"The working class, its role and
its mission today.
The tasks and concrete experiences of the Communist Party in the working class
and the trade union."
Brussels, 16-18 May 2008
www.icsbrussels.org , ics@icsbrussels.org
Motion
of solidarity with Latin America,
bulwark of democratic and anti-imperialist struggle
Two major facts have marked the year 2008 : the opposition of the governments of the US and Colombia to a humanitarian exchange of prisoners in Colombia, and the sharp intensification of the attempts to destabilise Bolivia.
Meanwhile, in the rest of Latin America progressive and revolutionary forces continue to advance. Some proves of this are the advance of the democratic process in Ecuador, the election as president of Cristina Kirchner in Argentina and of the progressive bishop Fernando Lugo in Paraguay.
The success of the structural reforms in the countries that form the Bolivarian Alternative of the Americas (ALBA)1 are significant in the fields of energy, production and services. They are well appreciated by the masses, who concretely see that an alternative development is possible, based on the resolution of the social problems, and on a national development; and in opposition to the capitalist development in the region that is taking place against the workers, against the nations and against sustainable development.
The dynamics of the ALBA treaty makes for the existence of numerous commercial, political and energy associations with other countries, thus strengthening their continental insertion. In fact, ALBA has converted itself in a progressive pole, uniting a growing number of nations and generating popular dynamics within countries where the Right is a leading force.
In February 2008, Fidel Castro declined to be a candidate for the presidency in Cuba. While this was to be expected, this news was a landmark event for the Latin American Left. Fidel can now have a well-deserved rest, accompanied by the affection and the respect of the people of Cuba and of the entire continent, who acknowledge his leading role in the building of socialist Cuba, and his role as a major actor in the worldwide anti-imperialist struggle.
In Washington and Miami _ centres of counterrevolution _ there was an expectation to see counterrevolutionary outbursts in Cuba, but there were none. The people received the news that Fidel Castro would retire at his 81 years as something normal. Fortunately, to the degree that he is still able to, he continues to write and to cooperate with the revolutionary government. And while US presidents are succeeding each other, the Cuban revolution continues to stand firm.
In Bolivarian Venezuela, the defeat in the constitutional election has led to a revision, a rectification and an new impetus for the revolution. This year will be crucial for the deepening of the revolutionary process. The communists of the entire world defend this anti-imperialist and democratic process towards socialism. We support the Venezuelan people and their president Hugo Chávez in their efforts to defeat internal and external subversion.
In Mexico, the current government of Felipe Calderón wants to go against
this progressive current and is set to push forward an "energy reform"
that in essence means the complete privatisation of the petroleum industry.
Broad sectors of the workers and the people are mobilising against this plan.
For a political solution to the armed and social conflict in Colombia
The main armed and political organisations of the Colombian Left are of the opinion that the armed conflict must be superseded. In order to reach a peace agreement, the agreements must be guaranteed and must include a plan for social and political reforms to solve the contradictions that were at the origin of the conflict.
It is impossible to understand the current armed conflict in Colombia without knowing its past. 60 years ago, the member of parliament and presidential candidate Jorge Eliécer Gaitán was assassinated for his opposition to the Colombian elites. After a civil war of 10 years, with hundreds of thousands of deads and a permanent repression of the peasants who were fighting for their fundamental rights, the latter organised themselves as peasant guerrillas. Followed decades of armed struggle, that led to peace negotiations in the 1980s. In these negotiations, the FARC agreed on the creation of a party that would represent them while the agreements would be implemented. This party, the Patriotic Union, was completely demolished by the repression: 2 presidential candidates, 3 senators, 30 mayors and 5000 militants were killed _ most of them trade unionists. In the 20 years that followed, para-militarism _ as the extremist and terrorist arm of a brutal state policy _ continued to repress and annihilate the progressive forces. Even with this historical experience, the different popular guerrilla forces continued to work for peace, but the Uribe government continued to defend the most stubborn positions of the Colombian elites and of the US Bush Administration.
The FARC offered to liberate the politicians, police and military personnel that they have in their power, in exchange for the liberation of their imprisoned militants. If the humanitarian exchange would become reality, it would facilitate the negotiations to find a political solution. As a goodwill gesture, they liberated 6 hostages.
But the Colombian government did everything to impede this, supported by the warmongering Americans from the US who impose their will on the Colombian government. In an operation with the participation of US military circles, and in flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Ecuador, FARC Commander Raúl Reyes was assassinated at the border with Ecuador while he coordinated the liberation of the former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt.
In order to justify their attitude, the US and Colombia tried to accuse the government of President Rafael Correa of giving logistical assistance to the FARC and of interfering in the internal affairs of Colombia. Ecuador could easily unmask such grotesque lies.
President Chávez has served the Colombian people's cause by offering his support to the families of the hostages and by impeding a military escalation in face of the countless provocations by the Colombian president and the US.
Bolivia, united, advances towards independence and development
The indigenous peoples constitute 62% of the Bolivian population, and yet, this majority has always been met with contempt. In 1952 the measures that constituted a real apartheid were abolished, and yet, these ideas remain very much present in the society, as they are reproduced by a cultural and ideological system that only values the population of European origin. The class struggle in Bolivia is also expressed in the racial question. That is why the transformations taking place in Bolivia need to include the overcoming of this scourge.
Since Evo Morales assumed the presidency of the country, the people demanded two things : the nationalisation of the petroleum, and a new Constitution. The president has held his promises by obtaining that the foreign corporations keep only 18% of their profits, leaving 82% to Bolivia. Before, it was the inverse proportion. The process of ratifying the New Constitution has started. We can affirm that on both these specific demands of the people, the president has delivered.
On top of these changes, a veritable cultural revolution is taking place, with an important diminution of illiteracy and a better developed acces to health. These programmes are supported by the Cuban and Venezuelan solidarity.
The reaction has entrenched itself in the rich departments to destabilise the government and promote the splitting up of the country. The US supports these attempts of division, on the one hand to block the ongoing transformations, and on the other to appropriate for themselves the vital energetic resources.
The Right tries to avoid the ratification of the new Constitution and doesn't recognise the central authority of the country. To succeed with its splittist objective, it promotes racism against the indigenous peoples and the migrants that have come from the poorer regions to settle in these regions.
The referendum on autonomy that was held in the department of Santa Cruz in May 2008 is anti-constitutional and illegal. 41 articles of the referendum flagrantly violate the current Constitution.
Not only was the referendum not recognised by the constitutional organs of Bolivia, but not even by the United Nations, the Organisation of American States, the member countries of the ALBA, etc. Bolivia's position is strongly supported by the governments of Brazil and Argentina, both opposed to the division of Bolivia.
The Armed Forces have declared that at least five articles approved in the referendum are detrimental to the national security and integrity of Bolivia.
Other referenda are planned to be held in the departments of Beni and Pando on June 1st and in Tarija on June 22nd.
Autonomy has been a historical demand of the indigenous movement, in their just struggle to obtain, for the first time, their civil, political and social rights withheld since the colonisation by the Spanish, by the capitalist exploitation, US imperialism and corrupt and bad governments.
The oligarchical minority of Santa Cruz has snatched the banner of autonomy to use it in function of its class interests, on the basis of the economic wealth of Santa Cruz that they exploit and that they don't want to lose with the ongoing revolutionary process, that is implementing political, economic, cultural and social transformations to the benefit of the popular masses.
At the moment, the situation in Bolivia leaves several options open. What we fear most is the continuation of the destabilisation and the creation of a climate that would incite to a civil war and the division of the country. We cannot exclude an attempt at a coup d'état either.
The plans of the Right to re-establish itself mean the defeat of the democratic and popular government of Evo Morales. These plans will be frustrated by the powerful mass movement that supports the ongoing process of democratic and cultural revolution.
The massive manifestations in support of the government of Evo Morales, in Cochabamba, Oruro, La Paz and El Alto, clearly show the level of polarisation that has been reached in Bolivia. This is the consequence of the division promoted by the oligarchy and the most reactionary sectors. Behind all these plans for the destabilisation of Bolivia are functionaries of the US embassy in La Paz and the US consulate in Santa Cruz.
The Bolivian Senate has approved the proposal of president Evo to hold a referendum on revoking the president and the nine prefects of the departments. As this referendum has been proposed and called for, we appeal to support it.
Long live the democratic process of social transformation taking place in Latin America ! Stop the US interference in the region!
No to the division of Bolivia!
Solidarity with the Bolivian people and their historical leader Evo Morales Ayma !
For the humanitarian exchange of prisoners in Colombia and for a political solution to the social and armed conflict in Colombia!
For the deepening of the Bolivarian revolution in Venezuela!
Socialist Cuba will never surrender!
1 Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua and Dominica