El Salvador: Our History Shows Need to Organize Among Soldiers

Workers Discuss Communist Work Among Soldiers here ♦ Integration of Young Comrades in the Army here ♦ Young Comrade Deepens his Commitment here ♦

Rural and Urban Workers, Men and Women, Explain the Need for Communist Work Among Soldiers

EL SALVADOR, September 1— “It’s important to broaden this discussion in the collectives about putting our communist political ideas and knowledge into the military sector,” said L an ex-combatant comrade.

“Our experience in the civil war,” L continued, “was in forming cells (collectives). The people with more experience had begun talking to young people. Then they sent them to the barracks. Those people came back having already graduated with military ranks. They became part of the instructors of the military forces in the FMLN.”

“Do you want to be part of the ICWP International Military Political Committee?” a comrade asked him.

“Of course. I have already been to the Military Committee forum.  I think it is a big step forward,” he answered.

In a meeting with comrades from the countryside, we concluded we need to organize also in the rural communities, where most of the young people who join the army live.

“You see, it is important that when young people go to the army, they already have communist ideas. These political and ideological principles are key to be able to organize inside,” said P, another former combatant.

These comrades’ historical accounts, with examples of comrades who joined the FMLN guerrilla army while in the national army, show that at certain moments soldiers can be won over to revolutionary ideas and turn their arms against the oppressor.

Soldiers come from the families of the urban working class and from farmworkers’ families. In the communist system, soldiers will fight for the interests of our class, not for the interests of the exploiters.

We must win soldiers and workers to the idea of fighting for communism. There is no other option.

Workers in Key Factories Give Leadership in the Struggle for Communism

During a recent meeting, M, a young worker, stated, “Some co-workers are thinking of joining the army, but they see it as an economic opportunity. But I think it’s a good idea for organized youth to do it.”

We must create collectives wherever we have communist work, and we need to promote class struggle. Capitalism incessantly shows its face through imperialist wars, genocides, sexism, and discrimination.

V, a young worker, said, “I have soldier friends who tell me that they joined specifically because of the economic aspect, and they do not see in the army comrades from the city. We must make sure that young people who can enter are already won over to communist ideas to achieve our objective.”

“To be able to organize for the communist struggle, social relations are vital. You must talk with the workers, with neighbors, to have friends at school, at work, in the hospitals— wherever we are,” said Comrade Z.

E, a worker attending the meeting for the first time, but who had participated in the May Day marches, said, “We need to train ourselves politically but also put it into practice. That is, we need to be communists in practice.”

“I agree. That means being very active in organizing more workers and distributing Red Flag. All of us here can give leadership, which is so necessary for the advancement and growth of our party,” Comrade Z stated.

It is an illusion to think that the lives and conditions of the workers will improve under capitalism. Fascism is intensifying, the product of the capitalist crisis. The imperialists are clashing in wars for their profit interests.

The war in Gaza, a product of these interests, has greatly impacted workers’ lives. Millions around the world are mobilizing against capitalism’s atrocities. It is an opportunity to massify communist ideas.

“Can you imagine if all the workers stopped working for one hour all over the world? The system would tremble, because it is the workers who produce all the wealth. We are the ones who carry out production,” said S.

At a crucial moment of the revolution the workers, men and women, will take control of the factories and produce what is needed. That happened in the Bolshevik revolution with the industrial workers of the Putilov factory who built and took up arms and joined the revolutionary struggle.

Let’s build a mass ICWP for Communism!

Mobilizing the masses, especially key groups, in the struggle for communist victory: Why the integration of young ICWP members in the Army is important

During the civil war in El Salvador, many soldiers of the army deserted and joined the guerrillas. One of the main reasons was that they disagreed with their superiors’ orders, which threatened the security of the civilian population.

This historical fact shows that the soldiers come from and belong to the families of the rural areas and less favored urban sectors, where poverty is greatest. Where workers’ vital primary needs are exploited by capitalism, keeping them enslaved to increase the capitalists’ wealth.

A comrade ex-guerrilla fighter commented on the importance of organizing young ICWP members who are prepared to join the army, to share ideas and achieve a change of thinking in favor of the struggle.

However, the comrade said, these young people must be convinced of the ideology, develop a sense of belonging and identity with communism, and begin to carry out the internal work.

Therefore, the political training in the families is important, so that there is that ideological identification. So that the children grow up with communist theory and practice, with examples of this in their own family. Then they will become convinced and continue working and now forming part of ICWP.

The factory workers are also important, in the first place because they are the most exploited in the capitalist system. The organization of the men and women workers historically achieved a lot. So, this work is fundamental in the struggle for communist victory. If workers suspended their work for an hour, they would cause the capitalist economic system to suffer significant damage. They are unquestionably important.

A comrade factory worker believes that, thanks to the knowledge she is receiving about communism, she is eliminating the erroneous ideas that were instilled in her family of origin. Now her ideas are about the importance and necessity of learning and organizing in the factories for the communist struggle for the future of families and society. Where we can live in dignified conditions with opportunities for all, where the common good prevails.

The other part is that all members and supporters of the International Communist Workers’ Party play an important role in mobilizing the masses to guarantee that new members join every day. This work includes reading and distributing Red Flag, until the consolidation of the communist victory is achieved.

—Comrade Health worker in El Salvador

Young Comrade Deepens his Commitment to ICWP

I am a young comrade with communist ideology, following in the footsteps of my family, I have attended several meetings and conferences of the International Communist Workers Party and now I can say that I am a member of our party by conviction and with the desire to continue forward.

In a meeting when I had doubts and wanted more information different from what I was receiving from my family, a comrade gave me her support and knowledge. That made me feel good.

These meetings make me question the society we live in and think about the change we need.

An international comrade in this last meeting asked me if I or my friends would like to belong to the army and what I thought about it. At first the question took me by surprise. I had not thought about it or raised questions about it. But then I thought it is a great strategy to be trained, and that at the right time young people can be useful and essential in a communist revolution.

I really enjoyed this meeting listening to all the comrades about the need and importance of organizing in the military. I want to continue learning how to be a good communist. I will continue to participate in ICWP party meetings.

Read our Pamphlet:

“Soldiers, Sailors and Marines: Crucial for Communist WorkersRevolution” here

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