On 17-19 May, 110 communists from all over Mexico (and abroad) met to found the Revolutionary Communist Organisation (RCO), which will be the Mexican section of the Revolutionary Communist International.

[Originally published in Spanish at marxismo.mx]

At the Alianza de Tranviarios de México, one of the longest-running trade unions in the country, we opened the Congress with a discussion of the Manifesto of the Revolutionary Communist International, introduced by Jorge Martin, leading member of the soon-to-be Revolutionary Communist International. In this discussion, the central point was clear: the crisis of the capitalist system urgently demands not only the formation of communist parties, but of a new International. This must be built on the best traditions of the 1st and 2nd Internationals founded by Marx and Engels, the first four congresses of the 3rd International founded by Lenin, and the ideas that gave rise to the 4th International founded by Trotsky.

This task demands not only a practical struggle, but also a struggle of ideas. Ideas alien to the struggle of the proletariat abound today more than ever. It is necessary to conduct an unrelenting struggle against these ideas under the banner of Marxism and dialectical materialism. The Manifesto of the Revolutionary Communist International was unanimously approved by the whole congress, as a step towards the construction of the new International, in Mexico!

We also pointed out the great role of women and youth in these tasks, where they take on a leading role.

During the weekend, the Congress continued at the Independent Workers' Union of the Autonomous Metropolitan University (SITUAM). We continued with a discussion of national perspectives which was introduced by comrade Ubaldo Oropeza, focussing particularly on the upcoming national elections. There was a clear discussion not only of the limitations of reformism, but also of the crisis of violence, militarisation and the acute dependence of the country on US imperialism. Above all, the discussion emphasised the deep crisis of all the bourgeois parties, with the electoral ‘left’ in decline and the right wing in chaos. All this shows us that the objective conditions for a communist movement of the working class are more than ripe. Only the subjective factor remains to be built, the vanguard party that will lead the Mexican proletariat to the seizure of power and call for international revolution.

For the creation of this party we explained that the founding of our organisation is key, as is having a clear programme. Carlos Marquez introduced the discussion on the programme which was keenly discussed. The programme seeks to call the working class to a concrete struggle for the reduction of the working day to 35 hours a week, for a guaranteed right to housing, for guaranteed education for the whole population ages 0 to 25, against violence against women, against the criminalisation of migrants passing through Mexico, for the immediate expropriation of the industries and banks of all tax-evading tycoons, as well as of the fundamental levers of the economy, for the destruction of the present repressive state and its replacement by a democratically planned workers' state, etc. This is the programme of the RCO.

We then had a vote on our principles and statutes, introduced by comrade Saul Haro. These statutes set out the fundamentals of a communist organisation. We do not fight for dreams but to change reality; the reality of a world on the brink of a collapse caused by capitalism, the reality of an increasingly chaotic world full of wars, murder and genocide, and where only the proletarian class is capable of the successful overthrow of capitalism and transforming the entire system.

Also, and for this very reason, as Leninists, we must understand the role of the leadership, the vanguard of the proletariat that has the objective of ending this system once and for all. We are also internationalists, and therefore we see it as a necessity that the revolution should not remain isolated in a single country. Thus, our method of democratic centralism, like in the Bolshevik party, allows us to fight for a common goal, and leave behind isolated struggles.

Finally, our statutes explain the role of the national bourgeoisie in backward capitalist countries dominated by imperialism. Capitalism in Mexico is completely dependent and servile. Therefore, as Trotsky’s theory of permanent revolution explains, we cannot rely on the capitalists to play a progressive role. Only an organised working class is capable of breaking the chains of imperialist oppression and spreading the revolution internationally.

Comrades then discussed our political and organisational achievements since the last Congress, with comrade Karen Campos introducing the discussion.

At the time of the Congress we were 194 communists nationally (we have now exceeded 200!). We have a presence spanning the entire country, from Tamaulipas to Quintana Roo, with communists in Sonora, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Puebla, Querétaro, Mexico City, Edomex, Yucatán, Sinaloa, Chihuahua, Oaxaca, Michoacán, Campeche and Quintana Roo; as well as at a number of universities.

Several comrades spoke about our new newspaper Revolución Comunista, which has already reached its second issue and aims to bring revolutionary ideas to more areas of the country and serve as a collective organiser.

Additionally, our publishing house, Centro de Estudios Socialistas Carlos Marx, allows us to print a wide range of books, from classics and contemporary Marxist books to political education pamphlets on various topics.

Our work is sustained primarily by our ideas, but also by the financial strength of the organisation, which is primarily founded on the regular contributions of our comrades. Ultimately, it is our financial autonomy that makes our political autonomy possible.

We are very proud to mention that during our congress we managed to raise MXN$91,255.50 from the contributions of all our comrades, which will be used to support the work of the organisation over the next year. The target was 80,000 Mexican pesos, which was highly ambitious, but was surpassed thanks to the comrades’ determination and confidence in our ideas.

Comrade Rafael Zavala then introduced a discussion on our work in the class struggle within the workers', women's and students' movement; followed by a series of breakout rooms where these areas of our work were focused on individually.

During the Congress we were accompanied by a number of organisations, it is worth mentioning the greetings received from the Frente de Escuelas Democráticas Febrero 25 and the Grupo 19 de Noviembre from San Juan Ixhuatepec.

The Congress was full of lively and thorough discussion of the tasks and perspectives of our new organisation, involving comrades at all levels. As Jorge Martin explained at the closing of the Congress, the comrades are united on all fundamental principles. What marked our Congress was the great confidence in the communist future reflected in comrades’ enormous enthusiasm.

We ended with a unanimous vote for the official founding of the Revolutionary Communist Organisation and a rousing rendition of the Internationale.