The International Newsletter of Communist Studies Online IX

The International Newsletter of Communist Studies Online 16/2003 38
Recently (especially through the publication of his Swiss archives and the opening of the archives in Moscow)
there arose the possibility to estimate more precisely and objectively the role played by Humbert-Droz. First of
all, his journey to Montevideo and Buenos Aires in April-June of 1929 cannot be simply interpreted within the
stereotype of his intact fidelity to Moscow. During the discussions about the theses made by José Carlos
Mariategui, Humbert-Droz used a conciliatory tone and made all possible efforts with the purpose not to come
to a rupture in the dialogue. Only after Humbert-Droz’s return from Moscow and his dismissal from his posts
occupied in the Comintern did the abrupt change in the relations between the headquarters of the Third
International and its Latin American sections take place. The concepts and methods forged by Stalinism led still
weak parties to their failure. Slogans such as »accelerated continuation of the revolution«, »the struggle against
the national-reformism« and »the struggle against the conciliators« did not correspond adequately to the reality,
neither in Latin America nor in Europe.
Reiner Tosstorff, Mainz University, Germany: The Red Trade Unions International and Latin
America – the First Steps of Latin American Communism
While the European workers’ movement was dominated after World War II by the Amsterdam International
(the reformist one), the (weaker) Latin American workers’ movement was more influenced by the anarchist
and revolutionary syndicalist forces, while the strong and reformist American Federation of Labor several times
attempted to form the Panamerican Federation of Labor with the help of the Mexican Confederación Regional
de Obreros Mexicanos (CROM, sponsored by the government). The Profintern had been interested in Latin
America even before its formal foundation. In the summer of 1920 during the Second Comintern Congress the
idea arose to form a world-wide alternative to Amsterdam where Latin America was to play a significant role.
Simultaneously with the attempts to organize a continental Communist Party, the Moscow emissaries
Katayama, Phillips and Fraina were also charged with the task to develop propaganda for a future Profintern
congress. The idea to found a Latin American Trade Union Confederation was formulated for the first time.
Latin America was, in effect, represented in the First Congress of the Profintern in 1921 by delegates from the
Mexican CGT and the Argentinean FORA. However, very soon both of them broke with Moscow claiming
autonomy and supported by the Berlin International. Since the Fall of 1921, Profintern had to cancel the idea to
use Mexico as the center due to the orientation of the workers’ movement to reach the rupture, the
Communists’ weakness and governmental persecutions. The Profintern turned towards Argentina where
Moscow expected to have better prospects since there arose a tendency for unification inside many unions.
However, these hopes did not transform into reality and the Communist minority inside the newly founded
USA (Unión Sindical Argentina) broke away. After the Profintern’s decision to cooperate with the left-wing of
the Amsterdam International this policy was also extended into Latin America. In 1925 an attempt was made to
establish closer contacts with the CROM which also planned to develop links with Amsterdam and Moscow.