Translation made to facilitate communication among the global working class, by Veredas Criticas, 07/03/2023. The original text can be found here: Um Encontro de Revolucionários e Democratas: 20 anos do Jornal A Nova Democracia
On Saturday, October 8th, the Support Committee for AND - São Paulo held a political and cultural event at the Professional Journalists Union in downtown São Paulo to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the newspaper A Nova Democracia
The physically present audience consisted of people from diverse layers of the population, including young students, workers, children, and the elderly. The atmosphere of fraternity created a welcoming environment among those present, and it was evident that everyone carried a democratic-revolutionary spirit.
Hanging between two pillars in the room, the largest flag present proclaimed a slogan that gains increasing importance each day, considering the successive enclosures that democratic spaces have been facing in the face of the deepening general crisis of capitalism and the intensification of bourgeois-state repression, paramilitary and civil-fascist, both in our lands and around the world.
LONG LIVE TO THE DEMOCRATIC PRESS!
The event began with the performance of the International Anthem by two instruments, trumpet and piano, accompanied by the voice of the audience. Then, the lights were turned off, and an audiovisual material was projected on a screen, which presented, in a simplified manner, the paths taken since the foundation of the newspaper. The images, accompanied by the voice of a female narrator, seemed inspired by a type of surrealism that could only be produced here, representing the diverse subjects of our country in different scenarios that compose this immense territory: urban workers, rural workers on their small properties, poor peasants facing gigantic latifundia, small traders in their harsh daily lives, liberal workers, unemployed individuals, all composing and evoking a world of dreamlike quality, hope, conflict, melancholy, joy, strength, degradation, and class hatred. These frames vividly and inspiring synthesized the subjective and objective reality of our people. Founded in 2002 by journalist Fausto Arruda, in the year that the Workers' Party assumed the executive power in Brazil for the first time, the newspaper emerges as a tool to denounce the injustices faced by our population in every corner of the country and to unmask those who, at that time, claimed to represent the Brazilian people. Since then, with great difficulty and by daring to confront the repressive instruments of our cruel bourgeoisie, the newspaper has spread throughout the territory, finding identification among all those who come into contact with it and suffer under this system of exploitation of human labor and nature. The film evoked various battles, both on Brazilian soil and in the four corners of the world, for the struggle is also global. Genocidal managers of the capitalist Central Countries such as Jorge W. Bush and Biden and their carnage in the Middle East, South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania were exposed. The battles fought by indigenous peoples, peasants in the deepest corners of the country were also mentioned, as well as the outbreak of the June 2013 Struggles, confirming the character of A Nova Democracia of the newspaper.
For 20 years, a vigorous, extensive, and ramified communicating vessel of the Brazilian New Democracy Revolution has been created.
Following the event, a speech was given by the provisional general director of the newspaper, addressing the global and national situations of the class struggle and its economic, political, and cultural expressions at each level. On the global level, the director reminded us that capitalism is always in crisis and, quoting Comrade Stalin, affirmed that the recession we have been experiencing has been dragging on for several years, but in the past three years, a new World Situation has opened up in which Imperialism, mainly the American one, has intensified its offensive against oppressed countries, alongside the crises that are unfolding on their respective soils. As an inevitable response to this process, the masses around the world have risen up in virtually every country, even if many of these waves do not have a revolutionary direction. He said that 2023 will probably be a period of exponential exacerbation of the World Crisis. On the national level, he provided new perspectives on the movement carried out by the Armed Party and its attempt - through the preventive military coup of 2016 - to prevent any movement that tries to counter and break the dominant logic of the "big bureaucratic, comprador bourgeoisie and latifundium," in his words. He also reminded us that this movement may not be in antagonistic contradiction with the possible return of former president Lula to the command of the bourgeois-landlord state and that there is a possibility of the Workers' Party governing, even more so as it has done in the past, in increasing proximity to the generals of the High Command.
A possible deduction seems to be that Lula could be discarded at any moment by the bourgeoisie, latifundium, and officers.
At this point, representatives of Democratic-Popular Movements were called to present concrete examples of the struggles in this situation of intensification of all contradictions within society: comrades involved in the student and secondary struggle in São Paulo, the struggle for housing in Carapicuíba and Santos, the Popular Women's Movement, and the Red Unity, who recounted their battles, concretely demonstrating the scientific validity of several statements previously made by the provisional general director that the current moment, more than ever, is one of the intensification of all contradictions between the Old and the New World. The interventions of the people's fighters also exemplified in their particularities and movements the universal knowledge that circulates in various places and that it is always worth reaffirming here: the elements of the Old State always act in opposition to the interests of the people because they are highly centralized committees, and their tentacles exist solely to serve and fulfill the interests of the ruling classes. Grave cases of violence against people in situations of extreme vulnerability were reported, along with direct and antagonistic struggles against sectors of City Councils, State and National Governments, confirming the Maoist thesis that the path to the revolutionary transformation of reality passes through the creation of a New Type of Democracy founded on the sovereign power of the people through Popular Assemblies. The League of Poor Peasants could not be present, but a letter was sent in support of the newspaper, praising the correctness, determination, and courage of its members, for few major journalistic spaces support and participate in such vigorous struggles as the Struggle for the Brazilian Agrarian Revolution. A brief analysis of the national and global situation was also presented in the League's letter.
An interval was announced for the attendees to have a shared meal. Coffee, milk, bananas, biscuits, bread, and other fruits were offered. In that moment of sharing what is most fundamental and common among living beings, food, conversations were ignited, strengthening the bonds of camaraderie among the Democrats and Revolutionaries. Smiles predominated at this moment of the event, perhaps influenced by the inevitable certainty that in the face of common goals, we are always on the path to Victory, even if it requires failing several times.
To conclude, artistic performances were announced, including a choir called "Canto Geral," inspired by the work of Geraldo Vandré who, according to one of the comrades, "produced the most advanced work in this field of Popular Art, despite having become a reactionary in his private life: The work is done!" Other comrades presented their artistic expressions to enrich the reality.
Long and prosperous life to the Popular and Democratic Press!
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