CLOSING SESSION OF THE TRANSPORTATION CONFERENCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R007900830002-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 25, 2001
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: August 13, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

:'15=L C
Approved For le,M1012/9101 ViliqcE9*
INIFOrIM
COUNTRY Gdat anala
SUBJECT Closing Session of the
Transportation Conference
PLACE 25X1A
ACQ 1 1 IRED
DATE OF 25X1C
INFO. EMMMMII-
710N REPORT CD NO.
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25X1X
DATE DISTR, 15 Aug 51
NO. OF PAGES 3
NO. OF ENCLS.
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SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
1. On 13 P7ay 1951 between nine and twelve o'clock in the evening, the closing
session of the transportation conference was held in Guatemala City. About
six hundred persons were present; stage decoretions were approximately the
sane as for the opening session; guests of honor on the stage were representa-
tives and delegates of the Federacion Sindical lundial (FS:), the Confederacion
de Trabajadores de America Latina (CTAL), and the Guatewalan transportation
unions. Not one high government functienary was identified among those present.
2, The opening speaker sns Virgilio Guerra, Salvadoran, an official of the Con-
federacion de Trabajadores de Guatemala (CTG) and Secret-ex: General of the Viood
And Glass Union, who pronounced the "palabras de elausura."
3., e second speaker was the Chilean member of the Chilean workers, confedera-
tion, this E. Sandoval, who referred to the success of the conference, and
then spoke of the pressure being exerted upon the working class in Chile by
the Chilean Government., He blamed the troubles of his confederation on imperi-
alism in Ch Ile? He said that in spite of everything, the Chilean workers were
supporting all CTAL and FS: resolutions and were continuing to struggle for
political, social, and economic independence,
14, Renato da notta, Brazilian, member of the Brazilian vorkers confederatien,
spoke in Portuguese. He first thanked the .!3uateoalan people for their courteous
recepti n of him. Ile then described the form and development of the Brazilian
labor movement ,nd pied-ed unconditional support to the FS: and the eTAL.
5, The next speaker was :.'?aurice earroue of France, vice-president of the Agricultur-
al and Forestry Axkersliinternational Trade Union. he began his speech with
a history of the esr since 1920, He referred to the role of' French labor in
the Second Jorld jar, and spoke of the forces of laber unification operating
in France since 1939w blaming present labor troubles en United States' insti-
gation of the Third World War,, its praised the important c(ntribution to peace
being nade by French transportation workers in blocking by any means at hand
the delivery of war materiel to Indo-China or other war theatres" Carroue
assured Guat.mala that the French people were pacifistic and making every effort
to bleek impeeialist atteepts to cause the "new war,," He said they were opposed
to the -.anufacture of war riaterials, preferring to produce eaterials that assured
peace narlos nanuel Pellecer translated Carrouels speech froe French into
Spanish, as he had done at the opening session for Louis Sailiant.
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6, The fifth speaker was Vicente Lombardo Toledanoi who bcaan by catlng .he
oceasien an unforgettable one for Guatenalan labor because the confeeence
wae closing with all preparations completed for the unification of the farm
and worker movenente into a single organization (central uneea) in spite of
the efforts of U.S. impenaaliets to discredit and defeee the eoek*, Loabardo
seoonded the words of Louis Saillant in reassuring the workers of Guatemala
at this molent, or the threshold of their battle, that they were suppoeted by
thousands and thousands of workers evervehere in the world, Pe reainded the
workers of their reeponsibilitiee to the organization cc the nee aorkee-farmer
central, the succese of which depended upon each and every worker and ?7ardeee
He denied that this organization was a plot against the governnent and the
people of Guate Lela, but rather that it wae indispensable for the eong/est of
all workers rights, such as the right of assembly; freedom of speech, the
right to strike, and so forth, He closed by proposing cheers: "Viva la Central
Unica de Guateealai; "Viva in CTAL"; and "eiva la FSIT."
Virgilio Guerra announced that Victor 'anuel Gutierrez had an iawetane notice
to give the Guate_alan workers, Guticerez then stated that at an extraordinary
sesaion attended by the CTAh and FS"? repreeehtatives aee by teeety-eidtt dele-
gates fro e the executive committees of farmer and worker unions, it had been
definitely decided to create "la Central Sindical Unica de Cuateeala," and that
ornanLzat'.oe was beginning immediately to plan a general aseembLy to be attended
by all workers of Guatemala from which would be chosen the officers of the
Central Unica,
8, ?Virgilio Guerra then returned to a, mance the final part of the leet session
of the conference and to read eessages of congratulation signed by Luis Cardoza
y Aragon and by the Executive Coeatetee of the Alianza de lc Juventud Deaccratice
Gestenalteca (AJDG). He announced deat by the end of next July the pro-peace
comnittee would send over one hundred thousand signatures for peace to the
Stockholm appeal, He also announced the doeld Connrees of Lemocratic Youth
to be held beginning on 20 August in Berlin, for which a delegation free the
ARC was being selected,
9. The final speaker was Louis SaLLLeet, who talked of the need for unity, and
cited the Spanish Repub.ican strike in NaU.ealist Spain, saying that everyone
knew how the strikers had unified their efforts against Franco, He said every-
one knew how much sacrifice the Republican eoerades had eade in order to consoli-
date their forces, and that now, aappily, they were _a the point of overthrowing
Franco. He thought that everyone wished that the Spanish Republicans could
soon lower the Nationalist flag and raise the red ba. nor of the Republieans,
Saillant then advised the workers to use care in constructing the organization
of whet he called the "Central Uniea de Trabajadores Je GuaLema3a," since they
would have to fight constantly against divieionists, without fear, and with
faith in the ultieate victory of the world ornenization,
he
10. Salient, Carroue, and Loeberdo Toledano departed for ::.exico City via FAA
Flight No. 502 on 14'day 1951, It leas not learned whether Fernandez, Guzman,
and Ramirez also returned to 7_exieo City_
The activities of the six sessions of the Transport Conference were sumnarizod
! the cenfeicnco accompeished two mein objectives: a) the
is ion was reached to form a "Centrel Unice for Guate.dalan labor, and b) plane
were made to organize a new political Labor party based on the Fartido Revolu-
cionario Obrero de Guatemala (FROG).
11.
25X1C
in. The fourth session was held on U. Tray 2:?51, and was the first formal work session,
Invited delegates, representatives, and executive ?committees of the Confederecion
do Teabajadores de Guateeala CTG), the Federecion Sindical de Gnatemale (FSG), and
the Federacion Regional Central de .frabejadoree do Guateeala (eteClel) attended.
Only the secretaries-eeneral of the executive committee. had voices or votes_
The pre-conference agenda were consideree) an accord was voted, The following
points on the agenda were considered
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aq Guarantees of w)rkers' rights thould be aouEht from manac,e era, and. goveru.
merit in Central and Latin Amsrica,
b, Labor contracts should 'se plan ied and formulated,
c. The right to strike should be :ecogaized inters-14U nallya
d. Teade hazards should be recognited,
e, right to aseemble and form ue,'.erts ahould be recogx.ized sationall,a and
internationally,
fz Social security should be made f, cover all transport workers in the
Western Hemisphere
g. Paid vacatio! s, better ealaries, education, and better shelter should
be demanded,
h. 7!utual co-operation ameng all t anaportation workers in Latin America and
the world shoald be attained,
i. Leave plans settled for the urificati n of all Guatemalan 1;orkers
13 Points c? e, and g were espeeiall: emphasiae, Tint h waa satended to include
affording leans of travel tc each uorker te aa,y place, thus farilitatilg the
interchange of ideas and staengthiting the wo:ld labor unification movement.
Point i was coneidered at ',ae riP; session,
14
The fifth session was held on 12 L'ay, and the representativea of dY0Citive
and political committees of the ccafederatons .'id principal nndicete affiliates
attended Among others, tha representatives of he 6indleat,oc Accioa y
'lejoramiento Ferrocar.ilero (SAF) st od out see/anently Foist i of the agenda
was acted upon,
15, During the day of 3 .lays visi%ing de1agatm6 and rc.weJentas we_c ,ulcan to
visit Atitlae and Antigua, Gtate:ala, aurice Caro.c anciIeorrds'; Ca;tith
Flores visited tae 30 th cast and the agrd.culte-al z.es or iseslaint'a Cu
14'17 19510 thu F57.! and CLL. representatives derte,1 'exico city
?,"
CONFI ENTIAL
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