EL SALVADOR, January 2 — “There will always be the exploited until we eliminate the exploiters,” declared a worker at one of two communist political schools comprising 35 workers, students and farmworkers. These end-of-the-year gatherings were filled with political education, revolutionary solidarity and splendid dinners.
We discussed an international report, the document “Reform and Revolution” and CHALLENGE — distribution, writing articles and building clubs and study groups.
Two junior high school students explained how inter-imperialist rivalry between the U.S., Russia, China and Europe has worldwide effects, including directly on the working class here. They are understanding and spreading PLP’s communist ideas. One participated in several meetings; the other was attending for the first time. Both were applauded for their contributions about PLP’s revolutionary struggle.
Two comrades led the “Reform and Revolution” discussion. The youth directed questions to everyone, especially the Party leadership here, about the urgency of advancing revolutionary communism, not becoming absorbed in the work of the reform leaders. The older comrade reviewed his experience in mass organizations since the 1960’s.
One comrade observed that those here “are those we’ve most developed onto the communist road and we’re directing to take our scientific Marxist Leninist ideas into all the mass organizations.”
Another comrade revealed that her organization just had a march of 500 women demanding jobs and better living conditions. Because of this, they immediately assigned a comrade to that area in January, aiming to establish contacts with the factory workers in the “free zones” (maquillas) through comrades living there.
Another comrade said she was leading classes for women on “Non-Sexist and Inclusive Education,” presenting a communist line. Some teachers have already responded positively. El Salvador has many feminist movements which pose the struggle as one of men against women, not as a fight to destroy the capitalist system, the source of sexism. This comrade has a political base in this union, helping to strengthen this work. Together with these other teachers she explained that her political training stems from the Party’s line, centering the discussion on the evils of capitalism, like sexism.
A comrade heading the editorial collective led the discussion of CHALLENGE, emphasizing two points: (1) the need to write more for the paper; and (2) using CHALLENGE as an organizer, educator and agitator for the working class. On the first point, a young comrade noted that Lenin, in “What is to Be Done,” emphasized “that a Party without a communist newspaper reporting workers’ struggles worldwide has serious problems growing with a communist line.”
On the second point, it was stressed that each Party member must convert CHALLENGE networks into study groups about communist politics and activity. We can’t continue giving someone the paper without following up with that person politically. Just distributing the paper doesn’t guarantee political development; quantity and quality should go together. The paper should open the door to political discussions about building more clubs, study groups ad class struggle.
The comrades also emphasized how the content of CHALLENGE historically has reflected the reality of the capitalist system, and how we must fight the illusions within the working class in reformism, and in the bosses’ elections. We discussed the electoral victories of Obama in the U.S. and Funes-FMLN in El Salvador. Many workers think, “here comes the change.” CHALLENGE has fought these illusory
ideas the bosses try to instill in workers.
This weekend culminated a whole process of previous meetings and visits throughout the year which defined the topics, decide who would come and who would lead the discussions, as well as the process of teaching and learning inside the PLP to develop more and better leaders. We pledged, in 2010, to enter the fight with greater commitment, strength and desire to build the PLP in the working class.