Communist parties in Brazil and Greece strengthen cooperation ties

On the second day in Athens, the Brazilian delegation was invited to travel to a neighboring city, called Perissos, where the KKE headquarters are located. There they were able to take a guided tour accompanied by an old friend of the Brazilian communists, comrade Nikos Seretakis, member of the central committee, councilor from the neighboring city and fluent in Portuguese.

The KKE headquarters building is a significant space not only for the party’s internal organization, but also for the training and mobilization of members and supporters. The site houses an extensive library, historical archives, as well as meeting and conference spaces, as well as accommodation for officers. The architecture of the headquarters reflects a functionalist style, symbolizing the party’s sobriety and pragmatism.

After the visit, a bilateral meeting took place between the secretary of international relations of the KKE, Eliseos Vagenas, and the secretary of international relations of the PCdoB, Ana Prestes. From the Greek side, the centuries-old history of party struggles, the tactics adopted to fight for political spaces of power and current views on world reality were presented. Ana Prestes also shared a little about the trajectory of the 100 years of communists in Brazil and the party’s current positions on the political, economic and social situation in Brazil and Latin America. Reflections were also exchanged on the international communist movement and the possibilities of exchange between Red Festivals and KNE-Odigitis.

KNE International Seminar

On the 18th, an international seminar promoted by KNE took place with the participation of several youth organizations invited to the Festival. In the auditorium of the KKE headquarters, participants had the opportunity to listen to interventions by Greek comrades on their analysis of the current world reality and the challenges of the Greek people. Subsequently, a dialogue between the panel and participants allowed the exchange of ideas and the establishment of the most important points for the development of common struggles.

Visit to the Kaisariani Shooting Range

International delegations also visited the Kaisariani Shooting Range, on the outskirts of Athens. This place is a symbol of Greek resistance against Nazi occupation, due to the massacre of 200 communist fighters on May 1, 1944. During the visit, participants were able to visit the museum, the courtyard where the extermination took place and the monuments erected in memory to the victims. The Kaisariani massacre is remembered as an important milestone in communist resistance against fascism and Nazism, preserved in the militant memory of new generations of Greek communists.

Participation in the International Festival City

During the festival, like all the invited international organizations, the PCdoB also had its “stand”, set up in the International City, highlighting the flags of Brazil and the UJS (União da Juventude Socialista). This space allowed dialogue with other young people, the presentation of their own material and the promotion of ideas from Brazil. The newsstand also served as a base for the distribution of Jornal Vermelho, specially prepared for European festivals, containing the PCdoB’s opinion on themes of the national and international situation, as well as a presentation of the party’s current struggles and challenges.

International dialogues and impressions

The dynamics of the festival made it possible to hold dialogues and exchange views between international delegations. The Brazilian delegation held significant conversations with representatives from Cuba, Cyprus, Lebanon, India, Portugal, Canada, Palestine, Germany, Italy and the World Federation of Democratic Youth (FMJD).

Meeting with the World Peace Council

PCdoB maintains a long tradition of working in favor of world peace. Ana Prestes had a conversation with the current executive secretary of the World Peace Council (WPC), Iraklis Tsavdaridis, in which they discussed the situation in Brazil, Greece and international issues such as the war between Russia and Ukraine, in addition to the genocide in Palestine. In November, there will be an important meeting of the CMP executive board in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Bilateral Meeting with KNE

After the end of the festival, Ana Prestes and Tiago Alves, member of the PCdoB National Youth Commission, held a bilateral meeting with a member of the KNE National Commission. The objective was to thank the reception at the festival and exchange experiences to strengthen the activities of communist youth around the world. They also discussed the need to quickly hold a general assembly of the FMJD and to hold a World Festival of Youth and Students.