2nd Congress of the Communist Party — Brazilian Sector of the Communist International (PCB)

2nd Congress of the Communist Party — Brazilian Sector of the Communist International
Author	PCB
First published	1925
Source	Dinarco Reis Foundation

The Congress took place in May 16–18th, 1925 in Rio de Janeiro. The Communist Party — Brazilian Sector of the Communist International (PC–SBIC) was the historical party which would later become the Brazilian Communist Party.

In addition to the members of the former Central Executive Comittee (6 present), delegates from the organizations of Rio and Niterói (5), Pernambuco (2), São Paulo (1), Santos (2), Cubatão (1) took part in the Congress. The delegation of Rio Grande do Sul did not attend, due to impossibility.

A preparatory session, meeting on the 15th, had regularized the way the Congress operated, appointed the various necessary committees. The entire first session, held on 16 May, was devoted to the reports of regional organizations and the general report of the party. These reports, as well as the general balance sheet of the Treasury of the Central Executive Comittee and some other documents of the II Congress of the PCB will be published later.

We publish here, below, only the theses and resolutions on the items on the agenda and approved by the Congress. Various and insurmountable reasons unfortunately delayed this publication. And it is, so that we do not delay further, that we delete here the one of less importance and urgency.

Resolution on reports

The second Congress of the PCB approves the report of the Secretary-General of the party, in which all the work developed by the Central Executive Comittee (C.C.E.) During these three years of troubled existence of the Brazilian P. C. was exposed.

In general, and in view of the exceptional difficulties faced since its inception by the party, the party, if it did not give everything that could be expected, nevertheless knew how to keep itself on its feet, tenaciously, crossing all the multiple obstacles that arose in the way of its activity. The second Congress recognizes that the Central Executive Comittee, despite certain deficiencies and mutilated though, worked with perseverance and dedication, directing and guiding the party.

As for the reports presented by the delegates of the state organizations, the second Congress notes that only the Pernambuco report gives an idea of constant and profitable activity. The organizations of Santos, Cubatão and São Paulo, especially the latter, resent a lot of deficiency in their practical activity. In fact, only inertia and sloppiness can explain the delay of the communist organization - 12 very few adherents after three years-in a large industrial center like São Paulo. The Congress therefore insists with the comrades of these localities that in the future they develop a more fruitful work of organization and propaganda, conquering for the party the proletarian masses of that state.

Conquer the working masses to communist influence by organizing their conscious and combative Vanguard in the cells of the PCB! – Such the fundamental slogan of the II Congress of the PCB

Conclusions on the national political situation

Thus summarizing the characteristics of the national political situation, the second Congress considers as an immediate political task of the PCB:

I-to carry on the ideological struggle aimed at awakening and crystallizing the class consciousness of the proletariat. Clearly establish, in all political struggles of the country, the differentiation of interests and ideology of classes. Vigorously fight errors, deviations and illusions of both the anarchist extreme left and the socialist (reformist) right.

II-in the midst of political, civil and military struggles, between agrarian capitalism and industrial capitalism, maneuver the proletarian forces as independent forces aiming at their own class interests.

III-in the face of the petty bourgeoisie, the PCB must, without feeding its democratic illusions and ideological confusions, rather by resolutely combating them, strive to conquer or at least neutralize its elements in the process of proletarization and in the struggle against the large industrial or agrarian bourgeoisie. In a word: the PCB, The Party of the working class, must lead the petty bourgeoisie and not be led by it.

IV-with regard to the poor farmers and agricultural workers, a huge mass, numerically predominant in the labor population of the country, imposes on the PCB a policy at a safe and skillful time, in the sense of ripping it off from the reactionary and obscurantist influence. The solution of the peasant problem constitutes the touchstone of the world communist movement. It rises in large numbers in mainly agricultural countries, as is the case of Brazil. Well, nothing has been done between us on this ground. Everything is still to be done. But it is absolutely necessary and urgent to start a serious and shrewd work to solve the question about all serious of the relations of the PCB between the peasant masses of Brazil.

V-all the work to be carried out by the PCB, whether in the field of agitation and propaganda, or in the field of organization and action, must be linked, strategically and tactically, to the world situation, in connection – on the one hand, with the international revolutionary movement – on the other hand, with the struggle against imperialism. General struggle for the U.S.S.R., against imperialism and its capitalist allies or fascist and socialist (reformist) servants. Coordinated struggle in common with sister parties throughout America, particularly against anglo-American imperialism.

The international situation

Analyzing the situation in the world, says the report approved by the second Congress, regarding international slogans:

Against international bourgeois imperialism and especially against anglo-American imperialism in South America.

Against international white terror.

Against South American armament, creating a threat of war between the South American peoples and especially between Argentina and Brazil.

For the international proletarian rapprochement and in particular for the rapprochement of the South American proletariat!

For the world proletarian revolution!

The new statutes

Organizational matters

1. Reorganization — the second Congress approves, in general, the bases adopted at the February conference, held in Rio. However, regarding the structure of the PCB, from the cells to the Central Executive Comittee, certain modifications must be made, according to the experience already carried out and the indications of the new statutes.
2. Statutes — the second Congress adopts, on a provisional and experimental basis, the standard statute for the sections of the Communist International, drawn up by the Bureau of Organization of the executive of the Communist International, on May 4, 1925. Thus, the primitive statutes of the PCB are abolished. the adaptation and definitive adoption of the new statutes will be made by the III Congress. However, a number of adaptation amendments are already indicated and should be accompanied by the publication of the model statute.
3. Service line — these amendments refer mainly to the service line established for the work of direction, coordination and current practice of the PCB seven special services are established, throughout the scale of the Organization of the PCB, from the Central Executive Comittee, and through the region and Zone committees, to the cells, whenever possible, in these last scales; they are the following:
   1. Organization
   2. Agitprop
   3. Treasury
   4. Unions
   5. Cooperatives
   6. Peasants
   7. Youth and women.
      

The first three services are mandatory in the formation of all committees, even the smallest cells.

4. Proportional quotas — an indication is approved authorizing the Central Executive Comittee to examine the issue in detail, deciding definitively. The category of “contributing members " is abolished, since every member of the PCB must, by definition, be an active member working in some basic organization of the same.

Trade union movement

Our task in the trade union field is immense and difficult, but to it we must devote the greatest of our activities. Trade union work needs to be carried out with Method and tenacity, systematically, according to the plan outlined in these theses. The hour is of the intemerate workers, of the active and persevering militants, although modest, who use all the remaining minutes of the hours of daily labor in the collective work of defending the interests of the working class.

For the organization and reorganization of workers!

For national and international unity!

About cooperation

Given that cooperation can offer immediate advantages to communist propaganda and that, in addition, it should deserve special attention of the P. C. as an important factor in the struggle of workers ' resistance, the II Congress resolves:

1. that the working class create a special information and propaganda section on cooperation;
2. that the working class publish, with the necessary language adaptations, the theses and resolutions adopted at the end of 1928, by the Central Executive Comittee, ON cooperation and also publish all the resolutions taken on the subject by the Comintern and Profintern;
3. that the person in charge of the cooperation section circulate this material widely among the sections of the P. C. and among the groups of workers and unions of the country, interested in the issue;
4. that union-related cooperation be adopted and advised, depending on the Union;
5. that cooperation be not only a weapon of resistance to commercial economic exploitation, but a weapon of resistance in the struggle for the complete emancipation of the proletariat.

The organization of Communist Youth

It is no longer necessary to insist on the importance of the Communist Youth for the proletarian movement. The importance of creating the vanguard of the young militants is all the greater now, as its organization obeying the same orientation as the organization of the party, that is, being made on the basis of cells, will conquer the young workers and proletarians within their own workshops and workplaces.

Already at the conference of the enlarged Central Executive Comittee Of The PCB in January 1924, the subject was outlined and the sections were recommended to take care of the Organization of the Communist Youth

Unfortunately, it was only in Rio that this was dealt with in a poor way. However, there is an increasing need to address the issue of the Organization of the Communist Youth

The II Congress of PCB recommends to the sections, a redoubled energy in this branch of the propaganda and Organization of the P. C.

In time the Central Executive Comittee will circulate the informative material on the subject.

Miscellaneous motions The working class

The second Congress of the PCB emphasizes the need to intensify the effort of all party organizations in the direction of support and dissemination, especially dissemination of The working class.

The general acceptance with which it was received within the proletariat, our newspaper, whose circulation is progressively increasing from number to number, well proves the importance of the Communist press in the work of penetration and influence among the broadest masses.

The second Congress indicates, from the outset, as a practical means of helping the newspaper, that everywhere, in the workshops and factories of the cities and farms and mills of the interior, pro-working class committees are formed, dedicated especially to the propaganda and dissemination of our body.

Moreover, these committees will have a twofold importance: at the same time that they will be the most precious aid to the newspaper, they will become true proletarian instruments of propaganda, agitation and organization-paving the way for the formation of party cells and factory committees based on trade unions.

Greetings

The second Congress of the PCB, At the end of its work, welcomes in general all the brotherly parties of the whole world and in particular the parties of the whole of America, with which the PCB must collaborate more closely in the fight against Yankee imperialism; to the neighboring South American parties the Second Congress sends the most fraternal word of solidarity and greeting, indicating to the PCB the need to establish closer and more affective relations with them in the future than before, in view of a common activity, demanded by the same common struggle for the emancipation of the working and peasant masses of South America.

Long live the fraternal union of the communist parties of South America!

Long Live The union of the communist parties of all America in the fight against Yankee imperialism!

Long live the Communist International United in an invincible World block!

Against the national and international reaction

The Second Congress of the PCB protests its indignation against the handling of the national and international reaction, which oppresses and massacres hundreds of thousands of workers.

From the Brazilian workers deported to the Oiapoque to the recent killings led by the Bandit Tsankov in Bulgaria, the international proletariat groans under the weight of the most cynical and brutal bourgeois reaction that history records.

Down with reactionary imperialism and fascism!

Long live world proletarian solidarity, under the aegis of the Communist International!