Dear comrades:
CNT wants to thank all the delegates from the different organisations for attending and taking part in the Barakaldo International Conference. We’ve been lucky enough to have comrades from IWW from the USA and Canada, IWW from the UK and Ireland, FAU and IWW from Germany, IP from Poland, USI from Italy, ESE and Rocinante from Greece, CNT-GAP and CNT-Vignoles from France and FORA from Argentina, as well as receiving solidarity statements from the Sociedad Obrera from Paraguay, FOB from Brazil and CNT-STCPP from France.
We are aware of the effort that you’ve made to be present at this Conference and we feel proud and honoured that you decided to join us in this event. The response to our invitation and the widespread interest that it has generated have been both humbling and extremely encouraging. We thank you all for that.
We also want to thank the many comrades from CNT that have been involved in the organisation. No doubt your work has gone a long way to make the Conference a success.
The words “historic event” have been pronounced more than once during the Conference. Time will tell if it is so. It is true, however, that not very often we have the privilege of having so many comrades together from so many different parts of the world. In our regard, this is especially important, at a time when the world at large seems to be heading in the opposite direction. The recent events on the global scene, from Brexit to the elections in the US, including the migratory restrictions that many European countries have put in place, draw a picture of increasing isolationism, foreign dislike and jingoist nationalism. Against this worrying developments, anarcho-syndicalists and revolutionary syndicalists from many parts of the world have decided to strengthen our commitment to solidarity and internationalism. The Barakaldo Conference is, undoubtfully, the beginning of a long process. But we can already be sure of its outcome: with your participation, we will build bridges where others want to erect walls and we’ll come together when others want us divided.
Again, thanks to all of you.
Miguel Perez for CNT
