【Note: This article is a transcript of the Gonzalo Tiger Prison Speech video translated and produced by the association. While watching the video, I found Gonzalo’s speech very inspiring, fully expressing his consistent revolutionary optimism as a Marxist. Thinking that many comrades might not have seen that video, I directly transcribed the transcript. If everyone who follows the Marxist path can uphold this unwavering revolutionary faith, then the demise of the capitalist system will surely accelerate!】
“Daily News”: Have you ever been discouraged?
Chairman Gonzalo: No. I believe I have an almost innate optimism, and I focus more on understanding and advocating issues rather than feelings or discouragement. On the contrary, I think I am very optimistic, and it is Marxism and Chairman Mao who teach us that the people, especially Communist Party members, are all optimists. Whenever I encounter difficulties, I try to find the positive aspects or the tiny possibility that the problem can be advanced under these circumstances, because nothing is completely black, and nothing is completely red. Even in the face of major setbacks—although we haven’t experienced them yet—there is always a positive side, and the key is to learn from them and continue working on that basis. You will always find support, enthusiasm, and help for your struggle because Communism unites people.
“Daily News”: Do you fear anything?
Chairman Gonzalo: Fear? I think fear and non-fear are a pair of contradictions. The key is to establish our ideology and unleash our inner courage. It is our ideology that makes us brave and gives us courage. In my view, no one is born brave; it is social and class struggle that makes people and Communist Party members brave—it is class struggle, the proletariat, the Party, and our ideology. What is the greatest fear? Death? As a materialist, I know life will end one day. For me, the most important thing is to be an optimist, firmly believing that the work I am committed to will be continued by others until our ultimate goal—Communism—is achieved. Originally, I feared that we would have no successors, but when people have confidence in the masses, that fear disappears. Ultimately, the most terrible thing is not to believe in the masses but to believe oneself is indispensable, the center of the world. I think it is like this, and if a person is forged by the Party with proletarian ideology—mainly Maoism—he will understand that the masses are the creators of history, the Party initiates the revolution, history’s progress is inevitable, and revolution is the main trend, then his fear will disappear. The remaining thing is the satisfaction of contributing with people and laying the foundation for the day when Communism will illuminate the entire Earth.
Chairman Gonzalo’s speech shines with the light of victory before the whole world!
Peruvian Communist Party—Lima Branch
September 24, 1992
Comrades of the Peruvian Communist Party!
Soldiers of the People’s Guerrilla Army!
People of Peru!
Let’s see the reality clearly: we are now at a historic juncture. At this moment, we must concentrate our strength to overcome difficulties, unwaveringly achieve our goals, continue our tasks, and attain final victory. All this must be realized!
The struggle in the trenches[1] is also part of the fight. We fight as children of the people because we are Communist Party members—we must defend the interests of the people, defend the principles of the Party, and defend people’s war[2]. This is the cause we are engaged in and will continue to pursue!
The current situation is this: some believe we are defeated. I say they are dreaming! Let them keep dreaming! This is just a small twist on the long road forward. This road is long, but we will reach the end, and we will win. You will witness this!
We must continue to advance the work outlined at the Third Plenary Session of the Central Committee[3]. Glorious plenary! These tasks have already been implemented. We will continue to implement the fourth strategic development plan to seize power through people’s war. We will also continue to formulate the sixth military plan[4], to advance the process of seizing power. We will keep going, this is our task! We undertake such tasks because of our own nature and responsibility to the proletariat and the working people!
We clearly state: the road of democracy has now gradually developed into a path of liberation—the path of people’s liberation! We are growing in this context. We should view this with a historical perspective: let us stop closing our eyes and ears, let us look at reality, at the history of Peru, and learn from the past three centuries—eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries—and draw lessons from them! Those who do not understand these historical lessons will remain blindly ignorant, and ignorant people do not serve our homeland.
We believe the lessons of the eighteenth century are very clear. Now let us examine this: at that time, the rulers were Spaniards, and their parasitic colonial rule led Peru to where? To heavy disaster, and ultimately, Peru was divided. Bolivia was born from this. This is not a lie we made up; it is a fact.
So, how about the nineteenth century? At that time, the British controlled Peru. Their conflicts with France led Peru to where? To another heavy disaster, to the war with Chile in the 1870s. We must never forget this disaster! And what happened after this war? Despite heroes and people’s sacrifices, we lost territory and suffered a great defeat, and our homeland was divided. We must learn lessons from this!
How about the twentieth century? In the twentieth century, we were ruled by imperialism, mainly U.S. imperialism—this is a well-known fact. And where did it lead us? It reminds us of the 1920s—at that time, the Peruvian people suffered the heaviest disaster in history. What should we think after learning lessons from the past centuries? Now, the Peruvian nation is again in danger, our homeland is precarious, and the territory is on the brink of collapse. Foreign interest groups can take everything easily.
The situation is like this: they caused us to be in our current predicament. But now, the situation is different; now we have the Peruvian Revolution and people’s war. This revolution is booming and will continue to move forward. And what stage have we entered now? We have entered a stage of strategic stalemate! We must understand this deeply; this is a strategic stalemate strengthened and consolidated during this critical period. What does the twelve-year people’s war prove? It proves to the whole world—especially the Peruvian people—that the old Peruvian state is nothing but a rotten paper tiger, and this is obvious!
Therefore, let us consider the danger of our nation and state being divided. Our nation is in peril. They want to dismember and divide it. Who wants to do this? As always, it is imperialists, exploiters, and rulers. So, what should we do? What is our current task? It is very appropriate now to promote the people’s liberation movement through people’s war because the people, only the people, are the defenders of the state and the nation. The time to organize the People’s Liberation Front has come, and the time to form and develop the People’s Liberation Army by the People’s Guerrilla Army has also come. This is what we are doing and will continue to do! And you, gentlemen, will become witnesses.
Finally, listen to this: as we see, Maoism is surging with unstoppable momentum worldwide, leading the new wave of the world proletarian revolution. Those with ears should listen! Those with brains should think! Stop talking nonsense! Stop chaos! Think carefully about all this! What is booming? What do we need? We are transforming Maoism into real power, arming the Communist Party with Maoism, and leading the upcoming new wave of the world proletarian revolution.
They often sell that stupid, hollow phrase—the “peaceful new era.” Where is such peace? In Yugoslavia? Or somewhere else? It is purely a lie; everything has become politicized. The reality today is: the ambitious men who launched the First and Second World Wars are preparing for a Third World War. We should see this, and as oppressed peoples, we are just part of the spoils. We absolutely disagree with this! We have had enough of imperialist exploitation! We must end it! We belong to the Third World, which under certain conditions is the base of the world proletarian revolution—that is, with the guidance and leadership of the Communist Party! This is what we must do!
Our idea is as follows: next year will mark the 100th anniversary of Chairman Mao’s birth. We must celebrate this centenary! We are preparing celebrations with various Communist parties. We hope to celebrate this centenary in a new way, with a deep understanding of Chairman Mao’s importance in the world revolution. Our celebrations will start this year and end next year. It will be a grand festival. I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the international proletariat, oppressed nations of the world, and the international revolutionary movement.
Long live the Peruvian Communist Party!
Victory to the people’s war!
Salute to the soon-to-be-born Peruvian Republic!
We say: Glory belongs to Maoist-Marxist-Leninist-Maoism!
Finally, we shout: Honor and glory belong to the Peruvian people!
Refers to the struggle of the Peruvian Communist Party in prison. The Peruvian Communist Party members call the reactionary prison the “glorious trench” ↩︎
People’s war generally refers to all revolutionary wars for the benefit of the people, with the masses as the main combatants. Here it refers to the revolutionary war launched by the Peruvian Communist Party on May 17, 1980, to liberate all of Peru and establish a Peruvian People’s Democratic regime ↩︎
This meeting was held in March 1992, where the Peruvian Central Committee emphasized the importance of internal party line struggle and mainly discussed how the North Zone Committee of the Peruvian Communist Party should carry out people’s war and seize power through armed struggle ↩︎
Refers to the specific military plans approved at the Third Central Committee meeting regarding how the North Zone Committee of the Peruvian Communist Party and other party organizations should carry out the movement to seize power armed ↩︎