Communist Youth of Chile celebrates 94 years of history

The ceremony was led by the president of the Communist Youth, Catalina Lufín, and the president of the Communist Party, Lautaro Carmona, along with the general secretaries of the Communist Youth and the Communist Party, Gonzalo García and Bárbara Figueroa, respectively. 

The event was marked by a festive atmosphere as well as a political statement. Banners bearing the names of José Weibel and Carlos Contreras Maluje, members of the clandestine leadership of the Communist Youth who were murdered during the dictatorship, were displayed at either end of the stage. 

In her keynote address, the president of the Communist Youth, Catalina Lufín, referred to the democratic struggle that must take place in the face of the advance of the far right worldwide, as well as the problems affecting Chilean citizens, which she attributed to the erosion of the current political and economic model. 

“Today, when the foundations of the old world are trembling, we need all those who are willing to dream, to break free from the limits that capital has imposed on our minds, and to propose a socialist alternative that will end the exploitation of human beings. Climate disaster, organized crime, drug trafficking, which is spreading terror among populations, corruption within the public sector: all of this is a symptom of a failed political and economic model,” she stated. 

Along the same lines, Lufín highlighted the growth of the Communist Youth, driven by the recent presidential campaign and its increasing presence in student federations at various universities. However, she cautioned that the challenge extends beyond mere numerical growth. 

“A revolutionary youth is measured by how much it can influence and effectively transform the reality that surrounds it. In that sense, we want to acknowledge the formation of the Jota in Magallanes, which after years of disarray has returned with force to organize the youth of the southernmost part of the country. Likewise, we would like to recognize the students, the leaders of our youth, who have the difficult and beautiful task of leading the rebuilding of the student movement and confronting the far right,” she stated. 

Likewise, the president of the Communist Youth stated that José Antonio Kast's ideas are neither “new nor original” and maintained that the setbacks they seek to impose are part of an international far-right agenda, whose objective would be to roll back social rights for the vast majority to benefit a few. 

For his part, the president of the Communist Party, Lautaro Carmona, highlighted the massive turnout and praised the anti-fascist character of the Communist Youth. 

“We never imagined that it would be so common to consider oneself an anti-fascist youth. And today, from a cultural perspective and in many of the policies carried out by the current government, there are policies of exclusion, policies with a fascist content that cannot be discussed, and this youth, I believe, will prevail,” he stated. 

Carmona also highlighted the history of struggle of the Communist Youth and remembered those who gave their lives during the dictatorship. 

“We have always fought, not just now and not just from the perspective of a particular position, and in that fight we have not measured either the quality or the quantity of this sacrifice. Excuse me, I am close to José Weibel and Carlos Contreras Maluje, but I want to extend that recognition to Miguel Nasch, a young conscript who dared to disobey the order to fire on his brothers and paid for it with his life,” he said. 

Following the activity, the president of the Federation of Students of the University of Chile (FECH), Laura Mlynarz, highlighted the call to strengthen the student and social movement. 

“As students and members of the glorious Communist Youth, we are called upon by the Central Committee to strengthen the student movement and reactivate the social movement, to work with the greatest possible unity because in the face of the right wing, students will be the only ones capable not only of defending our social rights, but also of advancing transformations,” she declared. 

The event culminated organized by the Communist Youth to commemorate their 94 years of history, included mural painting days, a popular cueca dance, and talks with the National Arts and Human Rights Prize winners, Alejandro “Mono” González and Alicia Lira Matus.