ICOR Statement on the Events in Belarus

Lukashenko’s bourgeois-reactionary, authoritarian ruling regime in Belarus also using open terror is characterized by detachment and alienation from the masses of the Belarusian people and is justifiably and massively losing popularity. Many citizens believe that it committed violations of democratic procedures and massive election fraud in the August 9 presidential elections. This provoked protests from opposition supporters, claiming the victory of their candidate Tsikhanovskaya. Tsikhanosvskaya is promoted by bourgeois forces.The regime responded with unbridled police violence which sparked widespread discontent. Cases of brutal reprisals against protesters must be investigated and those responsible held accountable.

At first, the streets were dominated by the petty bourgeoisie and students under its influence. Then the workers collectives joined the protests. Despite massive repression, workers strikes are developing in various forms as part of the protest movement. The masses take their justified demands to the streets, while massive attempts are made from various sides to influence them. The character of the movement is to be assessed in a very differentiated way and includes different currents. One part is a spontaneous and independent current with militant actions of the working class, in which the left and revolutionary forces seek backing. On the other hand, as the currently probably strongest current in the leadership of the movement, there is the bourgeois and liberal opposition, which is oriented towards the EU and influenced and partly controlled by it. It is reactionary, sometimes even ultra-reactionary. It demands massive privatization and unhindered access to the country for imperialist capital. Greed of corporations for profits prompts European, US-American and Russian imperialism to intervene.

In the confrontation between the interests of different imperialist powers with their representatives in Belarus both are trying to use the masses as pawns. The people and the proletariat of Belarus will only be able to win if they are able to formulate their own demands, lead the struggle for their interests and intervene in an organized way in order to take the power into their own hands.

We therefore welcome corresponding efforts by the communists. We all must support the Belarusian workers in their class organization and the ICOR organization to fight for their interests and for the construction of a socialist society.

Strengthening the ICOR and the international antifascist and antiimperialist united front means strengthening the chances of victory all over the world.

For the right of self-determination of the peoples against any imperialist intervention!

No police violence! Release of the progressive political prisoners! No privatization and dismissals!

Workers of all countries, unite!
For democracy, freedom and socialism!

Signatories (as of 21 September 2020, further signatories possible):

1. PCPCI Parti Communiste Proletarien de Côte d'Ivoire (Proletarian Communist Party of Ivory Coast)

2. ORC Organisation Révolutionnaire du Congo (Revolutionary Organization of Congo), Democratic Republic of the Congo

3. UPC-Manidem Union des Populations du Cameroun - Manifeste National pour l’Instauration de la Démocratie (Union of Populations of Cameroon - National Manifesto for the Establishment of Democracy)

4. MMLPL Moroccan Marxist-Leninist Proletarian Line

5. CPSA (ML) Communist Party of South Africa (Marxist-Leninist)

6. PCT Parti Comuniste du Togo (Communist Party of Togo)

7. PPDS Parti Patriotique Démocratique Socialiste (Patriotic Democratic Socialist Party), Tunisia

8. MLOA Marxist-Leninist Organization of Afghanistan

9. CPB Communist Party of Bangladesh

10. CPI (ML) Red Star Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Red Star

11. NCP (Mashal) Nepal Communist Party (Mashal)

12. PPRF Patriotic Peoples Republican Front of Nepal

13. CPA/ML Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)

14. Krasnyj Klin Gruppa Kommunistov-Revoljucionerov „Krasnyj Klin“ (Group of Communist Revolutionaries “Krasnyj Klin” [Red Wedge]), Belarus

15. PR-ByH Partija Rada - ByH (Party of Labor - Bosnia and Herzegovina)

16. MLPD Marxistisch-Leninistische Partei Deutschlands (Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany)

17. UCLyon Unité Communiste Lyon (Communist United Lyon), France

18. UPML Union Prolétarienne Marxiste-Léniniste (Marxist-Leninist Proletarian Union), France

19. BP (NK-T) Bolşevik Parti (Kuzey Kürdistan-Türkiye) (Bolshevik Party (North Kurdistan-Turkey))

20. KOL Kommunistische Organisation Luxemburg (Communist Organization of Luxemburg)

21. RM Rode Morgen (Red Dawn), Netherlands

22. MLP Marksistsko-Leninskaja Platforma (Marxist-Leninist Platform), Russia

23. MLGS Marxistisch-Leninistische Gruppe Schweiz (Marxist-Leninist Group of Switzerland)

24. KSC-CSSP Komunisticka Strana Cheskoslovenska – Cheskoslovenska Strana Prace (Communist Party of Czechoslovakia – Czechoslovakian Workers Party), Czech Republic

25. MLKP Marksist Leninist Komünist Parti Türkiye / Kürdistan (Marxist Leninist Communist Party Turkey / Kurdistan)

26. KSRD Koordinazionnyj Sowjet Rabotschewo Dvizhenija (Coordination Council of the Workers Class Movement), Ukraine

27. PCC-M Partido Comunista de Colombia – Maoista (Communist Party of Colombia - Maoist)

28. PCP (independiente) Partido Comunista Paraguayo (independiente) (Paraguayan Communist Party (independent))

29. BDP Bloque Democratico Popular (Popular Democratic Bloc), Peru

30. PC (ML) Partido Comunista (Marxista Leninista) (Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist)), Dominican Republic

31. PCR-U Partido Comunista Revolucionario del Uruguay (Revolutionary Communist Party of Uruguay)

32. PS-GdT Plataforma Socialista - Golpe de Timón (Socialist Platform – Change of Course), Venezuela