Dominican Communist Party
Encyclopedia
The Dominican Communist Party was a political party
in the Dominican Republic
. The party was founded in 1944 under the name Dominican Revolutionary Democratic Party. The party worked under the name Dominican Popular Socialist Party 1946-1965. In August 1965 the name was again changed, to Dominican Communist Party.
The party worked in illegality during extended periods. It was banned in 1947 was outlawed, and was subjected to brutal repression which resulted in the loss of several prominent figures. The killed party cadres included one of the founders of the party, F. Valdez. In June 1955 the party held a conference, which took the nature of the party congress. The congress adopted the party constitution, party programme and an elected leadership. In June 1959 the party took part in an armed uprising against the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. In June 1960 a party conference was organized, which discussed the situation in the country and identified the challenges the party to strengthen the struggle against government. The conference expressed strong support for the Cuban revolution
.
After the fall of Trujillo in May 1961 the party intensified its activities. In September 1962 the party Central Committee
adopted a document titled "On the political situation, ways and objectives of the revolution", which stressed that the strategic goal of the party was national liberation, anti-imperialist and anti-feudal revolution. During the presidency of Juan Bosch
, February-September 1963, the party strengthened its political influence and took part in the establishment of trade union
s, whose leadership has now included a sizeable number of communists.
After the military coup in September 1963 the party was once again outlawed and forced underground. In March 1965 the party had put forward the slogan of restoring constitutional order and establish democratic order, a move that gained support from other oppositional forces. The party took active part in the armed struggle against the military junta and U.S. forces. The August 1965 plenum of the Central Committee of the party called on progressive forces in the country to strengthen unity and continue the fight for democratic rights of the people and for the expulsion of foreign troops from the Dominican Republic. The Plenum also decided to rename the party. PCD opposed Joaquín Balaguer
government, which came to power in July 1966.
The party participated in the Moscow meetings of representatives of communist and workers parties in 1957, 1960 and signed the documents adopted by these conferences. The party also participated in the international meeting of communist and workers parties held in 1969. PCD was built on the principle of democratic centralism
. It published a party organ, El Popular.
In 1975 Orlando Martinez Howley, the journalist, PCD member and prominent critic of the Balanguer government, was murdered.
In 1996 the PCD merged with the July 21 Revolutionary Force (FR 21), the Revolutionary and People's Liberation Force (FRLP) and the January 12 Liberation Movement (ML-12) to form a new party, Force of the Revolution.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. The party was founded in 1944 under the name Dominican Revolutionary Democratic Party. The party worked under the name Dominican Popular Socialist Party 1946-1965. In August 1965 the name was again changed, to Dominican Communist Party.
The party worked in illegality during extended periods. It was banned in 1947 was outlawed, and was subjected to brutal repression which resulted in the loss of several prominent figures. The killed party cadres included one of the founders of the party, F. Valdez. In June 1955 the party held a conference, which took the nature of the party congress. The congress adopted the party constitution, party programme and an elected leadership. In June 1959 the party took part in an armed uprising against the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. In June 1960 a party conference was organized, which discussed the situation in the country and identified the challenges the party to strengthen the struggle against government. The conference expressed strong support for the Cuban revolution
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
.
After the fall of Trujillo in May 1961 the party intensified its activities. In September 1962 the party Central Committee
Central Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
adopted a document titled "On the political situation, ways and objectives of the revolution", which stressed that the strategic goal of the party was national liberation, anti-imperialist and anti-feudal revolution. During the presidency of Juan Bosch
Juan Bosch
Juan Emilio Bosch Gaviño was a politician, historian, short story writer, essayist, educator, and the first cleanly elected president of the Dominican Republic for a brief time in 1963. Previously, he had been the leader of the Dominican opposition in exile to the dictatorial regime of Rafael...
, February-September 1963, the party strengthened its political influence and took part in the establishment of trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s, whose leadership has now included a sizeable number of communists.
After the military coup in September 1963 the party was once again outlawed and forced underground. In March 1965 the party had put forward the slogan of restoring constitutional order and establish democratic order, a move that gained support from other oppositional forces. The party took active part in the armed struggle against the military junta and U.S. forces. The August 1965 plenum of the Central Committee of the party called on progressive forces in the country to strengthen unity and continue the fight for democratic rights of the people and for the expulsion of foreign troops from the Dominican Republic. The Plenum also decided to rename the party. PCD opposed Joaquín Balaguer
Joaquín Balaguer
Joaquín Antonio Balaguer Ricardo was the President of the Dominican Republic from 1960 to 1962, from 1966 to 1978, and again from 1986 to 1996.-Early life and introduction to politics:...
government, which came to power in July 1966.
The party participated in the Moscow meetings of representatives of communist and workers parties in 1957, 1960 and signed the documents adopted by these conferences. The party also participated in the international meeting of communist and workers parties held in 1969. PCD was built on the principle of democratic centralism
Democratic centralism
Democratic centralism is the name given to the principles of internal organization used by Leninist political parties, and the term is sometimes used as a synonym for any Leninist policy inside a political party...
. It published a party organ, El Popular.
In 1975 Orlando Martinez Howley, the journalist, PCD member and prominent critic of the Balanguer government, was murdered.
In 1996 the PCD merged with the July 21 Revolutionary Force (FR 21), the Revolutionary and People's Liberation Force (FRLP) and the January 12 Liberation Movement (ML-12) to form a new party, Force of the Revolution.