Statement of the Corrente Comunista Revolucionária-CCR (Brazilian section of the RCIT), 19 January 2019, http://www.elmundosocialista.blogspot.com
Bolivian President Evo Morales handed over the head of former left-wing activist Cesare Battisti to the ultra-reactionary government of Matteo Salvini of Italy. Battisti was summarily extradited by the Bolivian government without any possibility of a right of defense or even to state his reasons. His request for political asylum was completely ignored. A few hours after being detained by the Bolivian police, the former Italian activist was put on a plane and sent to serve a life sentence. In all respects his extradition was an arbitrary act of the government of Evo Morales.
Cesare Battisti is an Italian former member of the Armed Proletarians for Communism, a militant far-left group active during the period from the late 1960s to the late 1980s in Italy. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. In order to escape prison, he fled to France and then to Mexico before settling in Brazil in 2002. After the victory of ultra-reactionary Jair Bolsonaro as president of Brazil, the Supreme Court revoked the decision of the Lula da Silva government to grant Batistti the political asylum, and ordered his immediate arrest.
The ease and rapidity of extradition raises a great deal of suspicion about the real motives of the Bolivian government – a supposed leftist government - to have done this great favor to the far-right of their own country, as well as to the extreme right of Brazil and Italy. All this takes place at a time when Latin America witnesses a growth of conservative and neoliberal governments. Morales's attitude in giving Batistti to his executioners reveals a shameful capitulation, under which the political and economic agreements of Bolivia with the right-wing governments of Latin America and with American imperialism may be related.
What can also be explained is that Morales believes that by making these concessions to the right-wing governments of the region, such as neighboring Brazil under Bolsonaro, he will have a truce or be spared by any coup d’état by imperialism or his local puppets.
The decision to extradite Battisti was a strong blow against the Latin American left and against those who fight against imperialism. Morales' own social base, his party's militancy (MAS) and several sectors of the Bolivian left, vehemently criticized such a decision by opening a crisis within the left of that country.
It was at the same time a betrayal of Morales to social movements and a gift given by his government to Bolsonaro and the entire extreme right of the world. This decision demonstrates to the more advanced sectors of the workers' and popular movements that this type of nationalist leftist government like of Evo Morales does not want and can not seriously lead to a serious confrontation against the sectors of the right and imperialism due to their own limitations for always seeking reconciliation, rather than breaking any ties with the bourgeoisie. Morales practically capitulated to the Bolsonaro government and to American and European imperialism.
The Corrente Comunista Revolucionária-CCR defends the unity of action with the committees against the coup d’état which took place in Brazil, for Lula's da Silva freedom, and for the return of democratic rights. In this spirit we will continue being on the streets along with the social movements and struggles of mass movements. We are categorical in reaffirming that the only defense that the Brazilian people have against the militarized ultra-reactionary regime is our independent struggle and organization. What is needed is the immediate formation of a broad united front of all mass organizations of the working and oppressed classes (CUT, PT, MST, MTST, etc.) to organize a mass resistance against the Bolsonaro government and its reactionary attacks. Such resistance must include mass demonstrations and strikes. Ultimately, it is urgent to prepare a general political strike to overthrow Bolsonaro!