THE Communist Party of Chile has emphasised that “the main reforms of the government, together with the most pressing social urgencies require an active government and active social movements.

“Our actions as a party in this next period must place at its centre the unity of the government with the social movements as the main tool for transformations.”

In view of the social situation caused by severe economic problems, it was pointed out that “we communists do not want these effects to be paid for by the households of working men and women,” and in reference to worrying levels of delinquency and organised crime, “we cannot wait for transformations of a structural nature of the security apparatus where immediate responses are required.”

Most importantly “the constitutional process must be maintained, preserving the democratic standards that define and assure popular sovereignty.”

The text maintains that “we must place at the centre of our political action the reinstating in all Chileans the vision that a government seeking to implement a progressive programme is not detached from a continuous exercise of popular power, on the contrary, any deterioration in transformational governance prevents and threatens the fulfilment of that programme.”

Regarding the development of a new approach towards a stalled constitutional proposal, the Communist Party central committee believes that “the constituent assembly process must be maintained, preserving the relevant democratic standards it is based on and ensuring popular sovereignty.

“It is necessary to establish that the body mandated to draft the new proposed constitutional text should guarantee a democratic, participatory process of popular, citizen sovereignty.”

As for the dynamics surrounding the current government, its programme and the relationship between the two pro-government coalitions, the Communist Party document argues “it is necessary to strengthen [governing coalition] Apruebo Dignidad as is, without excluding any of its component groups, across all territories of the country, regions and communities.

“We communists must act without prejudice or sectarianism with the parties of democratic socialism, which are necessary to advance the implementation of the programme and the daily tasks of government.

“Acting together in the continuation of the constituent process is a requirement, because, given the correlations of forces in parliament, we are seeing a rise of the right wing and its political-economic power.”

Furthermore, the document states that “the political cycle initiated in October 2019 with the popular uprising, has not yet ended — it is therefore a priority to continue developing an analysis that focuses on short and medium-term measures to prepare us for the continuity of the struggle for a new constitution, to identify and address the risks coming from the right-wing and neoliberal sectors and to strengthen the transformations committed to and implemented by our government.”

On the political opposition and power groups, the text reiterates that “the right wing, big transnational financial capital and the economic groups that concentrate wealth in Chile, are taking the political initiative again and are moving boldly, deploying an offensive that seeks to undermine the democratic advances of anti-neoliberal struggles.

“We recognise the conditions of the severe and cumulative social crisis that the country is experiencing which results in growing poverty — immediate responses are required to alleviate the serious social deterioration.”

The document singles out the priorities to be urgently addressed by the government and the forces of change reiterating the importance of rapidly implementing reforms of legislation relating to taxation, pensions, healthcare and security.

With regard to international relations, the party’s position is clear: “A state foreign policy must be strengthened by prioritising regional integration and unity in order to face this complex world scenario. This means boosting Chile’s efforts to energise the progressive Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) as a conduit for regional integration.” CELAC does not include the US and Canada and in 2020 Jair Bolsonaro withdrew Brazil.

Next year will see on 50th anniversary of the September 11 military coup — it is within this political-historical perspective that the Communist Party of Chile will be developing its political planning.