International Notes: Communists face twists and turns worldwide

Chile: Communist Party holds XXVII Congress

The Communist Party of Chile opened its XXVII Congress on January 11. The Party held elections for a new Central Committee and voted on a number of resolutions.

"The Party identifies a fundamental contradiction between neoliberalism and democracy, understood as a structural conflict that subordinates popular sovereignty to the market." The Party's President Lautaro Carmona said in a speech. Adding later that the Party seeks to "promote a new type of government, aimed at transforming the economic, social, and political structures inherited from neoliberalism, towards one that prioritizes social justice, democracy, and popular sovereignty. The unity that we propose must translate into a political-social alliance, capable of uniting proposals from leftist forces, with workers' organizations and the people."

Cuba: Punishing designation removed and reinstated

With just under a week left in office, President Biden removed Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list, a list of countries that Cuba never should have been on. The designation is used by the U.S. to impose various unilateral sanctions. The lift came from a deal brokered between the Republic of Cuba and the United States by the Catholic Church and Pope Francis.

The foreign ministry released a statement :

"Despite its limited scope, this is a decision that points to the right direction and is in line with the sustained and firm demand by the government and the people of Cuba, as well as the broad, emphatic and reiterated call by numerous governments, particularly those of Latin America and the Caribbean; Cubans residing abroad; political, religious and social organizations and numerous political figures of the United States and other countries. The government of Cuba expresses its gratitude to all of them for their contribution and sensitivity.

"Cuba will continue to face and condemn that economic warfare policy, the foreign interference programs and the disinformation and discredit operations financed every year with tens of millions of dollars of the U.S. federal budget.

"It will also continue to be ready to develop a respectful relation with that country, based on dialogue and non-interference in the internal affairs of both countries, despite the differences."

However, within hours of Trump taking office, Cuba was put back on the list.

China and Vietnam: Step toward closer unity made

President Xi Jinping of China, also General Secretary of the Communist Party, called his counterpart in Vietnam, Tô Lâm, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam on Jan. 15. In the call, the two leaders agreed to continue to promote the cause of socialism and to deepen exchanges in theory and governance. The call came after a Dec. 7th joint seminar on theory held in Nanchang, China, attended by high level politburo members from both the CPC and CPV.

Despite the fact that the two neighboring countries are governed by Communist Parties, overlapping territorial claims and old Cold War alliances have been historic barriers to Communist unity. Most infamously, a brief war broke out between China and Vietnam over the fate of the Khmer Rouge-ruled Cambodia in 1979.

These developments are a welcome sign of unity amid what is sure to be an even more aggressive U.S. foreign policy under the second Trump administration.

Czech Republic: Communists revamped electoral coalition

The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia has signed a memorandum with the Czech National Social Party (ČSNS) and the Union of Democrats - Association of Independents on Jan. 15, to support the electoral coalition called "Stačilo!," which means "Enough!" The coalition, formed by the Communist Party back in 2023 to stand in European Parliament elections, now sets its eyes upon the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic for the October 2025 election. Its program is set to be revealed in March and negotiations are still ongoing for the ultimate form of the coalition, as are discussions with other parties.

Israel and Palestine: peace remains ephemeral

A ceasefire deal between Hamas and its allies on the one side and Israel on the other, brokered by Egypt and Qatar, is delayed by the Israeli cabinet. Hadash, the coalition of Israeli working class and Arab political parties, said the agreement was welcome, but insufficient. "We welcome the exchange and ceasefire agreement, despite the murderous delay that characterizes the functioning of the right-wing government in Israel. From day one, we have called for an agreement that will bring everyone home," they said.

While a ceasefire is officially in effect, the Israeli Defense Forces continue to launch attacks, and the conflict will continue until there is a political solution. A joint statement by the Communist Party of Israel and Hadash stated they will continue to struggle "towards a serious political process that will bring an end to the occupation and siege and lead to a just and comprehensive peace, based on the recognition of the right of the Palestinian Arab people to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state alongside the State of Israel.

"We see the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip as an urgent task, and call on the world to bear its responsibility in the face of the crimes of the cruel Israeli destruction machine, and to act to prevent the fascist right-wing government in Israel from returning to fighting immediately after the implementation of the exchange deal, in order to complete the execution of one of the most terrible massacres in modern history."

They further warned that the ceasefire agreement will be exploited to incite more persecution against Arab citizens in Israel or to advance plans to annex the West Bank.

"This criminal and prolonged war has proven once again that there is no military solution - peace is the solution!" they declared.

Syria: Post-Assad government brings new dangers

The fall of the Assad family-led Baathist regime in Syria, toppled by Islamist rebels last month, has put Communists and working-class forces in a dangerous position. Though divided into two parties, Syrian Communists had served in cabinet positions and held seats in the country's legislature as part of the ruling National Progressive Front coalition of legal, Ba'ath-aligned political parties.

At the start of this month, representatives from two Communist parties met in Qamishli within the framework of national unity. Both sides emphasized the national tasks entrusted to all nationalists and progressives in light of the radical change in the ruling system of the country, outlining their agreements regarding:

1. The struggle against direct foreign occupation of the homeland.
2. The struggle against conspiracies aimed at dividing the country, primarily backed by Israel and certain circles of Anglo-American colonialism.
3. Restoration of full national sovereignty and freeing the country from foreign guardianship.

The parties emphasized the importance of the struggle for democratic freedoms including the freedom of opinion, of the press, and of party work. They then had an exchange of views on their domestic political situation.

The fall of the nominally socialist Ba'ath party has meant that the public ownership of major areas of the economy is now in question as the new HTS government signals its intent to privatize the economy.

Jan. 15th saw Communist-led protests with slogans like: "No to privatization!" "Dignity is not a favor to be granted!" "Social security is a right, not a privilege!" "We demand job security and fair wages!"

The Syrian Unified Communist Party reported that workers and union members in the city of As Suwayda staged a sit-in on Jan. 15th protesting unconstitutional dismissals and termination. In the coastal city of Tartus‎, the party reports that struggles against layoffs continue.

Ahmed Khalil, head of the Tartous Workers Union said, "This government should have kept all workers, especially in light of the harsh living conditions they are going through, and gradually increased salaries, wages, and compensations, according to the improvement of the economic situation in the country. As for cases of dysfunction, they will be studied by each ministry separately after the formation of the transitional government, noting that most of the workers were victims of the previous regime, which bears responsibility for all cases of dysfunction and corruption."

The opinions of the author do not necessarily reflect the positions of the CPUSA.

Images: Members of the Communist Party of Chile at their Party's XXVII Congress by Partido Comunista de Chile (pcchile.cl); Cubans protest in front of the U.S. embassy in Havana protesting longstanding sanctions in the final weeks of the Biden administration, photo by Juventud Rebelde; Li Shulei of the CP of China and Nguyen Xuan Thang of the CP of Vietnam shake hands at their Parties' 19th theory seminar by People's Daily Online (en.people.cn); Members of the Stačilo! coalition by Czech newspaper Naše Pravda (nasepravda.cz); People in Israel protest genocidal war on Palestine, photo by Hadash (X); Sweida workers stage sit-in by Syrian Unified Communist Party (alnnour.com)

Comments

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.