"The
Quito Declaration"
Adopted in Quito, Ecuador, August 1994
Delaration
of Principle
The International Conference of Marxist-Leninist
Parties and Organisations
So
long as there is exploitation of man by man and capitalism destroys the very existence
of humanity in the world, there will be struggle.
So long as the imperialist
and bourgeoisie oppress weak nations and defenceless peoples, there will be struggle.
So
long as the workers and peoples of the world aspire to transform today's society
and to change it for their own benefit and win or die for it, there will be struggle.
"The
history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles."
(Communist Manifesto)
Contrary
to the class conciliatory sermons of the capitalists, according to which workers
and the owners of the means of production have the same interests, we emphasise
anew the Marxist thesis that class struggle is the driving force of history in
class society.
The class struggle will not end so long as the noble and basic
aims of the workers and the peoples to build socialism and communism on the ruins
of capitalism have not been fulfilled.
In the last decades the communist and the workers' movement has been badly hit. The process of capitalist restoration that spread after the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and that gave rise to events such as those in Eastern Europe and the ex-USSR, the treason in Albania, etc., are part of the actions of imperialism and the reactionary, revisionist and pro-capitalist forces. The historical limitations, inexperience, the lack of development of theory, the underestimation of the contradictions in the socialist society, the bureaucracy, the isolation of the communist parties from the workers and peoples -these were causes which led to inability of the communists, workers and peoples to defend their achievements and prevent capitalist restoration. Nor were we able to prevent the rise of a new bourgeois class, which, behind a "socialist" mask, seized power and destroyed socialism.
After
this last generalised assault of imperialism and capitalism, which intended to
wipe out Marxism-Leninism, scientific socialism, communism, proletarian revolution
and anti-imperialism, we are rising again, in all corners of the world. Communists
are being born again in every workers' strike, in every popular mobilisation,
in every struggle of the working class and peoples for freedom and democracy,
in every revolt of the youth and in every guerrilla group. We reorganise, unite,
draw lessons from what has happened and continue to march forward.
We will
not give up our endeavour until we accomplish our historical mission.
We are millions of human beings in struggle. We workers continue to be the main producers of all wealth, everywhere and the different conditions in which the means of production develop. Nothing in essence will change so as others live from our sweat and so long as we have not achieved the transformation of this society into a more advanced one.
What innovation, what type of technical-scientific revolution can displace us as the main axis of thecontemporary society? No scientific and technical progress or discoveries can change the basic nature of the proletariat. Nor do they change the fact that the means of production continue to be in capitalist hands. The wealth produces by our work has been and continue to be the material base for all scientific and technological developments.
The
class struggle cannot be abolished, neither will it disappear so long as the private
ownership of the means of production is maintained. But of course we should take
into account these scientific and technical developments, learn how to control
and use them for the benefit of the peoples and for the revolution.
The
proletarian movement is the self-conscious, independent movement of the immense
majority, in the interest of the immense majority.
Proletarians have nothing
of their own to secure and fortify; their mission is to destroy all previous secur›ties
for and, insurances of, individual property.
(Communist
Manifesto)
No other social class or stratum can achieve these objectives, This is the task of the proletariat. The proletariat is the most revolutionary class in society, with the highest skill and ability, able to unite and to lead other exploited classes and strata in the struggle against capital.
We are here today and active in the resent epoch. We workers and peoples have not set aside a single instant in the struggle for our objectives, Nothing substantial has changed in our epoch as Lenin defined it. It continues to be the epoch of imperialism and proletarian revolutions.
Everything that has occurred since the October Revolution of 1917, the Second World War and the defeat of fascism, the liberation of the colonial peoples, the Chinese, Vietnamese and other revolutions, the advanced that took place in the building of socialism, the final imperialist onslaught and the struggle of the peoples today -all these confirm the Leninist thesis about the epoch in which we live. The fundamental contradictions remain as before.
Imperialism and the bourgeoisie fiercely attack Marxism-Leninism and proclaim its invalidity. We may well ask: because they very wee know that this theory is still valid and unassailable.
Marxism-Leninism is based on the continuously developing scientific knowledge, on the development of social experiences and on progressive human thought. It is a theory with a revolutionary character which represents the historical interests of the proletariat and of all humanity. It progresses dialectically; breaks down barriers and engenders what is new.
We Marxist-Leninist
are conscious of our weaknesses in the comprehension, application and development
of Marxism- Leninism. The problem is one of our own limitations, a problem that
we will overcome. Historical experience has demonstrated the vitality of Marxism-Leninism.
If there are old and obsolete ideologies and theories that belong to the past,
these are bourgeois theories. Marxism-Leninism belongs in the present and to the
future.
Does
it require deep intuition to comprehend that men's ideas, views and conceptions,
in one word, man's consciousness, changes with every change in the conditions
of his material existence, in his social relations and in his social life?
When
people speak of ideas that revolutionise society, they do but express the fact
that within the old society the elements of a new one have been created and that
the dissolution of the old ideas keep an even pace with the dissolution of the
old conditions of existence.
(Communist Manifesto)
In accordance with their call interests, revisionists and opportunists of all shades distorted these statements of the Communist Manifesto and came to anti-communist conclusions. They want to preserve their position as "great leaders" and their own privileges: they want to guide the workers' movement and prevent the workers from taking their destiny into their own hands. Thus they serve the bourgeoisie and cause huge damage to the working class.
Communist on the other hand struggle against these deviations, push aside these servants of the bourgeoisie and help the working class to rely on their own forces in order to advance.
Revisionism is a danger for the revolutionary process, for the communist parties and for the construction of socialism. Revisionism and opportunism of all shades continue to be a danger against which the struggle cannot be discontinued or relaxed.
To debate these questions, to take a position on them, to establish what is now necessary: Herein lies the inevitable and urgent ideological struggle both in the field of revolution as in the field of the revolutionary, ideological offensive against the assault of reaction. No communist, no vanguard party should shrink before the task of confronting ideas and conceptions. let us open the debate, confronting ideas, analyses, lessons and explanations, so that we may reach conclusions which will allow us to march forward.
"Facts are stubborn" said Lenin and the obstinacy of facts requires us to be Leninists.
We created our parties in the noise battle, as we rained blows against revisionism and opportunism. Their ideological degeneration and political treachery bear the main responsibility for the damage caused to the international communist and workers' movements.
Communist parties
are the indispensable instruments for organising revolution in the each one of
our countries, We as a whole, are the International Conference of the Marxist-Leninist
Parties and Organisations, the real alternative for the working class and peoples.
The flame of the proletarian revolution and the hope of the peoples continue to
be in the hands of the communists.
"The
communist fight for the attainment of the immediate aims, for the enforcement
of the momentary interests of the working class; but in the movement of the present,
they also represent and take care of the future of the movement."
(Communist
Manifesto)
We think that the popular masses are -and should always and everywhere be- the pioneers of history. Only when communist parties have become bureaucratic and ideologically degenerate, losing their revolutionary vanguard character as servants of the working class and of the peoples, have the masses abandoned them. The communists, workers and peoples should never break the threads that by the thousand bind us together.
We communists, together with the working class and peoples, fighting with them for their interests, should and can seize power; with them we should build popular-democratic forms of the dictatorship of the proletariat and the socialist state, construct socialism and march forward.
Imperialism has always been and will continue to be the source of aggression and of predatory wars. In recent years Iraq, Somalia, Panama, Yemen, Ruined, ex-Yugoslavia, ex USSR, Haiti, etc., have been the scene of aggressive, racist and reactionary wars. We denounce the evil character of these wars. It is urgently necessary to organise and support popular movements against these imperialist war policy. We workers, peoples and communists should be at the head of this struggle.
Revolution requires unity of action from the working class and the peoples. We communists must create this unity. Conception and practice are interlinked. Alliances are necessary. In establishing such alliances we need above all to rely on our own strength, come together with others and practice unity with revolutionary objectives. Then we can form alliances which do not lead us to concessions on principles. Such alliances and actions however, should never lead us to forget that the class struggle must be carries through with force to the end.
We fight our decision to hold aloft the banner of Marxism-Leninism, to fight for its application and to convert our parties and organisations into a political, social and organisational alternative, both nationally and internationally. Our parties and organisations restate our pledge to fight on the side of the working class and the peoples for the proletarian revolution and for the independence and sovereignty of the peoples, together with democrats, patriots and progressive persons to oppose capitalist and imperialist domination.
We pledge to keep alive the spirit of the Paris Commune, of the October Revolution and of all the revolutionary processes and experiences based upon the principles elaborated by Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin.
The
communists disdain to conceal their views and aims, they openly declare that ends
can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions.
Let the ruling classed tremble at a communistic revolution. The proletarians have
nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win.
(Communist
Manifesto)
Proletarians and peoples
of the world! The fight continues! In anticipation of the new revolutionary wave
of struggle we communists, workers and peoples must be in the front rank of pioneers.
Let
us put the historic words of Marx and Engels into practice:
PROLETARIANS OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE!
August 1994, Quito-Ecuador
Communist
Party of Chile (Proletarian Action)
Communist Party of Colombia (ML)
Communist
Party of Labour of Dominican Republic (PCT)
Communist ML Party of Ecuador (PCMLE)
Workers
Communist Party of France (PCOF)
Communist Party of Germany (KPD)
Organisation
for the Construction of the Proletarian Party of Italy
Communist Party of Mexico
(ML)
Communist Organisation October of Spain
Revolutionary Communist Party
of Turkey (TDKP)
Revolutionary Communist Party of Upper Volta
Red Flag Party
of Venezuela
Later
adopted by:
Communist Party of Benin
Revolutionary Communist Party of
Brazil (PCR)
Workers Communist Party of Denmark (APK)
Party of Labour
of Iran (Toufan)
Revolutionary
Communist Party of Ivory Cost
ML Organisation Revolusjon, Norway
Unity
& Struggle
-
biannual organ of the International Conference publish in English, Spanish, French
and Turkish and articles translated to several other languages.