ARGENTINE MEAT PACKERS LOCAL APPEALS FOR HUGO BLANCO
[The following appeal in behalf of Hugo Blanco was sent by the Armour and Swift Berisso local of the Workers and Employees Union of the Meat Industry (Obreros y Empleados de la Industria de la Carne) in Argentina. This was the local in which Hugo Blanco became known as an outstanding activist before he returned to Peru to undertake organizational work among the peasants. Although many new members of the local never met Hugo Blanco, they feel solidarity with him as a comrade in the class struggle. S
[The letter was published in the Februar ary 27 issue of the Buenos Aires weekly
La Verdad. The: translation is by World Outlook.
* * *
Berisso, February. 2, 1967 To His “Excellency Sefior Presidente of the Republic of Peru -; Arquitect* Fernando Belatnde Terry.
After duly weighing the matter, the Sindicato de Obreros y Empleados de la Carne "Armour-Swift" of. Berisso, Republic. of Argentina, appeals to you to intercede with your powers. of office in behalf of our fellow worker Hugo Blanco ,: who was ‘part of our working class in the Republic of Argentina, and who has been condemned in your country to the death penalty.* It is not our intention in making this petition for clemency in behalf of Comrade Blanco to interfere in the affairs of a sister nation; we are doing it as Christians and in-accordance with the noblest of human feelings.
We leave aside completely the circumstances or reasons which might have led to ‘this situation, since we hold that everyone, whether an individual or a people, must solve their own problems.
Because of all this we are sure that the appeals for clemency being sent you will
* The letter is in error on this point. A decision has not yet been handed down by the Supreme Council of Military Justice in either Hugo Blanco's appeal against the harshness of the 25-year sentence or the prosecution's demand that it be superseded by the death penalty. -~ W.O.
be heard.
Thanking you in advance for the attention you may extend to our