Communist Parties call for solidarity with the working people of Bolivia

Communist Parties of the world shared statements that condemned the coup d’état against the elected government of Evo Morales.

ICP, 20 November 2019

In Bolivia, since the general elections of 20 October, violent riots and demonstrations have been taking place, in which officials and activists allied with Morales and his MAS political party were beaten and their houses, plus government property, were burned. Despite his electoral victory by securing more than 40% of the electorate's vote and recording a 10% margin between him and his nearest challenger, on November 10, Evo Morales announced that he was stepping down from his position to calm down the political climate in the country. Following the example of Juan Guaidó in Venezuela, the arch-conservative Jeanine Añez declared herself "transitional president" in La Paz, too. The USA and Brazil immediately recognized her, and thus also the breach of the constitution. As developments rapidly evolved into another US-backed coup d'état, Communist Parties raised their voice to condemn the imperialist intervention and to express their solidarity with the people of Bolivia.

A common statement was issued by the CP of Australia (CPA), CP of Ecuador (PCE), CP of El Salvador (PCS), CP of the Workers of Spain (PCTE), CP of Mexico (PCM), Peruan CP (PCP), CP USA, Guatemalan Party of Labour (PGT), CP of Honduras (PCH), Colombian CP (PCC), FARC-EP, CP of Turkey (TKP) and the CP of Canada (CPC).

The statement read,

"We condemn the coup d'etat promoted and financed by imperialism and the OAS.

We call on the peoples of the world to show solidarity and defend the lives of the leaders and rulers of the Plurinational State of Bolivia.

We condemn the persecution, kidnapping, and disappearance by paramilitary groups, officials and social leaders, as well as the militants and political leaders of the MAS and the PCB.

We call on the brother parties of the brother countries to carry out concrete solidarity actions to preserve the life and integrity of the brothers of the Bolivian popular movement.

We reject aggression against popular democracies.

We call a World Solidarity Day with the Republic of Bolivia and its Plurinational State.

Bolivia is not alone!"

The CP of Venezuela stated that the coup showed us that the forces of reaction had no problem breaking into the legality of the bourgeois state when it represented an obstacle to prevailing their interests. According to the Party's analysis, the imperialists intended to impose on the Bolivian people a government servile to the interests of their monopolies and useful to their plans of domination in the region. The PCV expressed its solidarity with the working people of Bolivia, President Evo Morales, the MAS and the Communist Party of Bolivia. In addition, the PCV refuted the attacks against the Embassy of Venezuela and against other diplomatic persons.

The Communist Party of Mexico condemned the coup d'etat produced in Bolivia, under the leadership of reactionary, police and military forces, taking advantage of the limits, concessions and contradictions of the Bolivian government, that is to say of progressivism. The PCM condemned the persecution unleashed against indigenous and popular organizations, against trade unions, to the working class. It expressed solidarity with the Party and the Communist Youth of Bolivia and with the popular resistance presented in the cities and fields of Bolivia, reiterating that the history is written by the workers, the peoples. The PCM noted that social democracy in Latin America, also defined as progressivism, has accepted the laws of bourgeois gambling and has turned its efforts of exploitation and looting into illusions of improvement for the working class and the popular sectors. According to the PCM's analysis, the bourgeoisie is changing course according to the economic crisis that is already being noticed and is linking the decades of progressivism in its purpose of succeeding it with another capitalist management of clear reactionary orientations. The Party criticized the claim to make profound and radical changes while preserving the bourgeois state and to go against neoliberalism without aiming against capitalism. The PCM underlined that the path of reforms can further demobilize the popular forces, facilitating the path to conservative and reactionary offensives of capitalists.

The Paraguayan CP denounced the democratic farce of the coup groups whose sole purpose is to plunder Bolivian natural resources for the benefit of their imperial partners. The PCP called on the popular organizations to resist the coup both in Bolivia and abroad, denouncing the advanced civil fascist and imperialist military and bringing its solidarity to its brothers in the working class, peasant and mining of the Bolivian sister nation, in whose hands is the support of the process opened in 2005.

The CP of Uruguay denounced the persecutions, attacks and deaths against indigenous and popular sectors that support President Evo by fascist groups that have long promoted hatred and discrimination against indigenous people, peasants and humble people related to the ruling party. The PCU reaffirmed its support for the people of Bolivia, their president Evo Morales and demanded respect for democracy and the sovereign decisions of the Bolivian people. It called for the broadest solidarity with Evo, with the people of Bolivia.

The CP of Ecuador called for rejecting the new onslaught against democracy on the continent and for demanding the guarantees due to the freedom and physical integrity of President Evo Morales and all the leaders of his government. It was pointed out that the coup is a hoax of American imperialism and its lackeys.

The CP of Chile, in a statement, remarked the Party’s rejection of the anti-democratic action in Bolivia and warned that racist, xenophobic and classist human rights violations are taking place in Bolivia. The Party called for active solidarity with the people of Bolivia, saying that democracy and survival of that nation are at risk.

The Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) strongly condemned the military coup in Bolivia, and extended its solidarity to the Bolivian people who are struggling to defend the massive gains won under the leadership of President Evo Morales in the face of this counter-revolution. Outraged at this crime against Bolivian sovereignty and democracy, the PSL's statement prescribed that U.S. imperialism is clearly the sponsor of the coup. The goal of the coup, according to the statement, is to restore the absolute authority of the Bolivian elites who rule as clients of the United States. They despise the country’s Indigenous majority and want to eviscerate the rights of the working class. The Bolivian ruling class and their military are following the dictates of the U.S. government, which has worked overtime to turn back the leftwing tide sweeping Latin America. According to the analysis of the Party, the battle in Bolivia and all of Latin America continues between the forces that want to empower the people and those that want to restore the power and wealth of the elite. The PSL pointed out that people in the United States can play an important role in this intense struggle by pressuring our imperialist government to end its war on the people in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Communist Party USA joined other communist, leftist and progressive governments and organizations around the world in denouncing the coup d’etat. Moreover, the CP USA pointed out and denounced the role of U.S. imperialism in encouraging and supporting this barbaric act. The Party demanded that people currently being “rounded up” because of their support for, or participation in, the Morales government be released immediately. The Party saluted the governments of Cuba, Venezuela and Mexico for the solidarity they are exhibiting toward the Bolivian people. The Party demanded, further, that the U.S. government cease and desist from its violent interference in the internal affairs of Bolivia and so many other countries.

The CP of Canada condemned the coup d'état against Evo Morales and the MAS government. The Party demanded an end to the targeted attacks on Morales, other MAS leaders and the CP of Bolivia. The CP of Canada asserted that the present coup was a virtual carbon copy of the attempted coup against the Maduro government in Venezuela last January. In addition, in the statement, it was demanded that the Canadian government ends its involvement in the coup d’état in Bolivia.

The CP of Greece condemned the US-backed coup in Bolivia that was organized by a section of the local oligarchy with the intervention of American imperialism in cooperation with the Organization of American States and the blatant use of the Army and the Police. The Party condemned the arrests and the persecution of the popular forces that resisted the coup, the vandalism of the Embassy of Venezuela and the anti-Cuban hysteria. It was mentioned in the statement that people have the power, through their struggles, to thwart the plans of the imperialists, the domestic oligarchy and their source – the capitalist path of development. The KKE expressed its solidarity with the people of Bolivia.

The Communist Party of Australia condemned in the strongest possible terms the US-backed right-wing military coup The Party noted that the anti-patriotic forces involved in the coup d’état in Bolivia were backed by foreign interests and preparations for it began well before the presidential elections held on 20th October. The CPA expressed its solidarity with President Evo Morales, his family, his government and supporters as well as the Communist Party of Bolivia who are now victims of fascist like repression inside Bolivia. The CPA also expressed its solidarity with Cuba, Venezuela and China whose diplomatic missions have been victims of attacks and were given 48 hours to leave Bolivia. The Party called on the Australian government to reject the coup d’état against Evo Morales and for the re-establishment of the democratic process as expressed by the Bolivian people on 20th October 2019.

The Workers' Party of Ireland published a statement which pointed out that the coup in Bolivia is a part of a strategy by imperialism across Latin America to reverse the gains and achievements of the poor, the working class and indigenous peoples and to restore the power of the capitalist class and to use the wealth created by workers for their own benefit. It was also mentioned in the statement that the coup is a representation of capitalism’s response to progressive measures secured on behalf of the people. The statement ended by expressing that the Party is extending its solidarity with the working people of Bolivia.

The CP of Pakistan condemned the coup and asked the world democratic forces and UNO to play a due role at this critical time of Bolivian history. The Party expressed its profound solidarity with the people and the democratically elected government of Evo Morales. The Party pointed out that the vicious maneuvers of US imperialism in the Latin American continent is another audacious wicked act and has nothing to do with democracy or civil rights.

The Communist Party (Italy) pointed out that the developments in Bolivia are a part of a renewed US imperialist strategy to bring the countries of Latin America back under their control. The CP stressed that elections count nothing in the frame of the bourgeois order since the bourgeoisie is ready to deny any democratic principle in the name of safeguarding the profit of capital, as history has already largely demonstrated. The Party reminded that only by destroying the bourgeois state and replacing it with the proletarian state it is possible to guarantee development in favor of the working masses. According to the CP, the failure to apply this principle is the main limit of the revolutionary processes started in Latin America over the last decades. The statement ended with the Party’s expression of its solidarity and support with the Bolivian working people and President Morales.

The Revolutionary Communist Party of France (PCRF) denounced the coup against legitimately elected President Evo Morales. The Party denounced the campaign orchestrated by the Bolivian oligarchy and the United States since the proclamation of the election results. The PCRF denounced the attitude of the French press, especially newspaper Le Monde and the public TV channels, which participated in the international campaign against President Morales. The Party called upon workers, youth and democrats for solidarity with the people of Bolivia who are under menaced of a blood bath by unbridled reactionary forces. The statement of the PCRF ended with a remark on how the coup d'état in La Paz underlined the tragic dead end of reformist policies and tendencies to reconciliate with the bourgeoisie instead of fighting them upon the alliance of the working class with toiling peasantry and indigenous peoples.

The Tudeh Party of Iran published a statement that explained what had happened in Bolivia and condemned the US-based coup. The party expressed its solidarity with the people of Bolivia, the Communist Party of Bolivia, and other Bolivian and Latin American progressives in their struggle to continue the process for the realisation of democracy, social justice and independence.

The Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) stated that the coup d’état in Bolivia is a product of Trump’s aggression against the peoples of Latin America. It was pointed out that throughout the whole of Latin America, the confrontation between the governments and movements that express demands for social justice and national sovereignty on the one hand and the oligarchy and far-right forces that have the backing of US on the other is intensifying. The statement ended with the Party’s expression of its solidarity with Evo Morales, the Communist Party of Bolivia (PCB), the Movement for Socialism–Political Instrument for the Sovereignty of the Peoples (MAS) and the people of Bolivia, as well as all with the struggling peoples of Latin America.

The Communist Party of the Russian Federation in the strongest possible terms denounced the US-backed right-wing military coup against the democratically elected President of Bolivia, Evo Morales. The Party also condemned the acts of vandalism towards the Embassy of Venezuela and anti-Cuban statements. The CPRF called on all progressive forces of the world to condemn US subversion in Bolivia and expressed its solidarity with the President Evo Morales and all national forces opposing the coup as well as the Communist Party of Bolivia who are now victims of arrests and persecution.

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) condemned the coup attempt in Bolivia and expresses its solidarity with Evo Morales and the Movement for Socialism (MAS). The CPI(M) noted that this rightwing coup in Bolivia came in the wake of similar efforts which led to progressive regimes being targeted earlier in Brazil, followed by Ecuador and Venezuela.

The Communist Party of Sweden noted that reformist policies in Latin America has created a trust in capitalism and for the capitalist state, which has bound the working people closer to capitalism. The Party's statement added that the reformist leaders have administered capitalism but proclaimed socialism in the end risks to push the people away from socialism. The Party expressed its sorrow for the enormous blows that are directed towards the working people and we mourn the victims of fascism. At the same time, it reminded that the people are organizing themselves in defense of what has been achieved and in the struggle for new victories.

The German Communist Party reminded that since Heiko Maas took office, the German foreign ministry has reliably supported right-wing extremist putschists in Venezuela and anti-democrats such as in Brazil, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, and Colombia, and accordingly demanded the dismissal of Maas. The statement of the German Communist Party stated that the DKP promotes the union of all those forces which oppose the interests of the majorities to imperialism, which reveal more and more their old colonialist behavior. The DKP expressed its solidarity with the progressive forces in Bolivia.

The Philippines Communist Party (PKP-1930) strongly condemned the coup d'etat. The PKP-1930 expressed its solidarity with the continuing anti-imperialist and anti-oligarchic struggles of the Bolivian people, for the restoration of democracy, the defense of national sovereignty, and the advancement of social justice.