People's Democracy

Dear Comrades, We send you the warm and fraternal greetings of the Portuguese communists and we wish you the greatest success to your works.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) is a great force at the service of the workers and the Indian people. In West Bengal, Kerala, Tripura, in all the vast Indian subcontinent, in the institutions as well as in the people’s mass movement, the CPI(M) carries out an irreplaceable activity to defend the exploited and oppressed masses, against all forms of reaction and obscurantism, for a sovereign, united, non-aligned and progressive India. It is with the greatest interest and a spirit of solidarity that we follow in Portugal the CPI(M)’s work and struggle, and its cooperation with the CPI, the success achieved by the Left Front, namely at the last elections, its coherent activity of negotiation and pressure upon the government, in close connection with the development of the people’s movement.

Our party has also carried out its 17th congress last  November. It was an important congress where we confirmed our Party’s communist identity, its class nature, its revolutionary ideology (Marxism-Leninism), its democratic functioning, its socialist project. A congress which gave a firm  reply to the permanent anti-communist campaign, and strengthened our party’s unity and determination. The positive results that we achieved in the general elections of February 20, in which the right-wing government suffered a crushing defeat,  are inseparable from the strength, joy and  confidence with which we emerged from our congress. The battles  we face are not easy: to defend the workers’ interests against the present neo-liberal offensive, to defend national sovereignty  against the attacks by the  European Union – whose accelerated transformation into a political-military block we firmly oppose – against NATO and imperialism in general; to fight against the right wing policies of the government of the Socialist Party – a social democratic party that has carried out an openly neo-liberal policy – and to solve the most serious problems of the people and the country. But we carry on the struggle with confidence, while preparing for the local elections that are to be held next Autumn and carrying out an intense work to strengthen the party, its organisation, its influence among the workers, among the masses of people and in every corner of the country’s life.

We are aware, comrades, that in the dangerous times in which we live, with the violent offensive of exploitation and war waged by the USA and other big imperialist powers, the communist parties and their cooperation and internationalist solidarity are more than ever necessary. Contrarily to what our opponents and enemies wish, we are not doomed to an “irreversible decline”. Undoubtedly, the tragic defeats of socialism  in the USSR and in the countries of Eastern Europe led to serious retreat of the revolutionary forces. But capitalism’s crisis and violent contradictions, and its long parade of injustice and inequalities require the profound revolutionary transformations that the communists stand for. And everywhere, the people’s resistance and struggle against imperialism is growing and requires a stronger internationalist solidarity. Among others solidarity with the peoples of Iraq and Palestine, as well as Cuba and Venezuela, is a demand of the present time.

Dear Comrades,

Strong relations of friendship, cooperation and solidarity have been forged between the PCP and CPI(M). We wish to make these relations even stronger and more active, on behalf of the common cause of the workers, of socialism and peace, and of the strengthening the world communist and revolutionary movement.

Wishing once again the greatest success to your 18th congress, we send you, dear comrades, our fraternal communist greetings.

Long live the 18th congress of the CPI(M)!

Long live the friendship between the PCP and the CPI(M)!