First, we examined the present world situation; we saw how Puerto Rican workers of Puerto Rico and the U.S. fit into the international order.
Then, we made a more objective analysis of the history of this organization. We saw our errors, and our many contributions.
From this, we must now move free theory to practice, from an analysis of the present situation to the tasks placed before us.
In this report, we will not and cannot discuss specifics; the struggle against both left and right opportunism is still too recent for us to do so. Without proletarian ideology being firmly in power, we would face the danger of deviating once again if we attempted to do more than we are capable of at this time. What will be discussed is the line that has arisen from the battles against both left and right opportunism. Once we have all fully discussed the line, examined it closely, and had some practice with it, we will then be able to grasp it so well that we can move to particulars.
The key analysis from which all else comes began when we saw that the Young Lords Party was not a Party. History shows that we have been a revolutionary, anti-imperialist organization guided by a growing use of Marxist-Leninist-Maoist principles. Further, we have not been serving the particular needs of the proletariat, but of the lower level petty-bourgeoisie, although we have reached the sympathy of the oppressed masses in general, including the workers.
What is a Party of the proletariat?
1. It is the advanced detachment of the working class
2. It is the organized detachment of the working class
3. It is the highest form of class organization of the proletariat
4. It is an instrument of the dictatorship of the proletariat
5. It is the embodiment of unity of will
6. It becomes strong by purging itself of opportunist elements
The proletariat needs such a party because it is the only class in society capable of transforming society to a system without oppression; it is the only class with the power to insure the victory of the revolution.
In Puerto Rico and the United States today there exist no parties of the proletariat. Therefore, our first task, whether we are in the United States or Puerto Rico is clear: we must help to build the party of the proletariat.
Much of the work in building those parties was held hack because of the Young Lords Party’s incorrect position on the national question. Originally, we felt that the Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico and the U.S. together made up a divided nation, and that one party must be built to serve the interests of the workers of this divided nation. This was wrong. The Puerto Rican nation is not divided; it is in Puerto Rico. Once Puerto Ricans cane to the States, we became an oppressed national minority. But we became something mere: most of us, the workers, became part of the multi-national U.S. proletariat, a proletariat that is Black, White, Chicano, other Latin nationalities, Asian, and Native American (Indian), as well as Puerto Rican. Out of a particular set of conditions a proletariat faces, it builds a struggle that, in order to succeed, must be led by a party. In Puerto Rico, the proletariat faces one set of conditions; in the United States, it faces another. Two sets of conditions, two parties (not one as we had believed), one which in the States will be multi-national because the class is multi-national.
Each set of conditions creates a different set of tasks. The primary task in both countries is creating the conditions to build the party of the proletariat that will lead the struggle against imperialism and for the building of socialism. We then have primary and secondary tacks in both the United States and Puerto Rico.
In the United States our primary task is to create the conditions for the formation of the multi-national party. One aspect of this is to fight against the national oppression of Puerto Ricans in the U.S. All the comrade organizations are united around the primary task of building the party; but in our particulars, we must each defend the particular national oppression our people face. At the same time, we must sink deeper into the working class of our sector in order to lead it correctly into the multi-national party.
The secondary task of this organization in the United States is to give direct and resolute aid to the national liberation struggle of Puerto Rico.
In the past, when we believed one Party could be built for both Puerto Pico and the United States, we tried to establish branches in Puerto Rico in the same way as our branches in the U.S. We realize this was incorrect. We therefore conclude that revolutionaries who feel their work is primarily the national liberation of Puerto Pico should be there, living among the people, working, raising families, learning the conditions there as they unite, with ether revolutionaries to build the party of the proletariat in Puerto Rico.
Anyone who is a member of this organization who wishes to shoulder this responsibility can volunteer to live and work in Puerto Rico. So that we minimize confusion and maintain our principles and unity, all such volunteers will remain as members of the organization. The group in Puerto Rico will be autonomous, with its own decision-making apparatus and chain of command.
At present, the primary task in Puerto Rico will be to create the conditions for building a communist party (Marxist-Leninist-Mao Tse Tung Thought) in Puerto Rico. The secondary task will be to: a) make an analysis of the internal allies of the Puerto Rican proletariat, and b) raise consciousness of unity with the U.S. proletariat, the main external ally of the proletariat in Puerto Rico.
Because of our lack of sufficient investigation and analysis of Puerto Rico, the immediate task of organization members in Puerto Rico will be a systematic investigation of class forces and a bringing together of revolutionaries committed to the building of a Marxist-Leninist-Mao Tse Tung Thought party. In a second congress of cadre of the organization in 7 to 10 months, that report will be presented and proposals as to the future work of the organization in Puerto Rico will be discussed.
Those members who stay in the United States will begin to meet the tasks of creating multi-national forms of organization that will provide the practice for the future multi-national party. We have formed some principles with regards to multinational organizing:
1. There is a natural division of labor among the revolutionaries of the U.S. in organizing the workers from among our different peoples because the national oppression we each face is still a reality.
2. This does not mean a revolutionary can’t organize workers of other nationalities
3. In fact, it means that we organize all workers, not just those of “our own” nationality, particularly at the workplace.
Among our immediate tasks in the U.S. then is learning how to build multinational forms of organization (for the practice we will need) while keeping some national forms of organizations (for the particular contradictions Puerto Ricans face).
At the present time, we are engaged, both in Puerto Rico and the U.S. in a fight against U.S. imperialism. The successful completion of this fight will be the coming to power of the working class. The general strategy for this stage of the struggle, in the United States and Puerto Rico, is building a united front of all popular classes against imperialism under proletarian leadership. This united front will unite all progressive forces against an isolated enemy, U.S. Imperialism and its lackeys.
The name of this organization will be the Puerto Rican Revolutionary Workers Organization (Organizacion Obrera Revolucionaria Puertorriquena).