Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira

TFP Newsletter, Toronto, Fall 1991, page 3

Last September, Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, President of the National Council of the Brazilian Society for the Defence of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP), sent a letter (see below) to Lithuanian President, Mr. Vytautas Landsbergis, on behalf of all TFP associations and bureaus throughout the world.

In that document, Prof. Corrêa de Oliveira expressed the TFPs support of Mr. Landsbergis’ proposal to establish an international court to judge the crimes of Soviet communists.

During the summer and fall of 1990, the Canadian TFP carried out street campaigns to obtain signatures in favor of Lithuanian independence. Together with the efforts of the autonomous TFPs and TFP bureaus in the five continents, a total of 5.2 million signatures were collected in 26 countries, making this the largest petition drive in history.

Canadian TFP congratulates Lithuanians

One year later, several nations finally began to take concrete steps towards the establishment of diplomatic ties with the brave Lithuanian nation. The Canadian TFP wrote to the Honorary Consul General of Lithuania in Canada and to Lithuanian Canadian communities expressing its most sincere congratulations for the great success of Lithuania’s valiant fight for independence. 

Funeral of Lithuanian independence champions massacred by Soviet tanks in January, 1991

São Paulo, September 5 , 1991

His Excellency Vytautas Landsbergis

President of the Republic of Lithuania

Vilnius 

Mr. President:

I wish to communicate to Your Excellency the intense joy of the TFPs and TFP Bureaus in the five continents for your gesture suggesting the constitution of an international court similar to that of Nuremberg to judge the crimes of the Soviet communists, and also for your offering of the Lithuanian territory for this court to hold its sessions.

The sense of justice, proper to all honest and elevated spirits, highly demands that the massive crimes committed by international Communism throughout the world receive an adequate punishment.

Among these crimes, those perpetrated against Lithuania, your glorious country, cause us a particular indignation.

To the joy caused to the TFPs and TFP Bureaus by this gesture, we must add our satisfaction in witnessing the now-irreversible movement of the several nations that are reestablishing diplomatic relations with Lithuania. Thus, the Lithuanian nation is gloriously returning to the world scene; its national traditions are being vindicated and its courageous people honored. Yes, that people whose indomitable perseverance, patience and heroism ended up shaking up the Communist yoke.

Presenting you my warmest salutations, I remain

Truly yours

Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira

President of the National Council of the

Brazilian Society for the Defence of

Tradition, Family and Property

26 Years Ago...

In a speech delivered at the Third Lithuanian Inter-American Congress, in São Paulo, Brazil, in 1965, Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira proposed a petition drive of international scope to be addressed to the then President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson. The speaker indicated that the petition should request the U.S. Chief of State to demand from the Kremlin that freedom be restored to the Baltic States as a prerequisite to the continuation of peace talks with Soviet Russia.

The TFPs picked up that plan and put it into effect last year [1990], deploying a record-winning, worldwide petition drive for the freedom of Lithuania, 26 years after the President of the Brazilian TFP proposed it to the Lithuanian convention. 

 The organizers of the said Congress at the headquarters of the National Council of the Brazilian TFP, in São Paulo. As a token of gratitude to Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, Msgr. Pio Ragasinkas presented him with a commemorative album of the event.