Communist Party of Ecuador

Communist political party in Ecuador)

Communist Party of Ecuador

Partido Comunista del Ecuador

Abbreviation| PCE
General Secretary| Winston Alarcón Elizalde
Founded| May 23, 1926
Headquarters| Quito
Newspaper| El Pueblo
Youth wing| Communist Youth of Ecuador [es]
Union Affiliate| Ecuadorian Workers Confederation
Ideology| Communism
Marxism–Leninism
Political position| Far-left
National affiliation| United Front (2014-2018)
Regional affiliation| São Paulo Forum
International affiliation| IMCWP[1]
World Anti-Imperialist Platform[2]
Colours| Red
Party flag
Website
pcecuadorcc

* Politics of Ecuador
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The Communist Party of Ecuador (Spanish: Partido Comunista del Ecuador) is a communist party in Ecuador that split from the Socialist Party in 1930, after having been a part of the PSE since the party's inception in 1926. The party still maintains it's founding year as 1926. The party publishes El Pueblo, the general secretary is Winston Alarcón and the youth wing of the PCE is the Communist Youth of Ecuador [es]

## History[edit]

### Background[edit]

Main article: Socialist Party – Broad Front of Ecuador

One of the origins of left-wing radicalism in Ecuador can be traced back to the Montonero Alfarista Guerillas of the Liberal Revolution of 1895, which was influenced by indigenous leaders like Jesús Gualavisí and Ambrosio Lasso. Gualavisí was an Indigenous leader from Cayambe and founding member of the Socialist Party of Ecuador (PSE)[3]; Lasso was a member of Alejo Sáes' army and leader of the Battle of Chuquirá in 1935.[4][5] The events of the 1922 Guayaquil general strike and July Revolution led to the foundation of the Socialist Party in 1926, from cells that were organized in 1924. A ''Communist Section" existed within the socialist party, which was coordinated by Mexican diplomat Rafael Ramos Pedrueza [ru] which became the Communist Party of Ecuador.

### Beginnings[edit]

Before the establishment of the PCE, the PSE gained membership to the Communist International, at the behest of the party's leadership in 1928.[6] An internal discussion within the PSE arose over the organization's Marxist position and its potential alignment with the International led by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. As a result, the Communist Youth Federation was founded in 1929 during an expanded National Council of the PSE. On January 6, 1931, the leadership struggle within the PSE reached a turning point when seven members, including Leonardo Muñoz and Enrique Terán, left the organization. These members briefly adopted the name Communist Youth. In October 1931, during its Second Congress, the PSE officially affiliated with the International and changed its name to the Communist Party (PCE).[7] In 1933, the PCE gained legal status and participated in the 1933 Ecuadorian presidential election, with general secretary Ricardo Paredes Romero running as their candidate, obtaining 1.09% (696) of the vote[8]

During the May 28 Revolution [es], the Communist Party of Ecuador took an active role in the coup, as party member Nela Martínez orchestrated the takeover of the Government Palace, and for four days she was in charge of the Ecuadorian government.[9] Following the Revolution, Pedro Saad Herrería [es] assumed an advisory role to José María Velasco Ibarra

The Third Congress took place clandestinely in May 1946, led by Paredes Romero, following Velasco Ibarra's self-proclamation as dictator and the dissolution of the 1945 Constituent Assembly. During this Congress, Paredes Romero made his first significant self-criticism regarding his "politics of alliances." He acknowledged the erroneous prejudices about "imperialist monopolies" and "semi-coloniality," and dismantled the "Browderite" positions within his ranks.[10]

### Sino-Soviet Split[edit]

Main articles: Sino-Soviet split and Marxist–Leninist Communist Party of Ecuador

In 1946, after the failure of the alliance with conservative José María Velasco Ibarra, the party lost its legal registration and was forced underground, with the consequent imprisonment of numerous members. The party was made legal again a few years later, under the presidency of Galo Plaza. Following the 1963 coup d'état and junta, The party was criminalized again, and during this second stage in hiding, it experienced its major split, which later became established as the Marxist–Leninist Communist Party of Ecuador (PCMLE) in 1964.[11]

The Sixth Congress of the PCE declared the urgent need to create a 'Social and National Liberation Front' as a tactical objective, advocating for a non-peaceful path towards Socialism without specifying the forms of struggle to be employed by the Party (whether legal, illegal, or clandestine). This stance led to ideological conflicts within the PCE.

As a result, two sects emerged: one led by Rafael Echeverría Flores, who joined the party after the May 28 Revolution [es], and the other by the party's old guard under Pedro Saad Herrería [es]. The ideological struggles were further complicated by regionalist tensions exacerbated by CIA infiltration and the failure of a guerrilla project [es] on the banks of the Toachi River in the Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas Province, culminated in the division of the party and the founding of the PCMLE.[12]

Philip Agee, former CIA agent, wrote a book detailing the infiltration of the PCE. He claimed the PCE was the "most organized force" of the Ecuadorian left in the 1960s, and that targeting the Communist Party of Ecuador was the CIA's primary objective in the country. The CIA carried out various actions, including burning the party library and staging attacks against church leaders. The Agency's most prominent action in infiltrating the PCE was surrounding Provincial Committee of Pichincha leader Rafael Echeverría Flores with informants. Agee's book, "Inside the Company: CIA Diary" identifies these informants as Mario Cárdenas, Atahualpa Basantes, and Luis Vargas. After the subsequent formation of the PCMLE, some of these agents followed Echeverría in leading the new party but were expelled in 1966 due to repeated accusations of being police informants.[13]

### Government of Rafael Correa[edit]

In November 2010, Edwin Pérez, the general secretary of the Communist Youth, was killed in an attack by a far-right group.[14]

In 2012, the party experienced another split when members of the "Communist Youth of Ecuador" were expelled for engaging in activities not authorized by the Central Committee. These expelled members subsequently formed the Ecuadorian Communist Party [es] (ECP). The ECP focused primarily on Socialism of the 21st century and Hugo Chávez's Bolivarianism. The communist party joined Correa's United Front in 2014.[15]

## Popular Democratic Union and the Broad Left Front (FADI)[edit]

The communist party was legally recognized until the 1960s, maintaining its existence but forming other political structures that represented it electorally, the first of these being the Popular Democratic Union. During the 1968 Ecuadorian general election, the party nominated Elías Gallegos, who obtained 2% of the vote. [16] For the 1978–79 Ecuadorian general election, the Party changed the name of the "Popular Democratic Union", to the "Broad Left Front" (FADI). Candidate René Maugé [Wikidata] obtained 4.74% of the vote.[16]

In the following 1984 Ecuadorian general election, both the Socialist Party and the PCE both fielded presidential candidates, Manuel Salgado for the PSE, who came in last place, and René Maugé for the FADI, who came in eighth place. 1984 marked a turning point for the communist party as in subsequent elections, FADI began to decline in electoral strength, and the PSE began to grow.

In 1995, the Socialist Party of Ecuador and FADI merged to form the Socialist Party – Broad Front of Ecuador. During the subsequent internal restructuring, the Socialist Party gained greater influence, leading to the Communist Party losing its electoral representation.

Logo of the Broad Left Front

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* v
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* e

1. ^ "20 IMCWP, Participants List". SolidNet. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
2. ^ "Palestine Declaration: From the river, to the sea, Palestine will be free!". World Anti-Imperialist Platform. 26 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
3. ^ "Class and Ethnicity in Rural Movements in Cayambe, Ecuador". www.yachana.org. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
4. ^ "Guamote". YebOol. Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
5. ^ Telégrafo, El (27 November 2013). "Ambrosio Lasso, el 'Coronel' de los indígenas". El Telégrafo (in European Spanish). Retrieved 22 June 2024.
6. ^ Manuel, Aguirre (1985). Marx before Latin America. Quito Institute of Economic Research of the Central University of Ecuador. p. 84.
7. ^ Rodas Chaves, Germán (2000). La Izquierda Ecuatoriana en el siglo 20 [The Ecuadorian Left in the 20th Century]. `{{cite book}}`: line feed character in `|title=` at position 25 (help)
8. ^ Nohlen, Dieter, ed. (2005). Elections in the Americas: a data handbook. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-925358-6. OCLC 60559519.
9. ^ "Las cenizas de Nela Martínez arriban hoy a la Capital". El Universo (in Spanish). 4 August 2004. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
10. ^ "Juventud Comunista del Ecuador - Pichincha-: Antecedentes: las Luchas de Nuestro Partido". web.archive.org. 9 June 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
11. ^ Quintero, Rafael (2005). Electores contra partidos en un sistema político de mandos (1a ed ed.). Quito: Abya-Yala : ILDIS, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Proyecto Regional Amazonia Sostenible. ISBN 978-9978-22-542-4. `{{cite book}}`: `|edition=` has extra text (help)
12. ^ Pichincha -, Juventud Comunista Del Ecuador- (martes, 22 de diciembre de 2009). "Juventud Comunista del Ecuador: LA CIA EN EL ECUADOR (DIVIDE Y VENCERÁS)". Juventud Comunista del Ecuador. Retrieved 2024-06-24. `{{cite web}}`: Check date values in: `|date=` (help)
13. ^ Agee, Philip (1976). Inside the company: CIA diary (Reprinted ed.). Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-004007-4.
14. ^ "Ecuador: Muere líder de la Juventud Comunista de Ecuador". Red Eco Alternativo (in European Spanish). Retrieved 25 June 2024.
15. ^ "15 organizaciones políticas son parte del frente Unidos | Secretaría Nacional de Gestión de la Política". web.archive.org. 15 March 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
16. ^ a b Nohlen, Dieter, ed. (2005). Elections in the Americas: a data handbook. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-925358-6. OCLC 60559519.

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Political parties in Ecuador

Registered|

* Democratic Center
* Popular Unity Movement
* Patriotic Society Party
* Citizen Revolution
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Not registered|

* Communist Party of Ecuador
* Communist Party of Ecuador – Red Sun
* Marxist–Leninist Communist Party of Ecuador
* Workers' Party of Ecuador

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* Alfarista Radical Front
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