COLOMBIA, October 18 —The capitalist class of Colombia has had a 205-year liberal-conservative dictatorship over the working class. The result is a deepening “dependency” on imperialism, especially U.S. imperialism, which robs Colombia of its natural resources. The monopolies are the ones who are really in charge. They decide and order who will govern us, and how they will govern us, with the approval of worldwide imperialism.
The working class can never take power through the ballot box. A few real life examples prove this: Nelson Mandela of South Africa who spent 27 years in prison; Lula Dasilva, a metal worker who governed Brazil for 8 years; Luís Eduardo Garzón, a union leader and ex-mayor of Bogotá and current minister of labor; Michelle Bachelet of Chile, who survived the fascist dictatorship of Pinochet; or most recently Gustavo Petro, ex-guerrilla of the M19 movement and current mayor of Bogotá. These leaders came from the working class but are now instruments of the bosses to oppress workers and maintain capitalism. These examples only reinforce the concept of a bosses’ dictatorship.
The capitalists need elections to convince workers of the fairy tale that says voting can force the profit system to respond to workers’ needs. But that’s not the only reason. They also help to find candidates who are successful at misleading and pacifying millions of workers. For the working class there will be no difference if the candidate is liberal, conservative, or leftist. It does not matter what political party is in power. We don’t need the bosses nor do we need their electoral democracy in power; we say:
Don’t vote, let’s distribute CHALLENGE!
Don’t vote, let’s fight for workers’ power!
Don’t vote, let’s make a revolution and build communism!