Leon Trotsky: Letter to Charles Curtiss

January 18, 1939

[Writings of Leon Trotsky, Vol 11, 1938-1938, New York ²1974, p. 281]

Dear Comrade Curtiss:

So far as I understood Comrade Rivera's new arguments which you transmitted to me orally yesterday, Rivera refused to participate in collective work because of … my presence. At the same time he denied any principled divergence.

This time his accusations concern my bad "methods," more concretely, he accuses me of intrigues against him behind the scenes. I do not wish to insist here that this accusation is more false and fantastic than all the others; but I believe that a party man who accuses another of such "terrible" intrigues which hinder him from participating in the work is obliged to prove it through the regular party channels.

Please ask Comrade Rivera if he is ready to prove his accusations before a commission appointed by the Pan-American Committee or by the International Secretariat.

With best comradely greetings.

L. Trotsky