Capitalist Crisis in Spain: Accelerated by the Pandemic and managed by Social Democracy

By the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE)

 

Spain is living in 2020 the worst capitalist crisis of 121 its history. The economy is shrinking on double-digit figures; there are millions of unemployed workers, and dozens of thousands of victims dead because of the pandemic.

A superficial glance could determine that the causes of the current crisis are completely due to the effects of the pandemic and the paralysis of economy during confinement. However, the analysis we had made before the pandemic were already predicting the looming of a capitalist crisis, being the Coronavirus actually a catalyst, rather than the cause of it. One that affects the capitalist relationships worldwide and not only its national expressions.

British communists welcome court ruling against Julian Assange extradition to the U.S.

In a message posted on Facebook, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Britain Robert Griffiths commented on the extradition ban ruling made by a London court yesterday. The message reads:

"The Communist Party and all supporters of investigative journalism and democratic freedoms will welcome the court ruling today banning the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States. 

Is the Covid vaccine a "triumph of capitalism"?

 By Nikos Mottas.

One of the many myths that have been spread by bourgeois media during this period is that the Covid-19 vaccine consists a “victory” or a “triumph” of capitalism. In fact, they are trying to convince us that the – without doubt significant - progress made by large biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in the fight against Coronavirus is an achievement of the capitalist system. 

This is simply not true. 

Iran's Tudeh Party expresses concern over U.S. provocations in the Persian Gulf

In a statement published on January 2, the Tudeh Party of Iran expresses its concern on the situation created by the dangerous manoeurves and provocations of the U.S. government in the Persian Gulf region. The full statement is as follows:

As the days of Donald Trump's presidency and those of the racist neo-con US administration draw to a close, the world's mass media have in recent days reported on the alarming news of a dangerous escalation in the possibility of a military conflict between the US and the Islamic Republic of Iran. 

Croatia Earthquake: Messages of solidarity by Croatian and Serbian Communist Parties

In public statements, the Socialist Workers' Party of Croatia (SRP) and the New Communist Party of Yugoslavia (NKPJ) express their solidarity to the people affected by the 6.4 magnitude earthquake which hit the Sisak-Moslavina region of Croatia on December 29, 2020.

The earthquake's outcome was 7 people dead, at least 26 injured and the destruction of almost half of the town of Petrinja.

The Socialist Worker's Party points out:

¡Aborto legal!: Argentinian communists hail Senate's decision to legalize abortion

Argentina’s Senate voted on Wednesday to legalize abortion, a first for a big country in Latin America and a triumph for women’s rights campaigners achieved over the visceral objection of the reactionary Catholic Church.

“It was the first triumph of a battle that began decades ago in our country. Yesterday (Wednesday) the militancy, the collective strength won and today Argentina is more just since the State assumes the responsibility of guaranteeing us the right to health and a full life”, said Guadalupe Viñuela Flores, a member of the National Secretariat of the Federation of Communist Youth (FJC), the youth wing of the Communist Party of Argentina.  

Communists of Luxembourg mark the 100th anniversary of their party's foundation

100 years ago, on 2 January 1921, the Communist Party of Luxembourg (KPL) was founded in the working class town of Differdingen in the south of the country. Immediately after its constitution, the party took up the struggle for the rights of the working class, especially the miners and steelworkers in Luxembourg, and many members of KPL proved themselves in demonstrations and strikes. 

 

In the 1930s, the KPL engaged in the struggle against rising fascism in close cooperation with the sister parties of neighbouring countries. In the Spanish War, communists and numerous anti-fascists from Luxembourg provided a strong contingent of the International Brigades for the defence of the Republic against the Spanish, German and Italian fascists.

62nd anniversary of the Cuban Revolution - Somos Continuidad!

By Nikos Mottas.

Sixty-two years ago, on January 1, 1959, the rebel forces of the 26th of July Movement, led by revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, seized the capital Havana, forcing dictator Batista to flee. Hence started a long and tumultuous journey of rebuilding a nation based on the principles of socialism.

The Cuban Revolution, the first socialist revolution in the Americas, was one of the 20th century's most significant events. It became - and continues being - a reference point for the workers-people's movement in Latin America and the whole world.

Communist Party of Britain: The UK-EU Brexit trade deal is a compromise between the big monopoly capitalists

In a statement about the recent UK-EU Agreement on Trade and Cooperation, the Communist Party of Britain's General Secretary Robert Griffiths and international secretary John Foster point out the following:

The UK-EU trade agreement is a compromise between the interests of British state-monopoly capitalism, on the one side, and those of German and French monopoly capital – represented by their states and the EU – on the other.  

Happy and Militant 2021: Messages by the WFTU and PAME

In a video message, with the Athens' Acropolis in the background, the General Secretary of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) George Mavrikos sends his best wishes for a Happy New Year "with faith and knowledge". 

 

Farewell to comrade Kostas Pateras

Comrade Kostas Pateras, a humble communist and member of the Communist Party of Greece , has died at the age of 42. “With great sorrow, the KKE bids farewell to cde Kostas Pateras who died so early, at 42 years of age, after a strong battle”, reads a statement by the Press Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party.

Born in London to a Greek-British working class family, Kostas was deeply affected by the militant past of his grandfather, a British communist who fought in the Spanish Civil War through the ranks of the International Brigades. 

Pakistan's communists condemn the violation of human and citizen rights in the country

The International Department of the Communist Party of Pakistan (کمیونسٹ پارٹی آف پاکستان) has issued a statement concerning the violation of human and citizen rights in the country. The statement is as follows:

The Communist Party of Pakistan strongly condemns the Pakistani establishment particularly the military establishment inhuman practices of suppression and violation of human and citizen rights.

The matter of missing persons, mutilated dead bodies in the province of Baluchistan, khyber  Pukhtoon Khwa and Sind provinces are the well known facts and still need answers.

George Blake, famous British double agent who worked for the KGB, died at 98

George Blake, the legendary British double agent who fled to the Soviet Union, has died in Moscow at the age of 98, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service reported.

Blake, a member of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), became affiliated with the communist ideology while serving as a prisoner of war in Korea. He said he volunteered to work for the Soviet Union after witnessing the atrocities of U.S. army in North Korea.

Arya Rajendran: India's youngest elected mayor is a communist

Arya Rajendran, a 21 year-old member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), has been elected mayor of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala.

Arya, a second year Mathematics student, is set to become the youngest person to hold a mayoral post in the country, the Hindustan Times reported. She presently serves as the state president of Balasangam, a children’s organisation affiliated to the CPI(M). 

State vandalism in Ukraine: Lviv authorities plan to dismantle monument dedicated to the Red Army

Another disturbing episode of anti-communist frenzy comes from Ukraine as the local authorities of Lviv are planning to dismantle the city's Monument of Glory – a memorial dedicated to the heroic Red Army soldiers - by the end of February 2021.

The decision was strongly condemned by the country's communists. Petro Symonenko, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Ukraine, said that the dismantling of the monument is “an act of state vandalism and moral terrorism” and added: “This is a crime against the memory of the soldiers of the Red Army, a crime against the memory of compatriots who died in the fight against the fascist infection, it is a slap in the face of the international community and all members of the anti-Hitler coalition”.