THE 13th National Party Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) was held in Hanoi from January 26 to February 1, 2021 with the theme: ‘Strengthening the building and rectification of the Party and the political system into purity and strength; rousing the will and determination for national development and promoting the strength of the great national unity bloc in combination with the power of the era; continuing to comprehensively and synchronously accelerate the cause of reform; constructing and firmly safeguarding the Fatherland and maintaining a peaceful and stable environment;

THE Communist Party of Italy was founded on January 21, 1921. The October Socialist Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent formation of the Communist International in 1919 under the leadership of V I Lenin inspired and creates the atmosphere for setting up of communist parties in different parts of the world. The Communist parties of China, South Africa, Spain, Portugal etc were all set up in the year 1921.The centenary of the CP of Italy coincides with the 130th anniversary of Antonio Gramsci, one of the most celebrated ideologues of the Communist movement after V I Lenin.

WITH the ongoing peasant struggle in India, the global Indian diaspora, especially those with roots in Punjab and Haryana, people of the Indian descent, are protesting in favour of the kisan movement where Indian farmers are fighting against new anti-farmer legislation which was recently passed by the Indian government. These farm laws were passed without any consultation from farmers, farmers unions or agricultural or environmental experts.

(Vijay Prashad was in Venezuela and Bolivia recently. He was an observer for the National Assembly election in Venezuela)ON November 10, 2019, a coup d’état in Bolivia led to the exile of its president Evo Morales Ayma, a sustained attack – including massacres – of members of the Movement to Socialism (MAS), and the seizure of the state apparatus by the far right. Massacres in Sacaba and El Alto defined the crackdown, as the military and the police colluded with fascist groups such as the Santa Clara Youth Union to intimidate the largely indigenous population of Bolivia.

ELECTIONS to the United States of America had concluded and almost all the results are out (counting is still taking place and a re-counting ordered in Georgia). The elections results are conclusively called in favour of Joe Biden, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, who served as former vice-president during the Obama presidency. After nearly thirty years, an incumbent president was defeated in the US, but Donald Trump is refusing to concede.