Mexican Marxists discuss the tasks of revolution at their 21st congress!

On 21 and 22 May, 2022, the congress of the Socialist Left (the Mexican section of the IMT) was held in Mexico City, with about 85 attending both in person and online. The event saw lively and enthusiastic discussions about the national and world political situation, and the tasks ahead for building the forces of Marxism in Mexico and across Latin America!

[Read the original in Spanish]

This event took place in the context of the worsening of the capitalist crisis at the international level, characterised by a fierce imperialist war in the Ukraine. In the economic field, the imperialist tensions and the consequences of the crisis can be felt across the Americas. The war is a symptom of the relative decline of US imperial rule, which is also expressed in increasing conflicts with China and turbulence in other regions.

The effects of this crisis are already spreading throughout the world, and we are seeing economic stagnation combined with runaway inflation. War, disease and famine are all that capitalism offers in the current phase of its existence.

Great enthusiasm

The congress was attended by delegates from Sonora, Chihuahua, Hidalgo, Mexico State, Puebla, Veracruz, Querétaro, Mexico City, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Yucatán and Jalisco. Among the attendees, the comrades from the state of Guerrero and Campeche stood out, as well as trade unionists from the SNTE-CNTE in various sections.

Around 85 comrades from all around Mexico took part at the national congress of La Izquierda Socialista / Image: La Izquierda Socialista

There were also comrades from Teléfonos de México, workers from Mexico City, civil servants, call centre workers, grassroots militants of Morena (political party of the sitting president), and many others.

Also noteworthy was the participation of women comrades, who have actively engaged in all the struggles that have taken place in recent years in the broad women's movement, and belong to the League of Revolutionary Women (la Liga de Mujeres Revolucionarias). Of course, we cannot forget the participation of student comrades from the different states that we have already mentioned, and from the centre of the country; especially the IPN, UNAM and UAM universities. These young comrades brought a spirit of great enthusiasm and high morale to the congress.

The congress has confirmed Izquierda Socialista as the definitive heir to the revolutionary tradition that began in Mexico with the founding of the first group of the International Marxist Tendency, consisting of IPN students organising between 1989 and 1990.

On the first day of the congress, the international situation was discussed. Jorge Martín, a leading member of the IMT, led the session. Emphasis was placed on the characteristics of the war in the Ukraine and its imperialist nature, as well as the deep economic crisis, from which there is no clear way out at this moment.

The discussion at the congress ranged from Mexican and world perspectives to reports on the growth of the IMT / Image: La Izquierda Socialista

A revolutionary road forward is impeded by the absence of the subjective factor; hence the importance of emphasising the need to organisationally strengthen a revolutionary alternative.

Afterwards, national perspectives were discussed. This is a particularly important issue, given that it is necessary to establish a correct position regarding the nationalist government of López Obrador and his reformist policies. The experience of this government basically shows that, within capitalism, any policy of class conciliation only postpones the definitive battles, at the cost of increasing the contradictions of the system.

In this context, while denouncing the character of the right-wing opposition as the most rotten expression of the Mexican oligarchy, we emphasise the need for the absolute class independence of the workers' organisations in defence of their concrete demands, striving for greater cohesion and unity of the different struggles; always pointing, in the context of this situation, to the socialist alternative.

Revolutionary methods and traditions

The next topic of the congress was a report on the development of the International Marxist Tendency, which already extends its activities across the five continents. In the context of the recent pandemic, it managed to double its forces thanks to a bold orientation towards the youth, based on the defence of the ideas of Marxism against so-called progressive trends such as postmodernism, and nationalist and petty-bourgeois deviations.

The first day ended with an analysis of the organisational tasks and different proposals of how to build the forces of Izquierda Socialista.

The mood at the congress was one of enthusiasm and militancy for the battles ahead / Image: La Izquierda Socialista

The second day of the congress dealt with issues of an internal nature, linked to the different fields of struggle for the Mexican Marxists. The maturity and seriousness of the interventions, and the leading role that the different comrades are playing in so many battles of the working class and youth, was remarkable to witness.

Later, the methods of building the organisation, based on democratic centralism, were analysed in detail. Comrades went over our methods, and practical examples of development.

This also involved a historical analysis of the different phases of development of our organisation: the lessons imparted by the triumphs and the crises that we have experienced. This was an especially important discussion, given that most of the members of the organisation today joined in the last period. Is necessary to strengthen the traditions and teachings of the organisation's history.

Finally, we held a successful fighting fund collection, which will allow us to continue building the forces of Marxism in Mexico. We voted on and approved different resolutions of a political and organisational nature that will be decisive to continue advancing the construction of the revolutionary alternative in Mexico and Latin America.