Andres Nin

Calls for the Spanish Opposition Press

(1931)


From The Militant, Vol. IV No. 18, 8 August 1931, p. 1.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for the Marxists’ Internet Archive.


To the comrades of the Militant,
New York

Dear Comrades:

The unusual situation through which our country is passing presents the Communist Left Opposition with gigantic tasks. Although the situation is objectively favorable for the development of Communism and for the preparation of the victory of the proletariat there is the danger that the revolutionary process that has begun may end in a miscarriage that will have fatal consequences not only for the revolutionary movement of our country but for the whole world. Those dangers have their origin in causes of various kinds: in the influence exercized in our movement by anarcho-syndicalism, in the strength that the Socialist party still has in certain points of Spain, and above all in the extreme feebleness of Spanish Communism and the disastrous policy of the International. In reality, there is no Communist party in Spain. There exist various factions that fight each other and lack, with the exception of our own, ideological cohesion. Under these circumstances, the constitution of a powerful Communist party is urgently imposed upon us. But this will be impossible without a clear policy, capable of taking advantage of the inevitable discontentment that will not be long in developing among the broad popular masses of the country, deceived by republicanism, in order to win them to our cause and to lead the proletariat to the conquest of power. It is obvious that this can be achieved only under the banner of the Communist Left Opposition. In spite of the difficulties under which we are fighting, we have already achieved in recent times very satisfactory results. But these would be infinitely greater were we to have the possibility of making our voice heard more directly by the masses.

Up to now, we have been confined to a monthly review, Communismo, which while, it has met with an excellent response among the Communists, cannot reach the masses directly because of its relatively modest distribution and its purely theoretical character. We need to issue manifestos leaflets, weeklys, to have the possibility to react to all events which are unfolding here with extraordinary rapidity and to spread our point of view among the masses. This is a question of life or death for the Spanish revolution. The lack of funds prevents us from carrying out this work. The publication of the review has already involved enormous sacrifices on the part of the militants. It is absolutely necessary that the comrades of the other countries should lend us their aid. The assistance of the American comrades could be invaluable in this sense. That is why we think that The Militant might open up a subscription in its columns for the benefit of the Spanish Opposition in order that it should be able to accomplish the historical mission that devolves upon it. The cause of the Spanish revolution is the cause of the revolutionary proletariat of every country.

Hoping that our request will find a swift and favorable response among the American comrades, I send my fraternal and Communist greetings.

 

Your comrade,
 ANDRES NIN


Last updated on 13.1.2013