VII PLENUM OF CTC

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R002400590003-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 25, 1999
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: March 9, 1949
• Content Type: REPORT

25(1Aba.
111 COUNTRY Colombia
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REPORT NO.
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DATE DISTR. 9 Liar 190
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SUBJECT VII Plenum of CTC
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Leaders of the Partido Commista de Colombia (PCO - Communist Party of Colombia)
feel that the new directorate of the Confederacion de Tratajadores de Colombia
(CTC), elected during the VII General Plenum of the OTC, will be unfavorable in
spite of the fact that foal. of the members are Ceemmunists. The replacement of
Pedro J. Abella? FCC member, as Secretary General by Ventura Puentes Vanegas,
also a Comeunist, is not entirely satisfactory inasmuch as the KC does not ex-
pect the latter to be as active as his predecessor in working for Communism
within the labor movement. Furthermore, Abella, in his new position of Secretary
of Finance, will be Eratrenely restricted in his activities and will have little
opportunity to use his position for the benefit of the Party. Jaime Rubio, newly
appointed Secretary of Forefeet Affairs of the OTC, is a member of the POO, but
he is not to be counted upon as it is considered that he is completely under the
influeece of Diego Montana Cuellar, a Liberal and former Legal Advisor of the
Fedepetrol.**
2. PCC leaders have been partioelarly bitter in their criticism of Victor Julio
Silva 1948 President of the CTO, and consieler him principally responsible for
the PlIrtyls loss of influence during the past year. They charge that he made
use of his position as President to attain his election to the Colombian House
of-Representetives. The Communists consider that in accepting the governmental
appointment as Colombian delegate to the Conference of the International Labor
Organization (ILO) in San Francisco early in 1948, Silva contributed to the
curtailment of the authority and privileges of the GTO in labor' matters. They claim
that he has demonstrated his leek of understanding of the social and political '
iMportance of the CTC. Their severest criticism of him results' from what they con-
sider his unwarranted interference with the activities of Pedro J. Abella during
1948. According to the P01, Silva resigned from the presidency of the OTC
during the VII Plenum for the sole purpose of forcing the retirement of AbelIa
from the Secretary Generalship and replacing him with a Liberal.
3. The conflict between the Comnuniets and the Liberals in the CTO was very evident
throughout the Plenum and resulted in the Communists refusing to sign the reso-
lution which called for participation by laborers in the demonstration held on
7 February 1949. Their refusal was prompted in part by the fear that the POC
would be blamed for any trouble which night occur during the demonstration, and
Party nembern were consequently directly to take no nart in it.
4e One of the
STATE
ARMY
NAVY
AIR
questions discussed during the secret sessions of the Plenum concerned
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GTO support of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU). The question was
brought up in response to a query from Vicente Lombardo Toledano? leader of the
Confederaoion de Trabajadores de America Latina (CTAL). As a result of the
conflict at the recent meeting of the ILO in Paris, the CTAT, queried its member
labor confederations as to whether in their opinion the OTAL should withdraw from
the ILO in defense of the WFTU. The Communist members of the CTO submitted a
proposal calling for complete support of the WFTU, which was accepted by the
Plenum, and a cable to that effect sent to Lombardo Toledano. Abell& also sent
a personal letter to Lombardo Toledano in which he expressed his pessimism
concerning the possibility of promoting Marxist programs in the Colombian labor
movement.
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