Communists’ declaration to workers and peoples
In August 1994, the founding members of the International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organisations in Quito, Ecuador, signed the following communist declaration to the workers and peoples of the world.
As long as the exploitation of man by man continues and capitalism destroys human existence in the world, there will be struggle.
As long as the imperialists and the bourgeoisie oppress the weak nations and defenceless peoples, there will be struggle.
As long as workers and the peoples of the world yearn to transform today’s society, to change it in their own interests, and are prepared to win or die for this cause, the struggle will continue.
“The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.” (Communist Manifesto)
Contrary to the conciliatory preachings of capitalists who claim that workers and owners of the means of production have the same interests, we reaffirm the Marxist thesis that class struggle is the driving force of history in class societies.
The class struggle will not end until the fundamental goal of workers and peoples is achieved: building socialism and communism on the ruins of capitalism.
Over the past decades, the communist and workers’ movement has suffered heavy blows. The process of capitalist restoration that spread after the 20th Congress of the CPSU and led to the events in Eastern Europe and the former USSR and the betrayal in Albania is part of the actions of imperialism and reactionary, revisionist, pro-capitalist forces.
Historical limitations, inexperience, shortcomings in the development of theory, underestimation of the contradictions inherent in socialist society, bureaucracy, and the detachment of communist parties from workers and the people prevented communists, workers, and the people from defending their gains and halting capitalist restoration. We were also unable to prevent the rise of a new bourgeois class that seized power under a ‘socialist’ mask and destroyed socialism.
After the final general attack by imperialism and capitalism, which attempted to wipe Marxism-Leninism, scientific socialism, communism, the proletarian revolution and anti-imperialism from the face of the earth, we are rising up again in every corner of the world.
Communists are reborn in every workers’ strike, every popular movement, every struggle for freedom and democracy by the working class and peoples, every youth uprising and guerrilla group.
We continue to move forward by reorganising, uniting, and learning from the past.
We will not give up striving until we fulfil our historical duty.
We are millions of people in struggle. We workers continue to be the fundamental producers of all wealth everywhere and under different conditions of development of the means of production.
As long as others continue to live off our sweat and we fail to transform this society into a more advanced one, nothing will fundamentally change.
What kind of innovation, what kind of scientific and technical revolution could take our place as the fundamental axis of contemporary society? No scientific or technical development or invention can change the fundamental nature of the proletariat, nor can it change the fact that the means of production remain in capitalist hands.
The wealth produced as a result of our labour has formed and continues to form the material basis of all scientific-technical developments. As long as private ownership of the means of production persists, class struggle cannot be eliminated.
However, we must take these scientific-technical developments into account and learn how to control and use them for the benefit of the people and the revolution.
“The proletarian movement is the self-conscious, independent movement of the immense majority, in the interest of the immense majority.”
“They have nothing of their own to secure and to fortify; their mission is to destroy all previous securities for, and insurances of, individual property.” (Communist Manifesto)
No social class or stratum other than the working class can achieve these goals. This is the task of the proletariat, which is the most revolutionary class, capable of uniting and leading other exploited classes and strata in the struggle against capital.
We are actively involved in the era we live in. We, as the working class and the peoples, have never for a moment stopped fighting for our goals.
There has been no fundamental change in Lenin’s characterisation of this epoch. It continues to be the era of imperialism and proletarian revolutions.
All the events since the October Revolution of 1917, the Second World War and the defeat of fascism, the liberation of colonial peoples, the revolutions in China, Vietnam and elsewhere, developments in the construction of socialism, the latest imperialist attacks and the struggles waged by peoples today, confirm the Leninist theses on the era in which we live. The fundamental contradictions of the era persist in the same manner.
Imperialism and the bourgeoisie viciously attack Marxism-Leninism, claiming it is invalid. We ask the following question: If this theory is invalid, why is it being attacked so relentlessly? The answer is simple: Because they know very well that this theory is current and alive. Marxism-Leninism is based on constantly developing scientific knowledge, the advancement of social experience, and progressive thought. It is a theory with a revolutionary character that represents the historical interests of the proletariat and all humanity.
It develops dialectically, breaks down barriers, and creates the new.
We Marxist-Leninists are aware of our weakness in understanding, applying and developing it. This is a problem related to our own limitations, which we will overcome.
Historical experience has demonstrated the vitality of Marxism-Leninism. If there are outdated theories and ideologies belonging to the past, these are bourgeois ideologies and theories. Marxism-Leninism is a theory for the present and the future.
“Does it require deep intuition to comprehend that man’s ideas, views, and conception, 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 the ideas that revolutionise society, they do but express that fact that within the old society the elements of a new one have been created, and that the dissolution of the old ideas keeps even pace with the dissolution of the old conditions of existence.” (Communist Manifesto)
Revisionists and opportunists of all hues have distorted these statements from the Communist Manifesto to suit their own class interests and reached anti-communist conclusions. They want to preserve their positions and privileges as ‘great leaders’, seize the leadership of the workers’ movement, and prevent workers from taking their destiny into their own hands. In doing so, they serve the bourgeoisie and cause great harm to the working class.
Communists, on the other hand, fight against these deviations and help the working class to rely on its own strength for progress by pushing these servants of the bourgeoisie aside.
Revisionism poses a threat to the revolutionary process, communist parties, and the construction of socialism. As revisionism and opportunism of all shades continue to be a danger, there can be no question of ceasing or relaxing the struggle against them.
Discussing these issues, taking a stance, determining what is necessary for today… Here lies the inevitable and urgent ideological struggle, both in the field of revolution and in the field of revolutionary, ideological offensive against the attacks of reaction. No communist, no vanguard revolutionary party can fear the confrontation of ideas. Let us open discussions by confronting ideas, analyses, lessons and explanations in order to reach conclusions that will enable our progress. ‘Facts are stubborn things,’ Lenin said. and it is precisely that which requires us to be Leninist.
We created our parties amid the clamour of our blows against revisionism and opportunism. The ideological degeneration and political betrayal of the revisionists and opportunists bear the main responsibility for the damage done to the international communist and workers’ movement.
Communist parties are indispensable tools for organising the revolution in our individual countries. As a whole, we constitute the International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organisations and the real alternative for the working class and peoples. The fire of the proletarian revolution and the hope of the peoples remain in the hands of the communists.
“The Communists 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 that movement.” (Communist Manifesto)
We believe that the masses of the people have always been and must always be the main protagonists of history. However, when communist parties lost their revolutionary vanguard character in the service of the working class and the people, becoming bureaucratised and ideologically degenerate, the masses abandoned them. Communists, workers and the people must not sever the thousands of ties that bind them together.
We communists fight alongside the working class and the peoples for their interests; with them we must and can seize power, establish people’s democracy form of proletarian dictatorship and the socialist state, build socialism, and march forward.
Imperialism has always been and continues to be the source of attacks and wars of plunder. In recent years, countries such as Iraq, Somalia, Panama, Yemen, Rwanda, the former Yugoslavia, the former USSR, Haiti, etc. have been the scene of aggressive, racist and reactionary wars. We condemn the true character of these wars. Organising and supporting popular movements against these imperialist war policies is an urgent necessity. We, the workers, peoples and communists, must be at the forefront of these struggles.
Revolution requires the unity and action of the working class and the people. We communists must create this unity. Thought and practice are intertwined. Alliances are necessary. To achieve this, we must first and foremost rely on our own strength, unite with other forces, and implement unity as a policy with revolutionary goals. Only then can we form alliances that will not cause us to compromise our principles. Such alliances and unities will never lead us to forget the reality that the class struggle is based on force.
We are fighting for revolution and defending the revolutionary violence of the peoples in seizing power. This also requires us to learn how to use all forms of struggle.
We reiterate our determination to hold high the banner of Marxism-Leninism, to fight for its implementation, and to transform our parties and organisations into political, social and organisational alternatives at the national and international levels. Our parties and organisations reaffirm the commitment to fight alongside the working class and the peoples, together with democrats, patriots and progressives, to fight against capitalist and imperialist domination, for the proletarian revolution and for the independence and sovereignty of the peoples.
We keep alive the spirit of the Paris Commune, the October Revolution, and all revolutionary processes, as well as the experiences based on the principles developed by Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin.
“The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes 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 struggle continues. We communists, workers and peoples, facing the anticipated new waves of revolutionary struggle, must take our place at the forefront.
Let us put Marx and Engels’ historic slogans into action:
Workers of All Countries, Unite!
August 1994, Quito-Ecuador
The following parties and organisations signed the declaration:
Communist Party of Albania
Communist Party of Benin
The Communist Party of Chile (Proletarian Action)
The Communist Party of Columbia (M-L)
The Communist Party of Labour of the Dominican Republic
The Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Ecuador
The Communist Party of the Workers of France (PCOF)
The Communist Party of Germany (KPD)
Party of Labour of Iran (Toufan)
The Organisation for the Construction of the Party of the Italian Proletariat
Revolutionary Communist Party of the Ivory Coast (PCR-CI)
The Communist Party of Mexico (Marxist-Leninist)
New Zealand Marxist-Leninist Collective
The Communist Organisation ‘October’ of Spain
The Revolutionary Communist Party of Turkey (TDKP)
The Bandera Roja Party of Venezuela
The Revolutionary Communist Party of Volta