EU's stance is a 'green light' for Turkish aggression: Statement by KKE General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas

The outcome of the recent EU Council and its failure to adopt sanctions against Turkey was sharply criticized by the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). After hours of decisions, the EU leaders proceeded to the usual verbal condemnations of Ankara's aggression in Eastern Mediterranean but deferred decisions on trade tariffs or arms embargo until they have consultations with the US President-elect Joe Biden and his administration. 

In Athens, the General Secretary of the CC of the KKE Dimitris Koutsoumbas made the following statement:

Who will pay for the crisis? Lufthansa receives $10 billion state bailout and cuts 30,000 jobs

On November 14th we were writing that at least 90,000 people will lose their job by the end of December as a result of mass layoffs by major U.S. airline companies. Aviation giants, such as United Airlines and American Airlines laid off 32,000 workers last October in an attempt to blackmail the U.S. government for higher subsidies.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a serious impact on the aviation industry due to travel restrictions and a significant slump in demand among travellers. No travellers means less profits for the big airliners. In order to reduce losses, the monopolies of aviation proceed to a series of anti-labor measures, including pay cuts, furloughs and, of course, layoffs. 

Polish government's plan to outlaw the Communist Party shall not pass!

By Nikos Mottas.

It's been a long time since Poland, under the far-right government of Andrzej Duda, is driven into a very dangerous, anti-democratic path. With the EU's tolerance, or even encouragement, the authorities of Poland have unleased a persistent “witch-hunt” against the country's communists.

We have many times referred to the persecutions and legal proceedings against the Communist Party (KPP) and its newspaper “Bzrask”. Communist and Workers' Parties across Europe and the world, such as the KKE, have undertaken numerous initiatives in the international forums (e.g. EU Parliament) about these anti-communist persecutions and restrictions imposed by the Polish government. 

Venezuela Elections 2020: The Communist Party (PCV) is back in the National Assembly!

The parliamentary election in Venezuela is over, the people voted and the Communist Party (PCV) is back in National Assembly! Despite facing censorship and blockade by the media, the electoral alliance “Popular Revolutionary Alternative” (APR), backed by the PCV and other political groups, received 2.75% of the votes.

The Communist Party will be represented in the National Assembly by its General Secretary Oscar Figuera who has been elected a deputy.

With a low turnout of 30.5% of eligible voters, Nicolas Maduro's social democratic United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and its allies swept the December 6th parliamentary elections and regained control of the National Assembly. According to the National Electoral Council, the PSUV-lead “Great Patriotic Pole” alliance has gained 68% of the votes and is projected to win at least 189 of the 277-seat assembly. 

John Lennon's Communist Manifesto

John Lennon, the legendary English co-lead singer of The Beatles and one of the most popular songwriters of the 20th century, was murdered 40 years ago, on December 8th, 1980 in New York City.

A vocal opponent of the Vietnam War and a sharp critic of British government's crimes in Northern Ireland, Lennon expressed himself politically through some extraordinary songs. Among these are “Give Peace a Chance”, “Working Class Hero” and “Imagine”. 

India: Communist Party member stabbed to death by right-wing criminals in Kerala

A 52-year-old activist of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) was stabbed to death in Kollam district, in the Indian state of Kerala, on Monday 7 December. According to local CPI(M) leaders, the murderers belong to the nationalist, right-wing RSS paramilitary organization.

This is the fourth CPI(M) worker murdered in the state in the last four months.

CPI(M) state secretary in-charge A Vijayaraghavan said the killing was an attempt to disrupt peace ahead of polling for the first phase of today's local body elections.

Swaziland communists struggle for women's rights, denounce Mswati regime autocracy

In the tiny landlocked south African country of Swaziland (also known as Eswatini), the local Communist Party is fighting for democracy, workers rights and women's emancipation against the autocratic monarchical regime of Mswati III. 

In a statement published on December 1st, the Communist Party of Swaziland refers to the deepening crisis in the country, the treatment of women as objects of sexual exploitation and Mswati’s insatiable thirst for splendour. 

Greece: New orgy of governmental authoritarianism and police repression — Statement by KKE leader Dimitris Koutsoumbas

Almost 20 days after the brutal attack of Greek police against a peaceful KKE rally on November 17th, another orgy of police repression and violence took place earlier today in Athens, on the 12th anniversary of the murder of 15 year-old Alexis Grigoropoulos by a special police officer. 

Grigoropoulos had been murdered by special police officer Epaminondas Korkoneas on December 6, 2008. Korkoneas had been convicted to life sentense. However, in 2019, a court reduced his term to just 13 years and, on the basis of the new legal code introduced by the then SYRIZA government, he was ultimately released from prison on July 2019! 

Tudeh Party of Iran: Condemns the murder of nuclear scientist Fakhrizadeh and opposes any foreign intervention

The Tudeh Party of Iran has issued a statement condemning the murder of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh and expresses its opposition to any foreign imperialist intervention in the country. The full statement is the following:

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, head of the Research and Innovation Organisation of the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics, was killed in a terrorist attack in the Absardvicinity of Damavand on Friday, November 27, according to Iranian and international media. Fakhrizadeh, who was involved in research and development activities in the nuclear industry of the Islamic Republic of Iran, had been [a name] cited for several years in relation to the Iranian nuclear issue. 

Letter of the KKE to the National Electoral Council of Venezuela: On the anti-democratic censorship against PCV and APR

In a letter addressed to the President of the National Electoral Council of Venezuela Indira Alfonso, the member of the Political Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and MP Giorgos Marinos denounces the exclusion of the Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV) and the Popular Revolutionary Alternative (APR) electoral coalition from public and private media coverage ahead of the December 6th parliamentary elections. 

Read more about the censorship imposed on PCV and APR here. The letter is the following:

Cuba and Vietnam celebrate 60 years of a genuine friendship

Shortly after the successful revolution, on December 2, 1960, the Republic of Cuba, under the leadership of Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro, became the first country in the Western Hemisphere to establish full diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

This week, Cuban and Vietnamese senior leaders celebrated the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which they described as exemplary.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Statement by the World Federation of Trade Unions

Today, December 3, is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The Secretariat of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) issued the following statement:

On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3, the World Federation of Trade Unions reiterates its support and solidarity with people with special needs and supports their demand for free, public and high quality healthcare which become even more urgent during the Pandemic of COVID-19.

Cuba: Who is behind the San Isidro counter-revolutionary show?

Recently, a small group of U.S-backed mercenaries in Havana, Cuba, tried to stage a despicable anti-Cuban show seeking to destabilize the country. This group of 14 people became the center of a new counter-revolutionary, sponsored and supported by the U.S. government, farce in San Isidro neighborhood in Old Havana.

But who is behind the anti-Cuban show in San Isidro? The following article published in Granma newspaper is revealing:

Who’s behind the anti-Cuban show in San Isidro? 

Friedrich Engels Bicentennial: Joint edition of Marx and Engels selected works to be published by PCM and PCTE

On the occasion of the 200 years since the birth of Friedrich Engels, the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE) and the Communist Party of Mexico (PCM) announced their initiative to publish a joint edition of Marx and Engels Selected Works. Read the statement in English and Spanish below:

Being the bicentenary of Friedrich Engels’ birthday, the Communist Party of Mexico (PCM) and the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE) consider that it is necessary to contribute to the diffusion of the work that he devoted most of his life to along with Karl Marx.

Engels memorial rally in Wuppertal marked by police violence

A public gathering commemorating the 200th birth anniversary of Friedrich Engels in his hometown Wuppertal in Germany, on Sunday 29th November, was marked by police violence. 

The report comes from “Engelsbündnis”, a group that organizes events in honor of the great philosopher and revolutionary since 2015. Taking into account the pandemic the gathering was successful but was marked with local police's "extreme arbitrariness and aggression". 

Venezuela's Communist Party denounces censorship ahead of the December 6th parliamentary election

In a statement addressed to the Communist and Workers' Parties of the world, the Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV) denounces the censorship that has been imposed upon the Party's electoral campaign, ahead of the December 6th parliamentary election. As the PCV points out, the communicational blockade against the Party was intensified following the decision to create the Popular Revolutionary Alternative (APR) together with other political and social organizations". 

The full statement is the following:

On the Anti-communist remarks of the Ecumenical Patriarch concerning the Holodomor

By Nikos Mottas.

“The Ukrainian term ‘Holodomor’ refers to the man-made and intentional famine, the devilish plan of the Stalinist system aimed at a well-planned genocide of a very pious people with the aim of eradicating the Christian faith and the Orthodox Church...”.

These words were not expressed by any extremist ultra-conservative bishop or priest, nor they were written in any right-wing newspaper. These are the words of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the head of the Orthodox Church, during a memorial service held at the Patriarchal Church in Istanbul on the occasion of the 87th anniversary of the so-called 1932-1933 Ukrainian famine (also known as “Holodomor”). 

Communist and Workers' Parties of the Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East and the Gulf hold regional teleconference

Twelve Communist Parties of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East region participated in a Teleconference organized by the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). The Teleconference's major subject was "The Communist and Workers' Parties firmly at the side of the just struggle of the Palestinian people, in the struggle against imperialist war and capitalist exploitation".  

 

Apart from the host party, the KKE, the participants parties in the Teleconference were:

Hands off the communists! KKE condemns the persecution of communists in the Russian city of Tyumen

The Russian authorities in the city of Tyumen on November 7, 2020, the day of the 103rd anniversary of the October Revolution, banned the events of the Communist Workers' Party of Russia under the pretext of the pandemic, violently suppressing them, despite the observance by the organizers of all the necessary health rules. In addition, they violently attacked and arrested the Secretary of the CWPR Organization and other executives of the organization, initiating prosecutions against them.

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) condemns these anti-communist actions of the authorities in the city of Tyumen, which are part of the ideological-political operation to silence the revolutionary message of the Red October, which is especially evident since the authorities had allowed other mass activities, while in other cities related activities for the October Revolution were carried, without any particular problems.

Over 250 million workers and farmers join All India Strike!

Despite repression, a joint general strike by workers and farmers has shut down India. Over 250 million workers took part in the 26 November nationwide strike.

Indian trade unions condemned the arrests of workers’ and farmers’ leaders across the country as they demonstrate together in one of the biggest ever nationwide general strikes.   Indian trade union leaders issued a clarion call to the government to repeal anti-worker labour codes and anti-farmer farm laws as a massive mobilization of industrial and agricultural workers and farmers across the country disrupted normal life across the country, in rural and urban areas.

Diego Maradona, the Anti-imperialist

Diego Armando Maradona, one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century and for many people the best football player of all times, died on Wednesday 25 of November at the age of 60.

Born in 1960 in Lanús, Buenos Aires, Diego was the fifth child of a poor, working class family. His father was a factory worker and the early years of young Diego were marked by extreme poverty. Over the decades, alongside his extraordinary career in football, Maradona proved to be a defender of the less privileged, a vocal supporter of Cuba and Latin American left-wing movements and an outspoken critic of U.S. imperialism. 

Portugese Communist Party to hold its XXI Congress on 27-29 November

The Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) will held its 21st Congress on 27, 28 and 29 of November 2020. The works of the XXI Congress will take place in Pavilhão Paz e Amizade in the city of Loures, 13km north of capital Lisbon. 

Under the slogan "Organize, Fight, Advance. Democracy and Socialism", the PCP's 21st Congress is organized in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, something that has provoked reactions from right-wing parties and conservative politicians in Portugal. However, as the PCP General Secretary Jerónimo de Sousa has stated, the Congress will take place under all the necessary health security measures. 

Workers in Greece go on strike on November 26th: Statement by the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME)

While Greece is in the midst of Covid-19 pandemic crisis, with a nationwide lockdown imposed, the conservative government of New Democracy (ND) escalates the policies of authoritarianism and anti-labor measures. 

 

The government not only failed to protect the country from the second wave of the pandemic, but follows a policy that focuses on the protection of business groups' profitability rather than the health of the working people. 

On Thursday 26th of November, the country's workers respond to the anti-labor, anti-people policy of the government by organizing a nationwide strike. In statement, the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) points out:

Greek communist MP asks to be relieved of Parliament duties in order to serve as a doctor against the pandemic

Communist Party of Greece (KKE) MP and pulmonologist Giorgos Lambroulis asked Parliament to temporarily relieve him from his duties as one of eight vice presidents of the body, so that he may help out his region Larissa, central Greece, in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a letter to President Konstantinos Tasoulas released Monday, Lambroulis, a doctor in the National Health System (ESY), criticized Greek governments for ignoring chronic shortages in the health sector, and called on fellow-MPs who are doctors to follow his example. "My place is with my fellow doctors and nursing staff that are fighting under adverse conditions to care for the people, in the public health sector of Larissa," he said.