The founding congress of the Revolutionary Communists of Colombia Share TweetColombia is a country of contradictions. It has some of the world’s greatest biodiversity, abundant mineral wealth, and a vibrant people. Yet it suffers from imperialist domination, internal civil war, crime, and poverty. It is within this tumult that the Revolutionary Communists of Colombia (CRC) have been born. The CRC had their founding congress on 24-26 April with attendees from Bogotá, Cali, and Villavicencio. There were also three international visitors from Canada, Mexico, and the Revolutionary Communist International (RCI) in London. The forces of the RCI have never been stronger in Colombia, with 31 full members. This is a country with a long history of class struggle and fierce right-wing reaction, leading Hugo Chávez to call Colombia “the Israel of Latin America.” Our work in the country started in the 2010s, with a small group fighting an uphill battle. “We’d go to meet at a cafe to discuss Marxism, and people would call the police on us,” said Diego Beltran, one of the founding members. “It was a hard time to build.” This all changed with the general strikes of 2019 and 2021, and the election of Gustavo Petro in 2022: the first left-wing president in Colombia’s history. Workers have since mobilised for important reforms which have made an impact in their lives. There is a great interest in the ideas of communism, particularly in the youthThis is the situation where the CRC has gained a foothold. There is a great interest in the ideas of communism, particularly in the youth. The work in The National University in Bogotá has yielded growth, and the comrades are present across four branches in the capital with smaller cells in Cali and Villaviciencio. The enthusiasm towards the founding congress was palpable. “I’ve been in many organisations,” said one comrade, “but this is the only one I’ve seen political discussions of this calibre prepared.”This spirit was evident in the literature comrades picked up. Titles such as In Defense of Lenin by Alan Woods and Rob Sewell, Marxism vs. Decolonialism by Ubaldo Oropeza, and the latest issue of América Socialista (No. 43) were excitedly purchased. The workers and students we have won over are bright and dedicated. Yet robbings, beatings, and violence of all sorts have affected our comrades. One comrade was robbed on the bus to congress. This is not a game for them, but a concrete struggle for their futures. International situationThe congress opened with a presentation from Enrique Rodriguez Pamanes from the International Center of the RCI on world perspectives. With Trump in power and the US tightening its grip on Latin America, we discussed what is needed to fight imperialism.With Trump in power and the US tightening its grip on Latin America, we discussed what is needed to fight imperialismRather than explaining this advance through the personal qualities of Trump, we discussed the role of China and its rise as a world power, the ‘Donroe Doctrine’, the kidnapping of Maduro, the isolation of Cuba, and the inability of reformism to fight imperialism. We explained these events and their logic within a broader crisis of world capitalism. Above all, America’s humiliating defeat in Iran has shown it is not an invincible behemoth, but can be fought and defeated. This discussion enthused the comrades, who asked questions on the decline of the US, the rise of China, the class struggle inside the US, and the war in Ukraine. “Today, young people in the U.S. see no future and must survive by holding two jobs, while the Epstein class gets richer and faces no consequences for its abuses,” emphasised a comrade in his contribution to the discussion. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Comunistas Revolucionarios de Colombia (@comrevcolombia)Why does Colombia need a revolutionary party?This is the question Juan Conde answered when presenting the Manifesto of the Revolutionary Communists of Colombia.“This document is our birth certificate, our reason for existing,” said Juan. For many workers, the taking of power of Gustavo Petro was a historical success they fought and died for in the streets. But we explain that unless we go beyond the limits of capitalism, we can never truly be free.The Estallido (general strikes) of 2021 and the preceding years have been a revolutionary school for the masses. Many layers are looking for our ideas, and this document will be our primary tool at convincing students and workers of the necessity of revolutionary struggle. “The most important thing is that this situation is creating an entire generation of young people who are witnessing the genocide in Gaza and saying, ‘There is nothing more important in my life than taking part in the destruction of the capitalist system,’” said Juan in his presentation. What is to be done?Of course, convincing someone of the revolution is one thing. Organising the party which will lead the workers to power is another. This is the task our organisational document discussed. The presentation by Diego Beltrán focused on the necessity of building marxist cadres: a group of well trained, educated, and devoted communists who can build branches of the RCI in universities, high schools, workplaces, and neighbourhoods. It’s only through the building of this hardened core that a future mass communist party will be built. This is the experience of the Russian Revolution. The congress saw a qualitative growth in the political level of the comradesThe comrades have grown quantitatively in the last year from 12 to 31, but have also grown qualitatively. Our Mexican visitor, who attended a school in Bogotá in November 2025, noted an impressive growth in the political level of the comrades. In the congress it was often comrades who had no more than six months in the party who spoke most decisively and convincingly on questions of cadre building, student work, and political consolidation. The organisational document planted key milestones: publication of the newspaper Revolución Comunista every two months, doubling the size of the party, and hiring its first fulltimer within the year. Revolutionary financesA presentation was given by Jennifer Carvajal on the finances of the party, our growth, and income from comrades’ dues. A campaign was launched to increase dues to one day’s wage, and the targets for reaching a fulltimer were outlined. The discussion expanded on the need for sacrifice, and connected what we were building to the concrete question of finances. The minimum daily wage in Colombia is 58,000 COP, or about $15 USD, with many in the informal economy earning far less. The congress set itself a target of raising 4,000,000 COP ($1,080 USD) which was handedly met in 15 minutes. This figure, which is 75 times the minimum wage, will go to funding travel to our upcoming Pan-American school in Mexico. The congress closed with a report on the work of the International. The Revolutionary Communist International has 8,500 members across 26 sections and 18 sympathising groups. It’s the strength of the International which helps shape and build the work in countries across the world, including Colombia. The comrades listened to the report wide-eyed, asking question after question about the work in Ireland, Britain, Mexico, and Pakistan. We filmed a solidarity video for our comrade Ehsan Ali, who is being illegally held for his political activity. Forced disappearances, arbitrary detention, and political attacks are as common in Colombia as they are in Pakistan. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Comunistas Revolucionarios de Colombia (@comrevcolombia)As the congress came to a close, clouds gathered around and let out the tormentous rain that Bogotá is known for. And while the congress was a massive success, proverbial storm clouds are looming over Latin America. The US is advancing, and the incoming economic crisis threatens to decimate Colombia’s fragile economy. The same weekend of the congress, a breakaway group of the FARC bombed several sites of the Pan-American Highway, killing 15 women and five men as a way to influence this month’s elections and show their abilities to spread terror. When I asked the comrades about this, they were unphased. “You know what we call that here?” asked one comrade. “Election season,” he added with a shrug. This is the norm in Colombia. And unless we overthrow world capitalism, this living nightmare will only continue.
