Several different

far-left Far-left politics, also known as the radical left or the extreme left, are politics further to the left on the left–right political spectrum than the standard political left. The term does not have a single definition. Some scholars consider ...

-oriented organizations in

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

refer to themselves as communist (''comunista'') parties, movements, organizations, groups, etc. Some are still active, under their original or other appellation, some have merged or split, and some have ceased operating.

Brief history

The oldest

communist party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. A ...

is the

Peruvian Communist Party The Peruvian Communist Party ( es, Partido Comunista Peruano, abbr. PCP) is a communist party in Peru that was founded in 1928 by José Carlos Mariátegui, under the name Peruvian Socialist Party (, PSP). The party changed its name in 1930. In ...

(''Partido Comunista Peruano''), founded in 1928 by

José Carlos Mariátegui José Carlos Mariátegui La Chira (June 14, 1894 - April 16, 1930) was a Peruvian writer, journalist, politician and Marxist–Leninist philosopher. A prolific author despite his early death, El Amauta (from Quechua: hamawt'a, "teacher", a nam ...

, under the name Socialist Party of Peru (''Partido Socialista del Perú'').Peru
Broad Left website In 1930, the name was changed to Peruvian Communist Party. Jorge Del Prado was the party's

General Secretary Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...

between 1966 and 1991. Currently, the General Secretary is Roberto de la Cruz. The main political base of PCP-Unidad is currently located at Plaza Ramón Castilla,

Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...

and is led by Renán Raffo Muñoz. PCP publishes ''Unidad'' ("Unity") and ''Nuestra Bandera'' ("Our Banner"). Another party that also considers itself the Communist Party of Peru is the Partido Comunista del Perú – Patria Roja,http://www.patriaroja.org.pe founded in 1970, and now, as of 2006, headed by

Alberto Moreno Alberto Moreno Pérez (; born 5 July 1992) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left-back for La Liga club Villarreal. An academy graduate of local side Sevilla, he made his senior debut for the club's reserve side in 2011 befo ...

. It descends from the mainstream faction of PCP-Bandera Roja, which, in turn, originated as a

Maoist Maoism, officially called Mao Zedong Thought by the Chinese Communist Party, is a variety of Marxism–Leninism that Mao Zedong developed to realise a socialist revolution in the agricultural, pre-industrial society of the Republic of Ch ...

faction within the Partido Comunista Peruano. Both PCP-Bandera Roja and PCP-Unidad are named after their traditional press organs. The name "PCP-Unidad" is an informal designation; the official name of the PCP-Unidad is simply "Partido Comunista Peruano". There was a faction called PCP-Mayoría around 1980: its members considered that PCP-Unidad had taken a

Eurocommunist Eurocommunism, also referred to as democratic communism or neocommunism, was a trend in the 1970s and 1980s within various Western European communist parties which said they had developed a theory and practice of social transformation more rele ...

turn, while they themselves preferred a more hard-line

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

stance. There are a few more groups that also consider themselves the Communist Party of Peru. The best known is the group generally referred to as the "

Shining Path The Shining Path ( es, Sendero Luminoso), officially the Communist Party of Peru (, abbr. PCP), is a communist Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla group in Peru following Marxism–Leninism–Maoism and Gonzalo Thought. Academics often refer to the gro ...

" (a name which the group itself does not use). This armed group, regarded by the Peruvian state as a

terrorist Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...

organization, is an offshoot of PCP-Bandera Roja, having splintered from it in the early 1970s. The "Shining Path" considers PCP-Patria Roja and PCP-Unidad to be revisionist; it has assassinated several of their militants and elected officials.

Political parties that have used the name

The

was founded with the name of ''Peruvian Socialist Party'' (''Partido Socialista del Perú'') by

, and is considered the first communist party in Peru. A number of political parties claim the name and legacy of the original party: *

Communist Party of Peru (Marxist–Leninist) Several different far-left-oriented organizations in Peru refer to themselves as communist (''comunista'') parties, movements, organizations, groups, etc. Some are still active, under their original or other appellation, some have merged or spl ...

Communist Party of Peru – Red Fatherland The Communist Party of Peru – Red Fatherland () is a political party in Peru founded in 1970, through a split in the Peruvian Communist Party – Red Flag. It is led by Alberto Moreno and Rolando Breña. Its youth wing is the Communist Youth o ...

* Communist Party – Red Star *

Communist Party of Peru – Shining Path The Shining Path ( es, Sendero Luminoso), officially the Communist Party of Peru (, abbr. PCP), is a communist Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla group in Peru following Marxism–Leninism–Maoism and Gonzalo Thought. Academics often refer to the gro ...

* Peruvian Communist Party – Red Flag *

Proletarian Party of Peru Proletarian Party of Peru (in Spanish: ''Partido Proletario del Perú''), is a communist party in Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great S ...

Revolutionary Communist Party – Red Trench Revolutionary Communist Party – Red Trench ( es, Partido Comunista Revolucionario - Trinchera Roja) was a communist party in Peru. PCR-TR was formed in 1977, through a split in the PCR. PCR-TR was led by Agustín Haya de la Torre and Jorge Nie ...

Revolutionary Communist Party (Working Class) The Revolutionary Communist Party (Working Class) (Spanish: ''Partido Comunista Revolucionario-Clase Obrera'') was a Maoist communist political party in Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo naci ...

Revolutionary Socialist Party (Marxist–Leninist) Revolutionary Socialist Party (Marxist–Leninist) (in Spanish: '' Partido Socialista Revolucionario (Marxista-Leninista)'', PSR(m-l)) was a political party in Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Es ...

Revolutionary Vanguard (Communist Proletarian) Revolutionary Vanguard (Communist Proletarian) (in Spanish: , abbreviated VR-PC) was a Maoist-oriented political party in Peru founded in 1977 by Eduardo Figari and Julio César Mezzich. It was formed through a split in Revolutionary Vanguard. In 1 ...

Revolutionary Workers' Party (Peru) {{Politics of Peru The Revolutionary Workers Party ( es, Partido Obrero Revolucionario, POR) was the first Trotskyist political party in Peru. Originally known as the Marxist Workers Group, it changed its name in 1946. Early leaders included F ...

Worker Peasant Student and Popular Front The Worker Peasant Student and Popular Front () or FOCEP is a political party in Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State ...

Workers' Revolutionary Party (Peru) The Workers' Revolutionary Party ( es, Partido Revolucionario de los Trabajadores) is a Trotskyist political party in Peru founded in 1978 by a fraction of PST, FIR(IV) and FIR(Combate). Its founding leaders included Hugo Blanco, Hipólito Enr� ...

The United Left movement was a loose alliance of several of these leftist parties that gained a strong political presence in the 1980s.

References

{{Authority control Left-wing politics in Peru

Brief history

Political parties that have used the name

See also

References