Published by Arbeit Zukunft of the Organization for the Construction of a Communist Workers’ Party in Germany, Oct. 22, 2024. Translated for the Red Phoenix by Maryland correspondent Artyom S.–

30th Anniversary of the International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations

30 years ago, in August, 1994, fifteen Marxist-Leninist parties and organizations met in Quito, Ecuador, to found the International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations after intensive preparations. This took place at a time of great political and ideological pressure and sharp attacks on Marxism-Leninism and the achievements of the workers’ movement.

After a long period of betrayal and decline, the revisionist states of Eastern Europe had also thrown off the last “socialist” fig leaves and openly professed capitalism. The previous system of domination collapsed. The responsibility was put in the shoes of socialism, Marxism-Leninism, although these countries had long ago thrown all the principles of Marxism-Leninism overboard, carried out market economic reforms and installed a new exploiting class. Because this formally took place in “socialist countries,” the collapse led to an enormous ideological and political disorientation. The ruling classes took advantage of the situation to present capitalism as the only perspective and to attack communism as a “wrong way.” When, in 1990, socialist Albania, which as a small country alone had fought against revisionism for a long time and continued the construction of socialism, also collapsed under enormous political and economic pressure, the work of destroying capitalism seemed to have been accomplished. In 1989, the American political scientist Francis Fukuyama proclaimed the “end of history.” Contrary to reality, capitalism was highly praised as the only possibility for a humane, just and social society.

The enormous ideological and political pressure, the confusion and the final defeat of the first attempt at socialism also had an influence on the Marxist-Leninist parties and organizations worldwide. True, for decades they had exposed the betrayal of the Revisionists in the USSR, China, the GDR and other countries, scientifically analyzed it and defended Marxism-Leninism. But the massive attacks on everything progressive and the temporary triumph of capitalism also led to resignation and opportunism among some of them. Individual parties disappeared in the course of this process without singing or sound. Others united with revisionist, Social-democratic, and Trotskyist organizations. But the vast majority of Marxist-Leninist parties and organizations fought against these phenomena and defended Marxism-Leninism.

Facing these circumstances, the 15 parties and organizations came together in August 1994 in Quito.

The Quito Declaration states that:

“In recent years, the communist and workers’ movement has suffered some major setbacks. The process of the restoration of capitalism since the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, which paved the way for developments such as in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, Albania, etc. the historical boundaries, inexperience, lack of theoretical development, underestimation of the internal contradictions of socialist society, bureaucratization and isolation of the Communist party from the workers and masses bear the traces of the actions of imperialism, reactionary forces, revisionists and pro-capitalists – all these are causes that contributed to the fact that the communists, the working classes and the peoples were unable to defend their achievements and prevent the restoration of capitalism. Moreover, we could not prevent the rebirth of a bourgeois class that pretended to be ‘socialist,’ seized power and destroyed socialism.

After the recent attack of imperialism and capitalism (which claims to have finally eliminated Marxism-Leninism, scientific socialism, communism, proletarian revolution and anti-imperialism), we are once again established on all continents.“

The goal was clear: to build a Marxist-Leninist movement organized worldwide, to defend the revolutionary workers’ movement. The struggle for revolution and socialism should be continued. The parties and organizations wanted to work together, support each other in solidarity and move forward together.

The first goal, a stabilization of the movement, was quickly achieved by the parties and organizations united in the ICMLPO. Even if individual parties and organizations still got into difficulties, the ICMLPO gave everyone orientation and a clear course. But that was only the first step.

In the following period, the ICMLPO expanded its influence. One of the means was the semi-annual international magazine “Unity & Struggle.” It serves the ideological confrontation and orientation as well as the common struggle. New members were recruited and friendly contacts were established with anti-imperialist, progressive movements.

Just like the League of Communists established by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, the ICMLPO has the following goal:

“The purpose of the league is the overthrow of the bourgeoisie, the rule of the proletariat, the abolition of the old bourgeois society based on class antagonisms and the foundation of a new society without classes and without private property.”

(Statutes of the League of Communists)

The ICMLPO is working on the realization of this goal in many ways. At the biennial anti-fascist and anti-imperialist youth camps organized in various continents, thousands of young people were introduced to the struggle against fascism, imperialism and war. At the youth camps there were countless cultural, sports and educational offers that promoted the initiative of the youth. In Latin America and the Caribbean, women’s meetings were organized to promote a proletarian women’s movement. There were meetings for trade union activists in Europe. In Latin America there are annual meetings that are open to all anti-imperialist and revolutionary organizations and parties. In Europe, the Marxist-Leninist parties and organizations coordinate and consolidate the cooperation of youth organizations. With various resolutions, the ICMLPO has provided orientation and a perspective for our work. It has thus made an invaluable contribution to the consolidation of the revolutionary forces in the world, to the strengthening of their influence and to the development of the anti-imperialist and workers’ movement. But it will not be stopped there.

New tasks

As the contradictions escalate between the imperialist camps around the USA, NATO, the EU and Germany on the one hand, and China and Russia on the other, exploitation, environmental destruction and the danger of war are growing. For many countries, war is already real. It is often waged through proxies. In Gaza and Lebanon, tens of thousands were murdered by the Zionist state of Israel. With the war in Ukraine, the struggle of the imperialist camps is once again moving dangerously close to Europe and Germany. With the increasing danger of an open war between the major powers, the ideological and political pressure on the workers’ movement and all progressive forces to submit to the logic of war, the alleged fight for “freedom” or the “fatherland” is also growing. Many “progressive” forces have lost their bearings. Some have switched to the positions of Russia and China and defend them as fighters against US imperialism and praise their “multipolar world order.” Others have gone over to the side of the US, NATO and German imperialism, calling for the arming of Ukraine and the “fight for freedom.”

At the same time, attacks on the working class and the people are increasing. They have to pay for rearmament and war — with wage theft, crisis, cuts in education, health care, pensions, etc.

Poverty is increasing rapidly around the world. Millions of people are starving. Millions are fleeing war, dictatorships and growing misery. Even in the large capitalist industrial countries, things are going backwards. The health system is deteriorating, the education system is deteriorating, housing is expensive and in short supply, and the low-wage sector is booming.

Environmental destruction is progressing. Ever worsening natural disasters are leading to tens of thousands of deaths and the destruction of the livelihoods of millions of people. Capitalism will stop at nothing for profit. But in 2023, 2.3 trillion US dollars were spent worldwide on armaments and war, on the competition between the imperialist powers.

Capitalism no longer offers any prospects, but instead resorts more to oppression, the abolition of civil democratic rights and the police state.

In this situation, the International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations is of central importance. In the fight against imperialism and war, it has maintained a clear course against the USA, NATO and the West as well as against Russia and China. It represents the interests of the working class and the peoples in their struggle for liberation. International solidarity has become a practical necessity in order to withstand the pressure of the bourgeoisie and to organize the fight against rearmament and war, against exploitation, the destruction of the environment and increasing oppression. The capitalist system is showing its total inability to offer people a positive perspective. It is all the more important that the ICMLPO shows the way of the fight against imperialism and war, against exploitation and environmental destruction and for socialism.

Categories: International, Workers Struggle

Tags: ICMLPO