The quoted material is from Comuna Antilla’s declaration, which is attached at the end of this article.

On February 21st, 2019, a group of students and workers released a statement declaring a new Marxist-Leninist organization in Puerto Rico called Comuna Antilla. The new organization is the product of two years of participation in the International Camp of Anti-Fascist and Anti-Imperialist Youth, and is a new development out of the October Brigade group, a “community recovery” initiative that sought to rebuild neighborhoods and lives in the wake of Hurricane Maria. After these struggles, and accumulating “experience and learning” at home and abroad, the group now seeks to elevate their organization and fight for a revolutionary Marxist-Leninist future for Puerto Rico.

Comuna Antilla established in their declaration a dedication to “dialectical and historical materialist analysis,” and, using the Bolshevik method as their “guide,” envision a free Puerto Rico with a communally beneficial planned economy. Comuna Antilla, for these reasons, declared their intention to refuse to collaborate with “colonial judicial entities,” and will not participate in “cosmetic” colonial elections.

The group also underlined their steadfast support and place within the struggles against racism, patriarchy, and colonialism, and for the rights of the disabled, the LGBTQ+ community, women, people of color, and oppressed peoples around the world. In their words, the Puerto Rican experience in recent years demands a “revolutionary organization” that can “take the prosperity that has been denied us.” In the face of American colonialist violence, the Comuna Antilla has declared itself for the purposes of, “closing ranks in the face of our shortcomings and needs,” for “all the working classes of Puerto Rico.”

The American Party of Labor sends its solidarity and best wishes to Comuna Antilla in our shared battle against American imperialism, colonialism, and austerity, and hope the long-standing solidarity between the Puerto Rican and American Communist movements continues towards a revolutionary, collective solution to the problem of American colonialism.

Respect the right of nations to self-determination!
Down with American colonialism in Puerto Rico!
Money for Education, Infrastructure, and Workers, Not Corporations!

Declaration of the Comuna Antilla: (Translated by Red Phoenix Staff)

TO OUR COMRADES:

This serves as a way of presenting the Marxist-Leninist organization, Comuna Antilla. During the last two years a group of university students, workers, and the unemployed have been working on the creation of a political organization with revolutionary principles and positions that serves as an organizing option.

During this two-year period we have focused on learning from revolutionary international models. The participation of this group in the XIV and XV International Camp of Anti-Fascist and Anti-Imperialist Youth has been crucial to this task. From these organizational efforts came some of our goals, and during this period the October Brigade was created, an effort focused on community recovery after Hurricane Maria. We thank the collaborators who helped make all these exchanges and efforts possible. So today during this long period of the accumulation of experiences and learning we bring to light the foundation of our organization.

Comuna Antilla is a communist organization, which integrates dialectical and historical materialist analysis for the understanding of capitalist society and its destruction. We accept at this moment the teachings of the Bolshevik Party for its great deeds and also its errors, as a guide for our own actions. We believe that Puerto Rico should be a space led by its popular, working class, in a participative way (participation based on the understanding of the world and our role in it as political entities). For this we believe that Puerto Rico should be independent and enjoy a planned economy in favor of the people.  For this reason, we do not collaborate with colonial judicial entities nor do we participate in colonial elections because of their cosmetic role, disinformation, and appeasement of the working and marginalized Puerto Rican classes. We fight for the cessation of political persecution in all parts of the planet and we aspire to internationalize the workers’ struggle for world change.

We humbly present ourselves, expecting only the strengthening of the bonds that lead to victory over the common enemy: colony, capitalism, racism, and patriarchy. It is time to close ranks in the face of our shortcomings and needs. For the working classes of Puerto Rico and the world we call for revolutionary organization. It is time to organize for justice and build a Puerto Rico that is led by its working class. It’s time to take power, it’s time to revolutionize and start thinking collectively. It’s time to take the prosperity that has been denied us.

ONWARDS TO REVOLUTION!

(Our projects: Community Art Workshop (TAC), Jose Rafael “Fefel” Varona Training School)

A NUESTRXS CAMARADAS:

Sirva este como modo de presentación de la organización marxista-leninista, Comuna Antilla. Durante los últimos dos años un grupo de universitarixs, trabajadorxs, y desempleadxs ha estado trabajando en la creación de una organización política con principios y posturas revolucionarias que sirva como opción organizativa.

Durante este periodo de dos años nos hemos enfocado en aprender de modelos revolucionarios internacionales. La participación de este grupo en el XIV y XV Campamento Internacional de las Juventudes Anti-Fascistas y Anti-Imperialistas ha sido crucial para este cometido. De estos esfuerzos organizativos surgieron algunos de nuestros objetivos y durante este periodo se creó, la Brigada Octubre, esfuerzo enfocado en la recuperación comunitaria después del huracán Maria. Agradecemos a lxs colaboradores que ayudaron a que los todos estos intercambios y esfuerzos fueran posibles. Así hoy durante este largo periodo de acumulación de experiencias y aprendizaje sacamos a la luz la fundación de nuestra organización.

Comuna Antilla es una organización comunista, que integra el análisis materialista dialéctico e histórico para el entendimiento de la sociedad capitalista y su destrucción. Acogemos al momento las enseñanzas del Partido Bolchevique por sus grandes hazañas y también sus errores, como una guía para nuestro propio accionar. Creemos en que Puerto Rico debe ser un espacio liderado por su clase popular, obrera, de manera participativa (participación basada sobre el entendimiento del mundo y  nuestro rol en él como entes políticos). Para ello creemos que Puerto Rico debe ser independiente y gozar de una economía planificada en favor del pueblo. Por esto, no colaboramos con entes judiciales coloniales ni participamos en las elecciones coloniales por su rol estético, de desinformación y apaciguamiento de las clases boricuas trabajadoras y marginadas. Luchamos por el cese de la persecución política levantado en cualquier parte del planeta y aspiramos a la internacionalización de la lucha obrera para el cambio mundial.

Nos presentamos en humildad con la única expectativa de estrechar lazos que nos llevan a la victoria frente al enemigo común: la colonia, el capitalismo, el racismo, y el patriarcado. Es hora de cerrar fila ante nuestras carencias y necesidades. Por las clases obreras de Puerto Rico y el mundo hacemos un llamado a la organización revolucionaria. Es hora de organizar la justicia y construir un Puerto Rico que lo dirija su clase trabajadora. Es hora de tomar el poder, es hora de revolucionarnos  y comenzar a pensar en colectivo. Es hora de tomar el bienestar que se nos ha negado.

A LA REVOLUCIÓN!

(Nuestros Proyectos: Taller de Arte Comunitario (TAC), Escuela de Formacion Jose Rafael “Fefel” Varona)

Categories: International, Puerto Rico