Red Flag Party
Encyclopedia
Red Flag Party is a communist party
in Venezuela
. It was formed in 1970 by anti-revisionist
members of the Movement of the Revolutionary Left
(MIR). The Red Flag Party initially supported the ideology of Enver Hoxha
and the Albanian Party of Labour
following the Sino-Albanian Split
, though in later years it has gravitated back towards Maoism
.
In the 1970s up until the 1990s it was engaged in guerrilla warfare
against the government. A young Hugo Chávez
's first assignment in the Army
was as commander of a communications platoon
attached to a counter-insurgency
force—the Manuel Cedeño Mountain Infantry Battalion, headquartered in Barinas and Cumaná. In 1976, it was tasked with suppressing the guerilla insurgency staged by the Party.
The party is currently led by Gabriel Rafael Puerta Aponte. After the electoral victory of Hugo Chávez
in 1998, the party started aligning itself with the right-wing and social democratic opponents of Chávez, labeling him as a social-fascist. This has led to desertions from the party, as many cadres instead joined the Chávez camp.
The party was suspended from the International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations (Unity & Struggle)
in 2005. It was succeeded within the organization by the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Venezuela
.
In the 2006 presidential election
, the party supported the candidature of Manuel Rosales
. The party got (as one of several parties backing Rosales) 18,468 votes (0.16% of the nationwide vote) in that election.http://www.cne.gov.ve/divulgacionPresidencial/resultado_nacional.php
As of 2009 its popularity has rapidly diminished from its prior years and is reported to have less than 100 militant members.
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. It was formed in 1970 by anti-revisionist
Anti-Revisionist
In the Marxist–Leninist movement, anti-revisionism refers to a doctrine which upholds the line of theory and practice associated with Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin, and usually either Mao Zedong or Enver Hoxha as well...
members of the Movement of the Revolutionary Left
Revolutionary Left Movement (Venezuela)
The Revolutionary Left Movement , was a left-wing Marxist political party in Venezuela...
(MIR). The Red Flag Party initially supported the ideology of Enver Hoxha
Enver Hoxha
Enver Halil Hoxha was a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary andthe leader of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985, as the First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania...
and the Albanian Party of Labour
Albanian Party of Labour
The Party of Labour of Albania was the sole legal political party in Albania during communist rule...
following the Sino-Albanian Split
Sino-Albanian split
The Sino-Albanian split in 1978 saw the parting of the People's Republic of China and People's Socialist Republic of Albania, which was the only Eastern European nation to side with the PRC in the Sino–Soviet split of the early 1960s.-History:...
, though in later years it has gravitated back towards Maoism
Maoism
Maoism, also known as the Mao Zedong Thought , is claimed by Maoists as an anti-Revisionist form of Marxist communist theory, derived from the teachings of the Chinese political leader Mao Zedong . Developed during the 1950s and 1960s, it was widely applied as the political and military guiding...
.
In the 1970s up until the 1990s it was engaged in guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
against the government. A young Hugo Chávez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
's first assignment in the Army
Army of Venezuela
The National Army of Venezuela is one of the four professional branches of the Armed Forces of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. It has the responsibility for land-based operations against external, or internal threats that may put the sovereignty of the nation at risk.It is the largest...
was as commander of a communications platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
attached to a counter-insurgency
Counter-insurgency
A counter-insurgency or counterinsurgency involves actions taken by the recognized government of a nation to contain or quell an insurgency taken up against it...
force—the Manuel Cedeño Mountain Infantry Battalion, headquartered in Barinas and Cumaná. In 1976, it was tasked with suppressing the guerilla insurgency staged by the Party.
The party is currently led by Gabriel Rafael Puerta Aponte. After the electoral victory of Hugo Chávez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
in 1998, the party started aligning itself with the right-wing and social democratic opponents of Chávez, labeling him as a social-fascist. This has led to desertions from the party, as many cadres instead joined the Chávez camp.
The party was suspended from the International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations (Unity & Struggle)
International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations (Unity & Struggle)
The International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations is an international network of Hoxhaist Communist parties that uphold the line of Enver Hoxha and the Albanian Party of Labour...
in 2005. It was succeeded within the organization by the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Venezuela
Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Venezuela
The Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Venezuela is a Hoxhaist Communist party in Venezuela founded in 2009. It is a member of the International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations .-External links:* http://pcmlv.blogspot.com/* by the PCMLV Central Committee...
.
In the 2006 presidential election
Venezuelan presidential election, 2006
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela held presidential elections on 3 December 2006, to choose a president for the six-year term to begin on 10 January 2007...
, the party supported the candidature of Manuel Rosales
Manuel Rosales
Manuel Antonio Rosales Guerrero is a Venezuelan educator and politician and was the most prominent opposition candidate in the 2006 presidential election, losing to incumbent Hugo Chávez...
. The party got (as one of several parties backing Rosales) 18,468 votes (0.16% of the nationwide vote) in that election.http://www.cne.gov.ve/divulgacionPresidencial/resultado_nacional.php
As of 2009 its popularity has rapidly diminished from its prior years and is reported to have less than 100 militant members.