The 12th International Seminar Problems of the Revolution in Latin America, held from July 14 to 18 in Quito, Ecuador, finished its work by approving the declaration below. On this occasion the Seminar took up the theme: ‘The current debate about socialism’.
Only the revolution and socialism can assure national independence, freedom, well-being and progress for the peoples
Encouraged by the victories and political progress made by the workers and peoples of the continent, various parties, organisations and movements of the revolutionary left in Latin America and Europe have met in Quito, Ecuador, to move forward with the debate on socialism. Until a few years ago, this analysis would have been considered just a theoretical exercise; today it is a theoretical-political problem that demands an urgent solution.
A great upsurge of struggles of the worker and popular masses, of the youth, of women, of the original peoples, of the peasants is affecting Latin America. This powerful increase has overturned pro-imperialist and oligarchic governments in several of our countries by means of popular uprisings that, in some cases, have reached insurrectional proportions; they have frustrated reactionary attacks such as the coup in Venezuela; they have created large mass movements that practice forms of direct democracy in assemblies and developed multi-sectoral organisations.
As a result of the struggles of the workers and peoples against neo-liberalism, models of neo-development and imperialist domination, of various forms of exploitation and social and national discrimination; as a result of the political victories won by the peoples in processes of various kinds, a change in the relationship of political and social forces has taken place in Latin America. The local oligarchic and monopoly sectors most strongly and openly tied to imperialism, particularly U.S. imperialism, have lost positions on the political table; on the other hand, a current of democratic, progressive and left-wing thought and organizations has gained strength and, even in countries such as Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador, have led the governments to be exponents of those positions.
The desire for change that for years dwelt in the minds of our peoples is today raised to the level of the aspiration for socialism. Broad sections of the workers of the city and countryside, of the youth, of intellectuals, of environmentalists… are interested in discussing the nature and the certain possibility of the triumph of socialism, to the point that bourgeois, petty bourgeois and other factions that falsify and distort socialism are trying to manipulate this tendency, to channel it into positions that continue serving the capitalist system.
Socialism is a stage that is qualitatively different from and superior to capitalism; it cannot develop from within the present ruling system; in order to build it the seizure of power by the workers, the revolutionary destruction of the old State of the ruling classes is necessary in order to put an end to foreign dependence and wage slavery. Its construction demands the radical transformation of the economic base, the substitution of capitalist forms of ownership and relations of production by a state of social ownership: only in this way will the workers be freed and work will not only be a means of life but its first vital necessity.
Characteristic of this society is the full and great democracy for the labouring classes and the adoption of coercive measures against the minority that tries to restore the old system; the direct participation of the masses in the definition of all matters related to the development of society. In this society the people decide what is produced, how it is produced and how the product is distributed. The freedom guaranteed to the broad masses assumes the establishment of mechanisms that guarantee the material and political conquests of the peoples and prevent the action of the old minority exploiting classes from subverting the new order and recovering what they lost.
The confrontation with the local ruling classes and with imperialism takes place in all spheres and we must prepare ourselves to confront them and defeat them in all these spheres. It is not possible to achieve victory in these battles if the workers and peoples do not develop and strengthen their independent political organisation, if they lack a theoretical-political conception of a scientific and revolutionary character.
The victory of the revolution will be the result of the combination, of the skillful and creative application of all forms of struggle, taking the concrete conditions and circumstances into consideration. But it is clear, and historic experience shows this, that only by means of the use of the organised violence of the peoples is it possible to expel the oligarchic groups from power and to defeat the reactionary violence exercised by their state apparatus.
It is clear that the present political and social conditions that the region is undergoing are favourable for the action and work of the revolutionary organisations; but that does not mean that things will be easier. We must contend with the forces and positions of the reformists and supporters of the system for the leadership of the masses and raise them to revolutionary positions; to clarify for them that, for socialism to be revolutionary, it must be built on conceptions of a scientific character. It is a revolutionary task to block the road to those who raise false socialist flags.
To defeat imperialism and the ruling classes demands the unity of the revolutionary, democratic and anti-imperialist forces, which should be manifested in the local and international arenas and actions. Particularly today, we the forces of the revolutionary left have the responsibility to place ourselves at the front of the struggle of the workers and peoples, and to make efforts to gain positions inside the tendency for change existing among the peoples of the region, so that they can fulfill the revolutionary tasks.
We know that the movement of the workers is international, but at the same time we understand that our contribution to this process must be exercised by leading the revolution and socialism to victory in each of our countries.
We extend our solidarity to all the peoples who are struggling for their liberation, especially to Bolivia that is under immediate threat of territorial dismemberment pushed by U.S. imperialism and the local oligarchy, which is arming its fascist gangs to achieve their purposes.
We, the revolutionary organisations taking part in this 12th International Seminar Problems of the Revolution in Latin America reiterate our commitment to continue our struggle for the victory of the revolution and socialism. We know how to carry responsibly the challenges that history has imposed on us.
July 18, 2008
Revolutionary Communist Party of Argentina
Revolutionary Marxist-Leninist Party of Argentina
Revolutionary Communist Party (Brazil)
Nucleus of Revolutionary Communists (Brazil)
Communist Party of Colombia (Marxist-Leninist)
Communist Party of Labour (Dominican Republic)
Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany
New Nation Alternative (Guatemala)
Movement of Raising the Consciousness of the Youth of Haiti
Regroupment of High School and University Youth of Haiti
Communist Party of Mexico (Marxist-Leninist)
Proletarian Party of Peru
Movement of Women Ana Soto (Venezuela)
Fatherland for All Party (Venezuela)
Gayones Organization (Venezuela)
Assembly of Socialists (Venezuela)
Revolutionary Socialist University Front (Venezuela)
Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Ecuador
Revolutionary Youth of Ecuador
Democratic Popular Movement (Ecuador)
Ecuadorian Federation of Women for Change
Vanguard of the Teachers
Revolutionary Front of the University Left
General Union of Workers of Ecuador
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