Argentina has moved several steps closer to civil war with the recent events in Cordoha, where President Peron has now intervened to legitimise the police coup against the leftist provincial governor.
Cordoba his long been a centre of working class militancy, and was the scene of an insurrectional general strike-the "Cordobazo'-In 1969 gainst the military regime of Ongania. With the end of the military dictatorship, and the electoral victory of Peronism, two represenof Peronism, Obregon Cano and Atalio Lopez, were elected as goverHowever, this "hevolutionary tendency" has provod incapable in practice of breaking with the most right-wing elements oi Peronin suca as 10e pomo1n0 ol the "black' of scab CGT trade union foderation smich collaboratnd witn a serios os military dictators. At ewry point where a clash between the two wings threatened, Obregon and Loper setreated rather than pursue theit coune, which would logically ave entailed a becak with Peronism itself.
VIOLENT DISPUTES
But in recent months large sections of the working clais movement in Cordoba have lost tieir illarioes in these Tefl and branched their own independent strugales, There have been long and violent disputes involving car workers at Fiat and Perkins, and at the Concord/ Maturfer factory, Central to these has hien Die demand foraftlitioo to thr militant SMATA (Mechanical and Allied Sectors of Automobile Transport Union), 'class union", as afainst the collaboration MIRSKI CHC MON THI MC UI KOST and the heads of a number of provincial ministrics for beind soit on 'Marxist chements.
The police coop was obviousty wellprepared. Armed groups in civilian dress WOT TOIE WU LU W SONISLD DIC SHIE take-over of the city, white the rightwing Etil lenders called a 24-hour strike is support ol the ponce. 15u1 toas wr2s countered by the leader of the loft wing union faction, Agustin Tosco, who called for mass demonstrations in the streets zainst the podice schon.
As street fighting between the police (aided hy right wint cnnian stusds and left wing militants began, federal troops WCC HIWELO COTONO LIU LIC DOUOS were put on alert. Heavy fighting occurred —with both sides usne machin gans and automatic rifles amund sovernment house and the police headquarters, and in the student residential WEN SIE SYTNE SUITDS IC ASENIE ERP also joined in the fray on the side of too tuvalutonary anned tcrons tatives of the revolutionary tendency! groups like the Mortoneros THINGS TO COME It soems that Obregon Cano-who on being released fed into the hills and declared that he still remained govemorhas now had talks with the Peronist leadership in Buenos Aires and may well have agroed to resign. Certainly the situation in colona now appears to Do quictoning down, and a right-wing Peronist has boen sont an as sne new LovEnor.
But Cordoba is only a taste of things to come, The represson can only intensify as the working masses incneasingly realise that Peron i sctine not to satisty their aspirations but to rescue an ailing capitalism.
Cordoba has also shown, however, the compiete tabuiy or toe rovolugonary Peronists to break with the government and spearhead any mass, independent struggle. That task means breaking the polical bost ot roronm aera on sne masses-a task which can only be cancu mue by tne mancis revolagonancs In Argentina