International conference on fascism highlights growing repression in the neocolonies - ndfp info

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) successfully led the 6th International Theoretical Conference (ITC) on May 22–23 in Kathmandu, Nepal, bringing together nearly 200 delegates from 17 countries to examine the theme, “Fascism and Imperialism in Neocolonies in the 21st Century.”

The gathering drew representatives from communist parties, workers’ parties, revolutionary organizations, national liberation movements, party-building groups, and progressive organizations. It served as the second of two consecutive international conferences devoted to the study of fascism in the contemporary period, following an earlier conference that focused on fascism in imperialist and industrialized capitalist countries.

Through discussions of 17 theoretical papers, participants deepened their understanding of fascism as a product of the intensifying crisis of imperialism. Delegates analyzed how imperialist powers and their client regimes employ fascist methods, including counterinsurgency programs, militarization, surveillance, and political repression, to preserve exploitative social relations and suppress popular resistance.

The conference drew from the theoretical contributions of Lenin, Stalin, and Georgi Dimitrov, as well as lessons generated from the NDFP’s previous theoretical conferences. Discussions emphasized the need to understand the historical evolution of fascism in neocolonial societies and to build broad united fronts among workers, intellectuals, peasants, national minorities, and other oppressed sectors to confront and defeat fascist rule.

A key contribution came from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), which presented the paper “Wage the People’s War to Uproot Fascism and Imperialism in Neocolonies.” The paper traced the development of fascism in the Philippines, distinguishing it from the fascist movements that arose in imperialist countries. According to the presentation, fascism in the Philippines was imposed through a neocolonial state structure shaped by US imperialism and reinforced through counterinsurgency doctrines, anti-communist campaigns, and repressive legislation.
The conference concluded with a synthesis of discussions, tributes to martyrs of revolutionary struggles in neocolonial countries, and the singing of The Internationale.

The conference’s analysis finds a striking contemporary example in Bolivia, where a deepening economic crisis has triggered widespread protests by workers, farmers, miners, indigenous communities, transport workers, and teachers. Demonstrators have mobilized against inflation, fuel shortages, austerity measures, and policies perceived as favoring corporate interests at the expense of the people.

Rather than addressing the root causes of the crisis, the government of President Rodrigo Paz has increasingly relied on coercive measures. Authorities deployed thousands of police and military personnel to dismantle road blockades, expanded executive emergency powers, and adopted rhetoric portraying protesters as “narco-terrorists” and agents of destabilization. Trade union leader Mario Argollo faces terrorism charges, while hundreds of protesters have reportedly been arrested.

While the Bolivian government has offered limited concessions, it has simultaneously intensified militarized responses to popular dissent. For many observers, these developments reflect the very tendencies discussed during the NDFP-led conference: the use of state repression, emergency powers, and criminalization of mass movements to preserve an increasingly unstable social and economic order amid deepening crisis.

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