Colombian Communist Party
Encyclopedia
The Colombian Communist Party (in Spanish
: Partido Comunista Colombiano) or PCC is the legal communist party of Colombia
. It was founded in 1930, as the Colombian section of the Comintern
. It is currently led by Jaime Caicedo.
The PCC is part of the Social and Political Front
(FSP) party coalition, and also participates in the Democratic Alternative (AD) movement and the Alternative Democratic Pole
(PDA) alliance.
PCC publishes the weekly newspaper Voz.
civil war that erupted in Colombia from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s, the communists developed organic links to several liberal guerrilla and irregular rural forces, most of whom nominally depended on the official Colombian Liberal Party
and eventually demobilized by the end of that period. Those groups with more direct relations with the PCC tended to not demobilize, keeping their weapons and organizational structures mostly intact.
Later, in 1964, a section of these guerrillas would develop into the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
(FARC-EP), which initially was considered as the official armed wing of the Communist party. The PCC leadership mostly operated in the cities during the 1960s and 1970s, but it supported the operations of the FARC, regularly holding solidarity and donation rallies for FARC members and units, as well as occasionally providing other forms of aid (supplies, equipment, intelligence, political cadres or ideological literature).
The PCC justified the operations of the guerrillas as the armed component of the fight against capitalism
and imperialism
in Colombia, while at the same time it continued to participate in legal electoral activities independently. Both activities were considered to have their own place within the so-called "combination of all forms of struggle", a concept often employed by PCC and FARC.
Gradually the PCC and FARC-EP grew apart politically, in particular during the later 1980s. Both organizations had their share of internal debates, for example as to which entity would have greater influence and control over the Unión Patriótica
(in the end the PCC accepted FARC supremacy in this regard) during its formation, and later on the issue of continuing to participate in elections as the UP suffered violent suppression (the FARC began to separate itself from legal UP activities starting in 1987).
Other disagreements would include that the PCC may have allegedly tended to follow the changes that developed within the official Soviet line during the Cold War
, which the FARC-EP did not consider as strictly binding. After the Berlin Wall
fell, confusion among the two sides increased. The principle of the "combination of all forms of struggle" was also brought into question at the time by some members of the PCC and UP leadership. The PCC officially broke with the FARC in 1993.
As a result, a separate Clandestine Colombian Communist Party
was officially formed in 2000, though some sort of separate FARC-based internal party structure had been in de facto
existence during most of the 1990s. Both organizations have remained completely distinct in their activities, though individual members of both parties may have continued to maintain working relationships on occasion.
as documented by Colombian and international organizations and press reports.
A recent example is the assassination of a leading PCC figure, Arturo Díaz García, on December 21, 2005 in the corregimiento
of Toche in the municipality of Ibague
, Tolima. .
During the last ten years, about 6000 people, members of PCC and other left-wingers, have been murdered.
Leftwing sources accuse the government of attempting to exterminate the PCC, but this has not been proven.. Despite this, human rights organizations and PCC members argue that some Generals and their subordinates in the Colombian National Army have contributed either indirectly or directly to many of the violent actions of drug lords, paramilitaries and death squads against the PCC. Occasionally these individuals have been brought to justice, but the majority of the crimes remain unsolved..
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: Partido Comunista Colombiano) or PCC is the legal communist party of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. It was founded in 1930, as the Colombian section of the Comintern
Comintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
. It is currently led by Jaime Caicedo.
The PCC is part of the Social and Political Front
Social and Political Front
The Social and Political Front or FSP is a coalition of several left wing political parties in Colombia....
(FSP) party coalition, and also participates in the Democratic Alternative (AD) movement and the Alternative Democratic Pole
Alternative Democratic Pole
The Alternative Democratic Pole is a political alliance in Colombia, formed by the Independent Democratic Pole and the Democratic Alternative in December 2005...
(PDA) alliance.
PCC publishes the weekly newspaper Voz.
History
In the mid 1960s the U.S. State Department estimated the party membership to be approximately 13,000.Relations with FARC
During and following the La ViolenciaLa Violencia
La Violencia is a period of civil conflict in the Colombian countryside between supporters of the Colombian Liberal Party and the Colombian Conservative Party, a conflict which took place roughly from 1948 to 1958 ....
civil war that erupted in Colombia from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s, the communists developed organic links to several liberal guerrilla and irregular rural forces, most of whom nominally depended on the official Colombian Liberal Party
Colombian Liberal Party
The Colombian Liberal Party is a center-left party in Colombia that adheres to social democracy and social liberalism.The Party was founded in 1848 and, together with the Colombian Conservative Party, subsequently became one of the two main political forces in the country for over a century.After...
and eventually demobilized by the end of that period. Those groups with more direct relations with the PCC tended to not demobilize, keeping their weapons and organizational structures mostly intact.
Later, in 1964, a section of these guerrillas would develop into the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army is a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary guerrilla organization based in Colombia which is involved in the ongoing Colombian armed conflict, currently involved in drug dealing and crimes against the civilians..FARC-EP is a peasant army which...
(FARC-EP), which initially was considered as the official armed wing of the Communist party. The PCC leadership mostly operated in the cities during the 1960s and 1970s, but it supported the operations of the FARC, regularly holding solidarity and donation rallies for FARC members and units, as well as occasionally providing other forms of aid (supplies, equipment, intelligence, political cadres or ideological literature).
The PCC justified the operations of the guerrillas as the armed component of the fight against capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
and imperialism
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
in Colombia, while at the same time it continued to participate in legal electoral activities independently. Both activities were considered to have their own place within the so-called "combination of all forms of struggle", a concept often employed by PCC and FARC.
Gradually the PCC and FARC-EP grew apart politically, in particular during the later 1980s. Both organizations had their share of internal debates, for example as to which entity would have greater influence and control over the Unión Patriótica
Patriotic Union (Colombia)
The Patriotic Union or UP , was a leftist Colombian political party founded by the FARC and the Colombian Communist Party in 1985, as part of the peace negotiations that the guerrillas held with the Conservative Belisario Betancur administration...
(in the end the PCC accepted FARC supremacy in this regard) during its formation, and later on the issue of continuing to participate in elections as the UP suffered violent suppression (the FARC began to separate itself from legal UP activities starting in 1987).
Other disagreements would include that the PCC may have allegedly tended to follow the changes that developed within the official Soviet line during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, which the FARC-EP did not consider as strictly binding. After the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
fell, confusion among the two sides increased. The principle of the "combination of all forms of struggle" was also brought into question at the time by some members of the PCC and UP leadership. The PCC officially broke with the FARC in 1993.
As a result, a separate Clandestine Colombian Communist Party
Clandestine Colombian Communist Party
The Clandestine Colombian Communist Party is an underground communist party in Colombia. It is politically linked to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia , which founded the party in 2000...
was officially formed in 2000, though some sort of separate FARC-based internal party structure had been in de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
existence during most of the 1990s. Both organizations have remained completely distinct in their activities, though individual members of both parties may have continued to maintain working relationships on occasion.
Persecution
During most of its history the PCC has been the subject of repression and persecution both by private individuals, active and retired government agents and others. For the last three decades the PCC has been targeted by paramilitary forcesParamilitarism in Colombia
Paramilitarism in Colombia refers to the origins and activities of far right-wing paramilitary groups in Colombia during the 20th century.Right-wing paramilitary groups are the parties considered to be most responsible for human rights violations in Colombia during the later half of the current...
as documented by Colombian and international organizations and press reports.
A recent example is the assassination of a leading PCC figure, Arturo Díaz García, on December 21, 2005 in the corregimiento
Corregimiento
Corregimiento is a term used in Colombia to define a subdivision of Colombian departments. According to the Colombian Constitution of 1991 and Decree 2274 of October 4, 1991, Corregimiento is an internal part of a Department or province, which includes a population core...
of Toche in the municipality of Ibague
Ibagué
Ibagué is the capital of the department of Tolima in Colombia. It is situated 1,285 m above sea level, on the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Central between the Chipalo and Combeima rivers, tributaries of the Coello River...
, Tolima. .
During the last ten years, about 6000 people, members of PCC and other left-wingers, have been murdered.
Leftwing sources accuse the government of attempting to exterminate the PCC, but this has not been proven.. Despite this, human rights organizations and PCC members argue that some Generals and their subordinates in the Colombian National Army have contributed either indirectly or directly to many of the violent actions of drug lords, paramilitaries and death squads against the PCC. Occasionally these individuals have been brought to justice, but the majority of the crimes remain unsolved..