I've learned of the fall of Ben Bella.
It seems to me that two points immediately arise for our tract [the "Address to the revolutionaries of Algeria and all countries"].
a) This is a beautiful example of the collapse of "the revolutionary image" (it is no more than Castro!). And for the lie of power, a master stroke: the day before the coup d'etat, Ben Bella affirmed to Sidi-Bel-Abbes that Algeria was "never more united."
Thus it is more necessary than ever that you send the text, completely typed up, to Paris. We will give it its final touches.
b) I do not believe that the anticipated meetings can be canceled but, with Boumedienne [in power], this will be a much worse atmosphere. It seems to me that the distribution of the tract must pass from "scandalous spectacular" to the clandestine.
Of course I do not know at this moment what the unions and the Leftist groups of the F.L.N. etc. have done or haven't done. It seems that if "the compass of bureaucratic equilibrium" is broken, Algeria will enter into a new phase of class struggle.
Cordially,(Published in Guy Debord, Correspondance, Volume 3, 1965-1968. Translated from the French by NOT BORED! August 2005.)