BRAZIL
Written by Editor
Tuesday, 16 September 2014 21:58
As soon as the death of Didi Travesso was known, many messages were sent from different countries of the world and from many IWL-FI sections. Among them, Gil Garcia, from the MAS-Portugal, Fabiana Stefanoni from PdAC-Italy, Elizabeth “Polaca” from the PSTU-Argentina, Martin Ralph from the ISL-Britain and the national leadership of Corriente Roja. We reproduce below that last letter.
Dear comrades
We have just received the news of Didi’s death. As much as we knew that this outcome was to come, it is very difficult to have words to express themselves, because no word, no expression could restore what we have lost. So, only our feelings are left to honour Dirceu Travesso, our beloved Didi and to curse death for taking him away so early.
History has never been generous to those who build it. At best it reserves a special place in the memory for a few, for very few. But history is constructed by those who, without demanding a pedestal or asking for publicity, devoted a lifetime to give the best of himself, his talent, his commitment, his effort to push history forward.
Didi was not only a fighter of the working class. Didi is one of the best, the greatest, of those who do not make it a condition to fight for socialist revolution that it should happen in his lifetime. Of those who are not only citizens of the planet, but of time. Of those who were professional revolutionaries, not “holiday” soldiers.
We will remember him as leader of the PSTU and CSP-CONLUTAS as a IWL-FI mate, but we’ll remember him – and a lot! – along with the Spanish state workers in the general strike, in the struggle of the UPS workers, of the Asturian miners, in the battle to pull together the entire class unionism against the bureaucracy in Spain, Italy, France, Britain…
And we will remember not only the best, but especially the hardest, the most difficult times, without making a single concession to discouragement, without fearing death, but without allowing it only a minute of our life. We will recall him giving an example of what should be the conduct of a revolutionary when luck twist us.
As a worker leader, as a full revolutionary, as a convinced internationalist, he left us many examples, but above all of them his morals and iron will, because they are both conditions for victory.
We are left with his vital optimism, which makes us believe that from the bowels of the earth, from the heart of the working class, will emerge the Didis of this world to lead the workers to victory.
To our comrades from the PSTU and CSP-CONLUTAS, to the IWL-FI comrades and especially to his family, our heartfelt condolences.
Comrade and friend Didi: with socialism, forever!
On behalf of all Corriente Roja militants
Corriente Roja’s Executive Committee
Madrid September 16, 2014