"Farewell" to Colin Powell

Bolivia's jailed dictator Jeanine Áñez nominated for EU's Sakharov Prize!

The story behind the European Parliament's so-called “Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought” is known. Each year, the EU Parliament awards the Sakharov Prize to “honour” “exceptional individuals and organisations” who supposedly defend “human rights” and “fundamental freedoms”. 

 

Nonetheless, the actual aim behind this “award” is the attempt of the European Union to present herself as a “defender of human rights”, to reward the stooges of imperialism and to promote anti-communism. 

Mexico's AMLO government orders brutal crackdown against striking workers

Right: President Obrador with business magnate Carlos Slim

Since the early hours of yesterday, October 12, the more than 5,000 workers who are building the Dos Bocas refinery, in the Mexican state of Tabasco, began a protest against the ICA Fluor employer, owned by Carlos Slim, businessman affiliated to the current social democratic government headed by Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO).

It is the second mobilization of workers so far this year, who do not stop demanding compliance with their labor rights, especially the reduction of their working hours, the payment of overtime and other basic rights.

KKE denounces the new Greece-US military agreement

In a press release on the amendment of the “Greece–US defence agreement” and the statements of Ministers of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias and Anthony Blinken in Washington DC, the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) stresses the following:

“The so-called defence —but in reality extremely aggressive— agreement between Greece and the USA constitutes a dangerous development that further entangles our country in the US and NATO war plans in the wider region. Besides, the reference of the US Secretary of State to Greece's contribution to the war in Afghanistan foreshadows many new cases like Afghanistan, with the active participation of Greece. 

Chilean Communist Party condemns police violence against Mapuche people

With the declaration of a state of emergency, police repression and militarization of four provinces Chilean President Sebastián Piñera responds to the extensive demonstrations by indigenous Mapuche groups.

The Mapuches, which are the main indigenous group in Chile, are claiming the lands they have lived off for centuries and now are under the control of large domestic and foreign farming and forestry companies. 

California: A communist for Long Beach City Council

Good news come from California and especially Long Beach where a Communist Party (CPUSA) member is running for the City Council elections on June 2022. 

 

Steven Estrada, a community organizer and U.S. Army Veteran, is candidate for District 1 and, if elected, he would serve a four-year term alongside eight others representing different council members, People's World reports. 

Greece-US agreement on military bases must be cancelled!

By Nikos Mottas.

Today, Thursday 14 October, Greece's Minister of Foreign Affairs visits Washington DC in order to sign the the second Protocol of Amendment of the Greek-US Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA) with his U.S counterpart, Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The right-wing New Democracy government, continuing the “Strategic Dialogue” with the United States which was initiated by social democratic SYRIZA, promotes the renewal of the Greece-US Agreement on military bases for a period of 5 years and then its transformation indefinetely, as well as the installation of more military bases in many regions.

Swaziland: Solidarity with the students — Down with Mswati

"The military and police in Swaziland (Eswatini) have been deployed all over the country as students’ protests continued on Tuesday. During the Monday protests, the security forces shot, arrested and tortured students who defended their right to education", reads a statement by the Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS). 

Over 80 schools across Swaziland have been indefinitely shut down since the protests intensified in the last three weeks.

Iraqi communists boycott early elections, call for radical change

In a statement about the parliamentary elections in Iraq, the Iraqi Communist Party stresses out:

Iraq’s early parliamentary elections on 10 October 2021 were characterised by a very low turnout, at about 20%, confirming the fact that Iraqi voters have no confidence in an electoral system designed to perpetuate the corrupt ethno-sectarian power-sharing system that was installed after the US war and occupation of the country in 2003.

The Communist Party of Turkey on the Kurdish Issue

In a statement issued on 9 October, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) refers to the Kurdish Issue, stressing out that it must be analyzed from a class perspective. 

The full statement of the TKP is the following:

"A small segment of the population in Turkey possesses enormous wealth, while millions of people are struggling with poverty and unemployment.

USSR 2.0: Half of Russians would prefer the Soviet system

Thirty years after the counterrevolution and the restoration of capitalism in Russia, the prestige of socialism remains in high levels despite the waves of anti-communist propaganda.

 

A recent poll conducted by Levada Center comes to confirm that more and more Russians appreciate the significant achievements of the socialist period.

According to the survey, which was conducted between 19 and 26 August 2021, half of Russians (49%) would prefer the Soviet political system. This is the highest number since the early 2000s. Only 18% chose the current political system, while 16% believe that the best political system is “the Western model of democracy”. 

Czech Republic: Why did the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia fail in the elections?

For the first time since 1948, the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSČM) will not be represented in either house of the Czech government.

In this week's election in the Czech Republic, the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia took 3.62% of the votes with nearly all precincts reporting, less than the 5% needed to enter parliament.

“I am very disappointed because it is a really big failure,” said KSČM leader Vojtech Filip, who also resigned. 

Greek communists honored the exiled martyrs of Gyaros

Hundreds of communists, members and friends of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) participated in an emotional event in Gyaros island (also known as Gioura), honoring the memory of the thousands of exiled communists and left political dissidents who were imprisoned there from 1948 to 1974.

The event, which took place on Saturday 9 October, was organized by the KKE Party Organization of Attica. 

Italy in the streets: General Strike on October 11th

In a statement the Italian USB Trade Union (Unione Sindacale di Base), jointly with other class oriented trade unions and workers' association, has proclaimed a General Strike, for both public and private sector, throughout the country on October 11th. 

The statement reads:

The Draghi government has literally removed from the economic recovery plan of the country the interests of Italian workers. With the complicit support of CGIL, CISL and UIL, the layoffs have been unlocked, starting a wave of redundancies, relocations and heavy restructuring throughout the private sector.

Solidarity with the working people and the CP of Venezuela (PCV) against the attack on its political and electoral rights

In a joint statement more than 25 Communist and Workers' Parties from all over the world express their solidarity with the working people and the Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV). Among others, the statement denounces the recent anti-communist attacks in the National Assembly against PCV General Secretary Óscar Figuera.

The full statement (in English and Spanish) is the following: 

Communists in Vienna: "We are not paying for your crisis!"

“We are not paying for your crisis”. Under this campaign slogan, the Party of Labour of Austria (PdA) organized on Saturday 3 October a political rally at the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce at Wiedener Hauptstrasse in Vienna. In the coming weeks and months the party will intervene with a campaign which, among others, will focus on the collective bargaining and will try to expose the treacherous role of the social democratic labor aristocracy.

Speeches at the PdA rally were delivered by Tibor Zenker, the party's chairman, as well as Raffael Schöberl, former chairman of the Communist Youth of Austria (KJÖ). 

Stalin did not deport German communists to Hitler

By Grover Furr.

A critique of an essay by Alex de Jong in Jacobin magazine, August 2021.

In August 2021, the social-democratic magazine Jacobin published an article by Dutch writer Alex de Jong titled “Stalin Handed Hundreds of Communist Over to Hitler”. The assertion in the article’s title is false. De Jong’s article, and other articles and books that make this claim, all commit the following three cardinal errors:

KKE: "The mass people's struggle will crush the fascists"

"It is the mass popular action that will isolate and crush the fascist criminal elements" underlines a statement issued by the Press Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) concerning the murderous attack against KKE and KNE members which took place on Sunday 3/10 in Thessaloniki.

More specifically, the statement reads (here in Greek):

Greece – Fascists attacked and injured members of KKE and KNE in Thessaloniki

A murderous attack on members of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and its youth wing, KNE, who were distributing leaflets in Eleftherias Square in Ilioupolis, Thessaloniki, took place earlier today by a group of about 10 to 15 fascists.

According to eyewitnesses the fascist mob used thick chains, knives and even tasers, injuring at least three to four people before disappearing into the surrounding straits.

Communist Party of Armenia: Yerjanik Ghazaryan re-elected First Secretary

On September 26, during the Plenum of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Armenia, Yerjanik Ghazaryan was unanimously re-elected the First Secretary of the party.

The newly elected First Secretary delivered a speech, in which he referred to the internal political situation in Armenia, the Armenian-Russian relations, the forthcoming local elections, and the further actions of the party.

In a congratulatory message the First Vice Сhairman of the CC of the  Union of Communist Parties-Communist Party of the Soviet Union (UCP-CPSU) Kazbek Taysaev notes:

KKE and KNE are committed in the struggle against fascism

“The KKE and KNE, as they should do, are giving all their forces in the struggle against fascism, being aware of its abominable face, but also knowing that fascism will be irrevocably crushed by the people with their struggle against the capitalist system  which generates it”, points out Theano Kapeti, member of the Political Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and Secretary of the Party Organization in Central Macedonia, in an article published in “Ta Nea” newspaper.

Venezuela: Anti-communist rampage by PSUV deputy

PSUV's Pedro Carreño (left) and PCV leader Figuera

In a statement the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV) denounces the anti-communist slanders launched by the deputy of the governing United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) Pedro Carreño against General Secretary Oscar Figuera in the National Assembly. 

Below you can read the statement of the PCV in English and Spanish:

"In the September 14 National Assembly session, Deputy Oscar Figuera (Communist Party (PCV) and Popular Revolutionary Alternative (APR)) raised questions over the current pact between bourgeois elites which seeks to impose neoliberal policies on the country. 

Israel's Communist Party to hold its 28th Congress

The Communist Party of Israel (CPI) is currently winding up its preparations for the party’s 28th Congress to be held between October 7th and 9th in the Arab city of Shefa-Amr (Shfar’am) in the Galilee.

The Congress will be taking place during a period of turbulent developments in the Middle East, with popular movements protesting for democracy and social justice in countries throughout the region, while the forces of Imperialism maneuver to take advantage of events for their own interests. Israel’s new Bennet government, which enjoys the backing of US Imperialism, repeatedly threatens to launch a new war of aggression, in particular against Iran. Such aggression would have grave consequences for the peoples of the region, with especially disastrous results for the people in Israel.

Greece: Fascists, neo-Nazis attack students outside school

A mob of fascists and neo-Nazis wearing hoods and crash helmets attacked an anti-fascist rally of students in a high school in the Greek city of Thessaloniki on Tuesday morning. The event took place outside the EPAL vocational school in the suburb of Stavroupolis, when a group of approximately 30 fascists came out of the school premises and attacked the rally with bats and knives leading to at least two injuries.