final Part Of Series On Unión Del Barrio's Eleven Point Program:

Editor's Note - In the last two issues of ¡LA VERDAD! (July-Sept 1995 and Oct.-Dec. 1995) Unión del Barrio began the publication of its "Eleven Point Program", which outlines the political line of Unión del Barrio. In the last issue we printed points five to eight and in this issue we will publish the last three points, nine to eleven. As we explained in the previous issues of ¡LA VERDAD!, the reason for the publication of our political program was to prepare our membership for the historic First Unión del Barrio National Congreso, as well as to struggle with and unite other revolutionary forces within the Chicano Mexicano National Liberation Movement. We also wanted to use the publication of our Political Program as a way of opening struggle around the necessity for a national Mexican vanguard organization, what such an organization constitutes, and how we are going to build it.

In previous issues of ¡LA VERDAD! we explained our decision to move our organization into one that can someday become the vanguard (the leading organization of a people's struggle for national liberation) that our movement so desperately needs in order to provide it direction, strategy, ideology, unity, and organization. We briefly defined this type of organization as:

". . . an organization of committed, disciplined, and honest camaradas, who are armed with the science, strategy, and organizational structure that will enable it to win the liberation of our gente. And as we have stated in the past, no organization convenes one day and decides it is a vanguard organization or the vanguard of any movement. An organization becomes a vanguard through the most difficult of struggles and only when the majority of the people themselves recognize it as their vanguard. It is only this type of organization that can unite the workers, students, barrio youth, and the pinto/as, into one united and strong movement. It is only through this type of movement can we defeat our oppressors, the gringo capitalist-colonialists, and win the liberation of all Mexicanos." (¡LA VERDAD! July-Sept 1995).

La Unión has outlined several reasons for building a vanguard-type organization. Among them is:

1) Our movement at the present time is without leadership, while at the same time the conditions (racism, unemployment, imprisonment, social/educational cut-backs, police/migra brutality) of the masses of people continue to worsen;

2) We have attempted several times to unite with other movement forces, but so far they have refused our requests;

3) While we form part of, and support, the National Chicano Moratorium Committee, the committee is a loose coalition of different forces and ideologies, not a vanguard organization;

4) Understanding the terrible conditions facing our gente and other oppressed nations, it would be unprincipled for us to continue making an effort to create a liberation direction for our nation without ourselves trying to create the type of organization that is necessary to liberate our people (for more on this question, read "Unión del Barrio Moves Towards Becoming A Vanguard National Formation", ¡LA VERDAD! July-Sept 1993).

The National Congress of Unión del Barrio is tentatively set for November of 1996. It will consist of a three-day meeting of all membership where our political line will be consolidated, a platform developed, and a new leadership (central committee) elected. Special presentations will be given by camaradas from other organizations and liberation movements. All of the information coming from the Congreso will be compiled and published as a way of advancing our struggle.

In order for our membership and readers of ¡LA VERDAD! to understand how la Unión reached its conclusion to transform itself into a vanguard type organization, alongside our political program we have also started work on the publication of the "History of Unión del Barrio." The rich history that derives from day-to-day struggle and the contradictions of political growth, our work with other formations (such as the African People's Socialist Party), as well as the attacks from the colonial oppressor, have placed la Unión on the cutting edge of revolutionary practice and theoretical understanding of our Movimiento. It is this tradition of struggle that has made Unión del Barrio one of the most influential organizations in the history of our movement and has kept alive and concretely connected our movement to the experiences and ideals of past organizations.

The publication of our political program and other articles on vanguard organization building, and what it takes to be a cadre, has generated tremendous discussion among the membership of la Unión and some forces active in the struggle for Raza liberation. The questions raised in our program and related documents comes at a time when liberal and hispanic politics (Democratic Party and social service/poverty pimp types) have been completely exposed and discredited by the real conditions faced by the majority of nuestra Raza. The growing police/migra brutality, the ever-present attacks by white racist-vigilante organizations (KKK, Nazi-Skin Heads, Militias, etc.), the imprisonment of tens of thousands of Mexicanos, and the government cut-backs on Affirmative Action and social programs have awakened a significant sector of our community to the need for militant national liberation struggle versus working within the sick capitalist system which is responsible for our suffering and misery.

As we have stated before, we call on Raza reading ¡LA VERDAD! to critically analyze our positions, challenge what they see as erroneous ideas/practices and provide alternatives or solutions. We do however, reject criticism from those unwilling to struggle for the liberation of Mexicanos or from those sectors of the white left who do not recognize the leadership of Raza-Indigenous People in the struggle for the liberation of our lands (Occupied America) and against gringo-European colonialism. Furthermore, we challenge people to compare our political line with that of other organizations and make a public stand as to which line is correct (as it relates to the questions of class, nation, women, and race). If you support our political stance, we ask that you join us in the struggle for the liberation of Raza and all oppressed people in the world.

IX. A United Front Is Crucial In Our Struggle For Liberation

History has demonstrated that a liberation movement needs the participation from all progressive formations and tendencies in order to succeed. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that all Mexicano forces establish lines of communication and principled working relations. Without this type of networking and coalitions, we are wasting resources, duplicating work, and missing the opportunities to effectively address pressing issues in a collective fashion or from a position of strength. While Mexicano organizations have different strategies and tactics, it is essential that we display the political maturity to put aside the minor contradictions and work together, especially when the attacks are of such intensity that our failure to respond collectively means more victories for our enemies that heighten the oppression of our gente.

Since unity building does require compromises it is necessary for us, and other revolutionary forces, to approach any relationship with caution and with a clear, scientific understanding based on the facts that our fundamental goal is not for civil rights or mere reforms, but for an end to colonization and for Raza self-determination.

When it is necessary to work with organizations representing other nationalities, the resulting coalition work must be based on concrete objectives, mutual respect, principled association, and recognition of each other's autonomy and right to determine the character and content of its own struggle.

X. The Absolute And Unequivocal Liberation Of Raza Women Is A Fundamental Component Of Our Struggle For Liberation As A People

We recognize that the oppression Mexicanas face in this colonial society is a part of our oppression as a people. We recognize that sexism is an integral part of the vicious system forced on our people and that it must be combated both within our movement and throughout the community.

Fundamental to any revolutionary organization and pro-independence conscious movement is the absolute political, social, and economic equality between men and women. As part of developing a progressive consciousness among our gente, we must work to combat sexism in all its forms and manifestations.

XI. Dialectical/Historical Materialism Is Key To Forming Strategies And Tactics For Our Liberation

We base our strategies and tactics for liberation, as well as our ideology and the process of its formation, on the concrete historical basis of all things and situations, and the real material conditions our gente find themselves.

At the same time, we understand that conditions in the world are in a constant state of change. That opposites and contradictions in society are constantly affecting and influencing each other, creating new situations and contradictions. We are therefore dialectical in our approach to political work, in that, like our conditions, we strive to constantly evolve our ideology and practice to meet the challenges posed to us by capitalism, imperialism, and colonialism.

¡HASTA LA VICTORIA - SIEMPRE!
¡QUE VIVA MEXICO, LIBRE Y REUNIFICADO!