I
The international economic crisis of 2007 is giving way to a recovery of the economies of the great powers, particularly the U.S. However, its lashes are still being felt: the unemployment of millions of workers in all countries; the cuts to the budgets for education, health care and social security, the reduction in pensions and the increase in the retirement age; the attacks on trade union and social rights, labour flexibility, outsourcing; the growth in the public debt in the great majority of countries. All of this confirms that the international monopolies, world banking, the imperialist powers, the ruling classes of all the countries have placed the burden of the crisis on the workers and peoples.
The slowdown of the economies of China, India, Turkey and other economies of the so-called emerging countries, the recession in various countries of the European Union, the enormous growth in public debt, the uncontrollable development of the arms race, the political and military conflicts unleashed by the imperialist countries are leading to the advent of a new economic crisis.
The latest events in Greece clearly show the greed and brazenness of the imperialist countries of the European Union, which are forcing new restrictive measures on the economy and on the rights of the workers, new debts to pay off old debts. In this way, they ensure the super-profits of the banks and proclaim, in an arrogant and shameless manner, the rule of capital and the subordination of the dependent countries. The struggles of the working class, youth and people of Greece, despite their great size and persistence, have so far failed to stop the looting of the imperialists and even less the satisfaction of their great needs and desires due to the lack of a correct revolutionary leadership. The election of a government that put itself forward as defender of the interests of the workers and people and of national sovereignty, the referendum declared non-submission to the designs of the Troika, were not enough to achieve a solution to the crisis for the benefit of the masses. This shows once again that the path of reforms, despite the intentions and determination of the masses to fight, does not even lead to overcoming the crisis, that only the workers will be able to achieve their own liberation, that for that the existence and strengthening of the revolutionary party of the proletariat is essential.
In Latin America the boom years that began in 2003-2004 came to an end; the resources coming from the high prices of raw materials, oil and minerals that marked an economic growth in all the countries did not benefit the working masses or the development of the national economy. They were used to promote a process of modernization of capitalism, to strengthen dependency, to confirm capitalist domination and exploitation. Corruption made a killing under these circumstances, becoming the general form of public administration. Much of these resources went to lavish spending.
The huge growth of the public debt, the appreciation of the dollar, the devaluation of the currencies, the declining prices of oil and other natural resources, of raw materials and agricultural products are causing a marked slowdown of the GDP and declining social investments. In Brazil and Argentina the crisis returned and struck the working masses, causing unemployment, the increase in the cost of living and preventing the youth from finding employment.
All the countries of Latin American are threatened by the outbreak of an economic crisis that will strike the working masses and the peoples, but it will lead to new levels of resistance of the working class.
Latin America is now the scene of intense inter-imperialist contention; while the U.S. is seeking to maintain its domination and hegemony over the region, the imperialist countries of the European Union and other imperialist powers such as China and Russia are increasing their loans and investments; they are establishing companies and banks and signing multilateral agreements with various governments.
We note in this context that the large Chinese investments and the debts to that country are increasing in Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Peru and Ecuador, as well as the actions and measures that are promoted by the OECD, BRICS and NATO, which are greatly complicating the economic and political scenario of the region.
III
In Latin America these days, the economic, social and political events are presenting a complex picture of the broad deepening of the social contradictions.
From the Rio Grande to Patagonia the working classes, indigenous peoples and youth are showing their dissatisfaction in protests and actions against capital and imperialism, in opposition to the cuts in social and union rights, to the criminalization of the social struggle and repression. Large demonstrations and strikes are taking place, in all the countries, showing the determination of the working masses to organize their struggles in broad unitary processes and to orient them in the process of liberation.
The class struggle is also taking place within the imperialist countries, in the U.S. and Canada; the workers, the Afro-Americans and immigrants are fighting for their civil and social rights; they are confronting the anti-popular and xenophobic policies of the Obama administration.
The response to the capitalist crisis, to the failure and inability that imperialism and the governments of Latin America are repeatedly showing, continue to mark the acute political confrontation that is taking place in our countries today. The policies implemented today by the governments in Latin America, following the dictates of U.S. imperialism and institutions such as the IMF and World Bank, are unbearable for the working class, the working people in general and the peoples.
The discontent is growing and the actions of struggle are becoming widespread, rejecting the heavy burden of growing unemployment, outsourcing and informality of labour, the high taxes, foreign debt, the large fiscal deficit and the continual lack of social and political rights of the working masses.
In this perspective the rise in the social struggle taking place today in different forms, in strikes, protests and demonstrations are continuing to develop in response to the deepening of the dependence of our countries on imperialism, to capitalist domination and exploitation, to the growth of poverty and social inequality, as well as to the cuts in social rights and public liberties.
IV
Events are showing that the openly right-wing governments, such as those of Mexico, Colombia and Peru, and the so-called alternative governments or governments of “21st century socialism” are interested in preserving private ownership of the means of production, the power of the monopolies, as well as the defence of the current anti-democratic political systems that promote dependence, strengthen social inequalities and restrict the political rights of the workers and peoples.
The failure of the so-called progressive or alternative governments, which have today become administrators of the crisis, supporters and representatives of rising bourgeois sectors and of international monopolies and the various imperialist countries, shows clearly that the liberation of the workers and genuine independence cannot come from a section of the ruling classes, it will not be the result of “new” theories and proposals put forward by the renegades from socialism; on the contrary it shows that the liberation of the workers and peoples will be the task of the workers and peoples themselves and the inescapable responsibility of our revolutionary parties of the proletariat that continue to uphold Marxism-Leninism.
V
Important actions are taking place in our countries that demand that we express and give our most decisive support.
In Mexico, the momentum for the General Political Strike and the consolidation of the United Front to develop the struggle of the working class and peoples of Mexico against the pro-imperialist policy of Enrique Peña Nieto and for a Revolutionary Provisional Government that would make possible the call for a Constituent National Assembly and with it a New Political Constitution are being undertaken by important social sectors in the city and the countryside.
In Peru the actions being carried out against the government of Ollanta Humala, which insists on criminalizing the popular struggle by repressing and limiting to the greatest degree the rights of organization of the working class, peasants and students, are seen in the rise of the mass struggle. We support the actions against imperialist plunder, mining concessions and super-exploitation of the workers in town and country, the building of the Popular Front proposed by the proletarian revolutionaries as a response to the voracious sell-out of the natural resources and sovereignty, to the growth of fascism and the deterioration of the living conditions of the Peruvian people.
In Uruguay, there is an important revival of the popular movement in response to the anti-popular measures taken by the third government of the Broad Front, headed by Tabare Vazquez. The implementation of wage guidelines that aim at reducing real wages, the refusal to fulfil the historical demands of 6% of the GDP for public education, the policy of impunity for crimes against humanity committed during the fascist dictatorship, the coming to light of negotiations to join the TISA (Trade In Services Agreement), jeopardizing the sovereignty over public services, and the proposed reforms in education and health care that primarily favour private companies are some of the policies faced by the people in the streets and that deserve our support.
In the Dominican Republic the left and democratic and progressive sectors, immersed in the social struggle for trade union and political rights, are preparing a political campaign in which they seek to strengthen unity in a convergence plan that will be put forward as a political alternative to the re-election of the neoliberal government of Danilo Medina.
In Ecuador the dissent and cries against Correa are growing, the popular movement is coming together in a broad social and political front and is taking the leading role in the struggle against the authoritarianism and arrogance of the Correa government, at the same time as it demarcates itself from the bourgeois opposition that seeks to take office as a post- Correa alternative. The development of the social struggle is becoming widespread; in the next few days it will be taking the form of a big national protest to reject the anti-popular policies of the government and to set the independent road of the people for their rights and the conquest of a new tomorrow.
The attacks on workers’ rights are also taking place in Brazil, due to the policy of alliances with big capital and the monopolies. Dilma Rousseff’s government is promoting a gigantic fiscal adjustment and its results are the elimination of the historic rights of the workers and the cuts in investment in social areas. Taking advantage of the decline in popularity of the government, an opposition represented by the extreme right is trying to gain strength and to present itself as something new, but the truth is that it represents an even more aggressive plan to eliminate workers’ rights that was implemented in the 1990s in that country; it is also involved in cases of corruption. Faced with this situation, the consistent and revolutionary left is growing and seeking alliances with other popular sectors, in order to accumulate forces by means of the creation of a large popular front that would enable the workers and people to confront the big bourgeoisie and the large landowners and to seize political power in the country.
We reject outright the interventionist policy of U.S. imperialism in collusion with the Venezuelan oligarchy and right-wing to destabilize the government of Maduro and to take advantage of the economic crisis to their benefit in order to return to the past. The imperialist interference is stirring up the territorial disputes with Guyana and Colombia in order to encircle Venezuela and put reaction into power.
We call upon the revolutionaries and democrats of Venezuela, Colombia and Guyana to not allow themselves to be manipulated, to join forces to fight against the exploiters in each country, following the path of unity of the peoples in struggle against the common enemy of all humanity.
It is clear that there is currently a broad and acute scenario of social and political confrontation, in which we support the initiatives for popular unity as a basis for carrying forward the struggle for the deepening of democratic reforms, the defeat of reaction and reformism in order to advance along the path of the revolution and socialism as the only option to overcome the difficulties created by the imperialist offensive, bourgeois sabotage and social-democratic conceptions.
In Colombia we support the struggle of the people and workers for peace with social justice; we reject the peace that means the elimination of the opposition, the Pax Romana promoted by the government of Juan Manuel Santos and in general any policy that seeks the surrender of the popular movement. We join with the popular outcry that demands a real democratic opening and together with it democratic reforms that would close the gates to the growth of fascism, neo-liberalism and the handing over of the country to the large investors and foreign monopolies. We unite with the proposal for national dialogue without conditions and with full guarantees in which the political parties, guerrilla organizations, social and community organizations and in general all Colombians can discuss the real causes, dimensions and alternative solutions to the economic, social, political and armed conflict that the country has been experiencing for several decades. We support the proposal for a Constituent National Assembly of a democratic and popular character, as well as the struggle that the Colombian workers and people are developing in general for the achievement of a democratic and popular government.
In the U.S., the working class is struggling to improve its living conditions and trade union rights, including the right to organize and strike, in opposition to the privatization of the post office, education, health care and cuts to social spending. We emphasize the fights against the brutality and repression that particularly affect Afro-American and Latino youth and other poor people. The workers and peoples of the U.S. are carrying out important mobilizations against the imperialist war and its effects.
VI
Our parties and organizations, in reaffirming their commitment to the revolutionary principles of Marxism-Leninism, proclaim their conviction to continue the fight to organize and make the revolution, for the implementation of people’s power and socialist construction.
We join with the different struggles that are taking place on the continent; we express our embrace of solidarity to all organizations
committed to change, calling on them to strengthen the bonds of unity in order to advance in the formation of a broad front of struggle against imperialism and reaction in our countries and on an international scale.
Long Live the Struggle of the Working Class and Our Peoples!! Long Live, Long Live, Long Live!!
Revolutionary Communist Party – BrazilQuito, July 2015
* The RCP of Bolivia immediately joined in the approval of the Declaration
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