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News Briefs

By VVAW

PUERTO RICO

One of the most shattering diplomatic and political defeats for the US came recently at the United Nations when the General Assembly voted 104-5 that Puerto Rico was, in fact, a colony of the United States, and not an independent country. Although virtually ignored by the US news media, this vote marks an important step forward in the struggle for Puerto Rican independence and international recognition. During the debate, speakers described the US presence in Puerto Rico, including manipulation and financing of political parties, huge military bases, repression of patriots, brutal treatment of prisoners, suppression of workers' struggles and US corporate influence.

DOCKWORKERS

Baltimore dockworkers again refused, during the last week in December, to unload Rhodesian chrome ore. In a show of international solidarity with the African people of Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), 2500 Black and white members of Local 333 of the International Longshoremen's Association forced the US bulk carrier Yellowstone to leave in search of another port. Earlier in the month, the longshoremen refused to unload 58 containers of Rhodesian nickel aboard the African Sun, after it had been boycotted in Philadelphia.

PRODUCTS TO BOYCOTT

Support the United Farm Workers by boycotting non-union, iceberg lettuce (romaine is OK), grapes, wines bottled by Gallo, including Boone's Far and ripple and all Safeway Supermarkets. Support striking workers employed by Farah Manufacturing Co. by boycotting Farah pants and their other brands Cliff Mark, Beau Mark, Golden Scroll, Passport, Club 20, Par Excellent, Su Par Jeans, Daire and Kinrod. Support African liberation movements by boycotting all Gulf oil products. Gulf Oil Co. supports Portugal through millions of dollars in royalties it pays Portugal to extract oil from its African colonies.

CHILE

The Chilean Government has set February 3rd as the deadline for departure of all foreign refugees. There are 3000 refugees in sanctuaries, embassies and private homes, 1800 of which are foreigners. A major problem has been to find countries willing to take the refugees, many of whom are exiles from neighboring right-wing dictatorships. Of the 1480 non-Chileans who have departed so far, the United States has taken only one.