Pablo Neruda — Song of Love to Stalingrad (1942)

Pablo Neruda, the emblematic communist Chilean poet and diplomat — one of the 20th century's most influential Latin American cultural figures — was significantly inspired by the heroism of the Soviet people in the Second World War. He was particularly impressed by the brave struggle of the defenders of Stalingrad in a battle that played a decisive role in the outcome of the war. 

In 1942, Pablo Neruda wrote the "Song of Love to Stalingrad" (Canto de Amor a Stalingrado), praising the bravery of the Red Army and the Soviet people. What follows is a English translation of this extroardinary poem:

The 21st Congress of the KKE to be held in 2021

The first text of the theses of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) are published in this weekend's (30-31 January 2021) edition of "Rizospastis", under the title: "The Report and Conclusions of the action of the CC and the Party as a whole from the 20th to the 21st Congress - The Party as the guide of the revolutionary labour movement, the social alliance, in the struggle for socialism-communism". 

Greek-Turkish relations are entangled in wider imperialist competition and plans

Eliseos Vagenas, member of the CC and head of the section of International Relations of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) was interviewed by soL news concerning the new round of exploratory talks between Turkey and Greece. The full interview is the following:

The AKP government has made almost a U-turn regarding the relations with the EU, and Erdoğan has totally changed his hostile attitude towards some European leaders. As the people of Turkey, we are very much used to these radical maneuvers of the Erdoğan government. But how was this move interpreted in Greece?

Joe Biden the Imperialist: "I pressed Clinton to begin air strikes against Serbia”

 By Nikos Mottas.

Joe Biden is officially the 46th President of the United States. Bourgeois media affiliated with the Democratic Party and various “progressive” voices, in the U.S. as well as in Europe, have been engaged in an campaign to present the Biden administration as a factor of “positive changes” in the international political affairs.

Mr Biden is not new in politics. On the contrary, he has been a U.S. Senator from 1973 to 2009 and U.S. Vice President from 2009 to 2017. Since the beginning of the 1990s and the victory of counterrevolutions in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, Senator Biden has been a proponent of the interventionist imperialist policy of the United States. The last three decades are full of examples where the U.S. and their NATO-EU allies initiated imperialist wars under the pretexts of “democracy” and “human rights”. 

Greek government escalates oppression, intimidation and prosecutions against the workers struggles

Statement by the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) concerning the latest anti-people, anti-worker policies initiated, amidst the pandemic, by the conservative New Democracy (ND) government:

 “…Because for me,the most surprising,
the most imposing, the most mysterious and grandiose
Is a man not allowed to walk;
A man who’s being shackled”

- Nazim Hikmet.

With the “demonstrations’ management” plan, the Greek government is running to prevent the popular anger and outrage that is piling up and growing.

Indian communists support farmers struggle, demand the repealing of Agri Laws

In a joint statement, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), the Revolutionary Socialist Party and All India Forward Bloc express their support and solidarity to the struggle of farmers and demand the immediate repealing of Agri laws by the Modi government:

Repeal Agri Laws
Support Farmers Struggle 

KKE: Capitalism is the actual and visible virus!

Coronavirus vaccine supply has become a critical issue as nations seek to stem high infection rates. Last week, AstraZeneca told the EU it was falling behind on its supply target because of production problems. U.S. pharmaceutical Pfizer/Biontech proceeded to temporary cut deliveries while cases in many European countries surge. 

 

From its side, the European Union warned it will tighten exports of Covid vaccines produced in the bloc. Competitions, delays, exports' restrictions, business profits are putting people's health into risk. 

Portugal Election 2021: Communist Party leader Jerónimo de Sousa comments on the results

Sunday's presidential election in Portugal was marked by a high rates of abstention and a substantial victory of the reactionary forces. Incumbent President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, supported by the Social Democratic Party and the conservative People's Party, was re-elected with a majority of 60.70%, while the candidate of the far-right, nationalist Chega party, André Ventura, came third with 11.90% of the votes. 

The Portuguese Communist Party's candidate, current member of the EU Parliament, João Ferreira collected 4.32 percent of the votes in what can be seen as a rather disappointing result. 

In a statement concerning the result of the presidential elections, the General Secretary of the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) Jerónimo de Sousa pointed out the following:

Antonio Gramsci — I hate the indifferent

By Antonio Gramsci.

I hate the indifferent. I believe that living means taking sides. Those who really live cannot help being a citizen and a partisan. Indifference and apathy are parasitism, perversion, not life. That is why I hate the indifferent.

The indifference is the dead weight of history. The indifference operates with great power on history. The indifference operates passively, but it operates. It is fate, that which cannot be counted on. It twists programs and ruins the best-conceived plans. It is the raw material that ruins intelligence. That what happens, the evil that weighs upon all, happens because the human mass abdicates to their will; allows laws to be promulgated that only the revolt could nullify, and leaves men that only a mutiny will be able to overthrow to achieve the power.

Without Lenin, Russia has no future: Communists in Moscow and Saint Petersburg honored his legacy

Despite the freezing temperatures, hundreds of Russians, workers, Communist Party members, men and women attended a flower laying ceremony in Moscow's Red Square, honoring the Vladimir Lenin's 97th death anniversary. 

 

Various political parties and organizations were represented, including the CC of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), the Lenin Communist Youth Union, the social movement “Children of War”, the Union of Soviet Officers, the Left Front and others.  

Italy's Communist Party marks its 100th anniversary

Today, 21 January, marks the 100th anniversary since the foundation of the Communist Party of Italy in 1921, following a split in the Italian Socialist Party (PSI). The Party was founded in Livorno in 21 January 1921, headed by Antonio Gramsci, Palmiro Togliatti and Amadeo Bordiga.

In a turbulent course of 70 years until the final dissolution in 1991, the Communist Party of Italy, renamed as Italian Communist Party in 1940s,  left an indelible mark in the country's history. A member of the Communist International until 1943, it became the largest Communist Party in the western world with almost 2.3 million members in 1947. 

KKE bids farewell to long-time cadre Makis Mailis

Makis Mailis, a long-time member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and head of the Party's History Section, died on Wednesday at 71.  

 

In a statement the CC of the KKE bids farewell to Mailis, calling him “a hardworking, persistent, militant and creative comrade who dedicated his whole life to the Party”. 

Want Democracy? Then You Need a People's Dictatorship

 By Charles Andrews.

A mob was permitted, even helped, to take over the United States Capitol building on January 6, 2021. No government can allow that sort of thing and survive.

Officials and public figures ranging from social-democrats like Congressional Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez through a broad range of conventional politicians and even continuing into the right wing condemned the action as a threat to democracy.

A convicted Nazi in the European Parliament: He should be in prison but instead he enjoys freedom in Brussels

Three months after the trial of Golden Dawn in Greece – the largest court hearing of a Nazi group since Nuremberg – two members of its hierarchy remain at large. One of them is Golden Dawn's founding member Yiannis Lagos who has appealed against the court verdict from the safety of the European Parliament, where he is a member.

Since October, Greek judicial authorities have requested the waiver of his immunity by the EU Parliament. However, despite calls by MEPs, Parties and anti-fascist organizations for Lagos to “excluded from all democratic processes”, he continues to address the EU Parliament's sessions and provoke through his far-right, racist and nationalist rages in social media. 

Dutch communists on child benefits scandal: A consequence of the fact that capitalism cannot cover the basic needs of people

The Dutch government has resigned amid an escalating scandal over child benefits in which more than 20,000 families were wrongly accused of fraud by the tax authority. The move came less than a month before parliament was due to break up ahead of general elections scheduled for 17 March.

In a statement concerning the issue, the New Communist Party of the Netherlands and the Communist Youth Movement (CJB), point out:

"Yesterday (Friday 15th of January) Prime Minister Rutte handed over the resignation of the government to the king – only two months before the elections for the House of Representatives will take place. The fall of the cabinet was triggered by the so-called “allowances affair” (toeslagenaffaire), although we can better speak of a terrible scandal.