By Carlos Aznárez, from México City, on April 5, 2019
The XXIII International Seminar “The Parties and a New Society”, convened by the Workers’ Party of Mexico, began this Thursday in Mexico City with the presence of around 150 delegates from parties, organizations and left-wing movements from 38 countries from five continents. This annual meeting brings together the most representatives of the world left. Almost all the speakers highlighted the complex moment that humanity is living in but also the numerous demonstrations of popular resistance to the advance of imperialism and capitalism.
Among the special guests at the Seminar are Juanita Ancieta, former leader of the Bolivian women’s organization Bartolina Sisa and currently Secretary of International Relations of MAS, former president of Honduras Manuel Zelaya, PSUV Vice President Gladys Requena. Also at the Seminar was a leader of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party, Leopoldo Valle Alvarez, COPPAL Secretary of International Relations, Leonel Falcón Guerra, delegations from the Labor Party of Korea, the Communist Party of China, the Community Party of Vietnam, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, a large delegation from Venezuela, the ambassador of the Saharawi Republic in Mexico, the Argentine political scientist Atilio Borón and others.
After the opening with the Mexican anthem and words of welcome from a woman leader of the Workers Party, the Seminar was inaugurated followed by several interesting presentations.
In her opening greeting, Bolivian leader Juanita Ancieta recalled that this year the people of her country will once again re-elect Evo Morales and also had words of solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela and President Nicolás Maduro. She ended by saying: “Stand up, men and women to defend our revolutions”.
Then it was the turn of the representative of Venezuela, Gladys Requena, who in a moving and forceful speech detailed the unequal struggle that the Venezuelan people are waging against U.S. imperialism. She also called for building a great movement of world solidarity, adding that “peace is not possible in any country if the United States continues with its interventionist attitude.
Cuban communist leader Valle Alvarez stressed that despite the imperial offensive and its consequence of violence, leftist parties must have as their fundamental premise “the seizure of power, since tactics should not be confused with strategy. He called for more solidarity with Venezuela and with Lula’s freedom campaign. He also mentioned the need to support the Colombian people in their search for peace with social justice and the Puerto Rican nation in its struggle for emancipation.
Another speaker was Nicaraguan leader Carlos Fonseca Terán, and former FARC-EP commander and current FARC party leader Carlos Antonio Lozada. Particular attention was drawn to the presence of an important delegation from North Korea. Man Su Chol, one of its leaders, highlighted the efforts of his people to achieve peace and reconciliation with their South Korean neighbors, although he added that it is the empire that permanently harasses and stops this possibility. He greeted Bolivarian Venezuela and expressed that “there the Yankee empire has crossed the red line with its interference.”
A strong ideological and solidarity speech was delivered by the Secretary of International Relations of the MORENA party. She stated that the triumph has arrived in Mexico, “now comes the most difficult thing, the time for real changes. And she added: “We will work to establish a government of the people, by the people and for the people.”
Paola Pavón, recently elected Prefect of Pinchincha in Ecuador, who vindicated the Citizens’ Revolution and its leader, former President Rafael Correa, caught everyone’s attention with unquestionable strength due to her youth and her clear revolutionary ideological positions. She gave an account of what the decision to go to the polls meant after the “treason took away even our party.” She added that finally, against all the drawbacks, “we won in Manabi and Pichincha, and in Quito we didn’t quite reach the Mayor’s office, although we are the first force in votes,” he said.
Another fiery speech was that of former Honduran President Mel Zelaya, who began his words by pointing out that “we have had the privilege of living in the same century as Fidel, Che and Hugo Chávez. He then called for continued struggle against imperialism and for the protection of the progressive governments still standing on the continent. He vindicated the figure of the patriot Morarán and ended his speech with a resounding: “Homeland, socialism or death”.
Alfredo Jalife, journalist and columnist for the Mexican daily La Jornada, gave a brilliant exposition: “I tell you that there is not going to be a nuclear war, simply because the United States will lose it. He then described Israel as an “apartheid, super-racist and pariah country. He went on to say that “progressive minds are not addressing the danger of the Netanyahu, Trump and Bolsonaro axis.
Also speaking were Atilio Borón, who presented the book “Desde abajo, desde arriba”, by Katu Arkonada and Paula Klachko, the Venezuelan Roy Daza, the Russian Daniel Sturlin and his compatriot, from the PC, Olga Kodhunova, the ex-foreign minister of Bolivia, Fernando Huanacuni.
Néstor Kohan, from Argentina, made a well-documented intervention to remember the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Communist International. He recalled that Lenin’s central idea on the colonial problem was that all peoples who want to become independent should have the right to self-determination.
Source: Resumen Latinoamericano, translation, North America bureau