From Kommunistisk Politik, No. 2, January 19, 2002
Some years ago there were people, even declared revolutionaries and "communists",
who were saying that their "analyses" had brought them to the conclusion
that the revolution was a closed chapter for them, as well as for the coming
generation or two. Capital had won. Imperialism's power was too overwhelming.
They put forward a defensive strategy, renouncing the seizure of power as an
objective and merely focusing on "broad alliances" and "parliamentary
coalitions". Unfortunately, there still are a lot of these people.
It is on this question of revolution that there exists a clear dividing line
between communists, who theoretically, as well as practically, base themselves
on Marxism-Leninism, and the forces who are sleeping on it, have "improved",
or completely rejected it, in other words, between communists and revisionists
and reformists of all hues.
Revolutionary crises and revolutionary situations arise objectively, that is,
independently of the will of single classes, let alone of individuals. They
arise as a result of the real, inherent, antagonistic contradictions of capitalism,
and are inevitable.
At his time, the Danish popular singer, Cesar, was singing: "You say again
and again/my friend/that you don't believe/our old world/is in flames".
If one opens his eyes, it is evident that the situation in the world is turbulent
and dangerous, that imperialism's offensive has now assumed a violent form -
war. But it is just as evident that the peoples are rising, that imperialism
and the lackey's policy is losing, that the revolution is a question put forward
for solution in numerous countries and on all continents.
Therefore, there is good reason again to listen to the teachers of revolution
of the working class, as Lenin for instance. He established that the revolution
breaks out and triumphs in the weakest chain of imperialism. At the time he
wrote this, there did not exist one single socialist country in the world. Shortly
after, there did.
The International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations
(ICMLPO), of which the APK is a member, has constantly pointed out the existence
of revolutionary crises and revolutionary situations, but it has also done more
than that. It has put forward that it is the duty of the time to concretely
ask the question of the seizure of power. The events in Argentina, for instance,
leading to the fall of four presidents in just two weeks, shows the need for
asking that question.
That the Latin American Marxist-Leninist parties - contrary to all revisionist
parties, no matter how communist they declare themselves - have taken this responsibility
upon them, appears from the final declaration of the Fifth International Seminar
"Problems of the Revolution in Latin America", held in July 2001 in
Quito, Ecuador.
The declaration, entitled "The Seizure of Power and the Forms of Struggle",
says: "(…) The workers and the peoples, in all regions, are growing
stronger in battles confronting the counter-revolutionary offensive of imperialism
and monopoly capital on a world scale. In Latin America we have the recent experience
of struggles of the workers, peasants, indigenous peoples and students, of popular
uprisings led by thousands of men and women of our peoples, the experience of
insurgency and popular rebellions as in Argentina and Bolivia, which have even
overthrown reactionary governments as in Ecuador. In Colombia the insurgent
action of the guerrilla movements is continuing to develop, accompanied by a
reactivation of the movement of the masses. We find ourselves in a period of
revival of the struggle of the workers and the peoples that, evidently, expresses
itself in a different way in each region and country.
This reality propels the revolutionaries to the discussion and taking up of
measures and actions of struggle that allow them to direct the discontent and
the fight of the workers and the peoples toward the seizure of power (…)".
Today, this is a global necessity.