Dear Comrades and Friends!
First of all I would like express thanks to the organizers and greetings to ale participants of this conference on behalf of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia from the Czech Republic. It s a pleasure and honour to be again in Venezuela the country of brave and heroic people of Simon Bolivar and Hugo Chávez.
We consider the struggle against imperialism as crucial and key task of our epoch. Imperialism US, NATO and the EU, in their drive for world domination, are the greatest threat against peace and the peoples of the world. They are responsible for the exponential increase in military expenditure, and the race for new, more sophisticated and destructive weapons, namely, nuclear weapons. The escalation of interference, threats, provocations and destabilization operations, intensify the danger of unleashing an escalation of conflicts that would lead to great and unimaginable consequences for humanity, including the use of nuclear weapons – that can and must be prevented.
The international scenario remains full of tensions and threats, which are becoming more dangerous as the crisis deepens due to the contradictions of an unequal political, economic and social system. On the one hand, we face the offensive of the imperialist powers that are competing to dominate the world and take over the peoples’ and nations’ resources. In this offensive, the imperialists and their willing allies act with ferocity. On the other hand, there are many indications of the potential for the resistance and struggles of the parties, organisations, movements and other forces of peace and socialism.
Here in Caracas we have to mention a long history of US interference, blackmail, threat and aggression against the Venezuelan people and the Bolivarian Revolution, beginning in 1999, following the victory of commander Hugo Chávez in the presidential elections of the previous year. The path of sovereignty and social progress then started, for benefit of the vast majority of Venezuelans and for mutually advantageous cooperation between the countries of Latin America, called into question the interests of the US imperialism and the Venezuelan oligarchy at its service – precisely, those that for decades plundered Venezuela and its oil reserves.
President Hugo Chávez exerted all efforts for Venezuela to become a society of justice and freedom for its people, worthy of Simón Bolívar. He worked without let-up for the oppressed and the exploited of Latin America to unite and win the battle against imperialism, which is so destructive to any hope for humanity. President Chávez passed away 10 years ago, but still remains in the collective consciousness of the workers and the peoples of the world, as an example of revolutionary courage and commitment. This example inspire us in our own struggles for the better world, for the world of socialism.
By the honoring the memory of the struggle of comrade Hugo Chávez we call today for an immediate end to interference, sanctions, blockades and blackmail by the US and its followers against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Venezuelan people. We demand the immediate return of financial resources owned by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela illegally retained by the US at international banks. We strictly oppose threats of US military aggression against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Venezuelan people. We express our full solidarity to the Venezuelan people and to all its revolutionary, progressive and antiimperialist forces, among them naturally to Venezuelan communists.
Speaking about struggle against imperialism in our region of Central and Eastern Europe its important to underline that is today related mainly to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Aware of the serious dangers that the escalation of war by imperialism entails for the world, our party particularly condemns the instigation of confrontation and conflict in Ukraine, fights for peace and defends a process of dialogue with a view to a political solution of the conflict, a response to the problems of collective security and disarmament in Europe, in compliance with the principles of the international law, the UN Charter and the Final Act of the Helsinki Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Our party also condemns the explicit engagement of the Czech Republic´s government in the escalation of confrontation, in a clear manifestation of submission to the interests of imperialism, and considers that the Czech Republic must dissociate itself from the aggressive policy of the US, NATO and the EU, and contribute within the scope of its external relations for the peaceful solution of international conflicts, the dissolution of political-military blocs and peace.
The escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, instigated by the US, NATO and the EU, is being used to whitewash decisions and policies that imperialism has long adopted and pursues, such as increasing military spending, promoting the arms race and the trivialisation of militarism in international relations. The conflict in Ukraine is also being used as a pretext to further attack freedoms and rights, for falsification, discrimination, manipulation and censorship of information in order to whitewash and vulgarize reactionary and fascist conceptions, and promoting anti-communism, attacking democratic rights, repressing and criminalising processes of struggle and the forces that resist exploitation and oppression. For example, just yesterday our former presidential candidate received a suspended prison sentence just for his political declarations and there are many of our comrades who are investigated by police just for their positions and activities regarding the conflict in Ukraine.
We support all the initiatives leading to the peaceful solution of the Ukrainian conflict. This is also why we strongly protest against the pro-imperialist and pro-war policy of the contemporary Czech government. We oppose vehemently the sending of massive weapons supplies by Czech authorities to Kiev regime. We condemn military training of thousand of Ukrainian soldiers on the territory of our country. We protest against the currently enforced changes to the laws regarding the mobilization and military deployment of Czech citizens. We mobilize people against the governmental attempt to establish the permanent US military base in the Czech Republic. During this campaign we always underline one of our principal goals that is the end of the Czech Republic’s membership in NATO, the largest military organization in the world and the imperialism’s key military instrument.
Despite the huge pro-war propaganda, introducing censorship and increasing repression and popular disapproval in our country is growing significantly. Based on official public opinion research more than half of the population does not agree with governmental pro-war policy on Ukraine. In our capital Prague popular anti-government demonstrations are regularly held with the participation of many tens of thousands of people and with the growing role of our party. In response to falling real wages, high prices, and rising poverty a strike movement is emerging, an example of this is the successful strike at the Nexen Tire factory, where our party also played a role.
The challenge that confronts our party is great; we constantly try to work among Czech working people, win its confidence and increase its understanding of imperialism that brings about war, exploItation and oppression. The struggle against imperialist war has a crucial importance today. Our responsibility is to set up, and to lead, a wide mass movement against war and for peace. The defeat of capitalism and imperialism is still our greatest pending task.
Finally, Comrades and Friends, I would like to one again express our thanks to the organizers of this conference for the possibility to debate internationally todays dramatic situation as well as our positions in the common struggle against the imperialism and war, for the world of peace, justice, solidarity and socialism.
Long live the international antiimperialist struggle!
