We publish a declaration of comrades in Greece on the death of Comrade Andreas Vogiatzoglou and also an unofficial translation of a declaration by the Central Committee of the TKP/ML. We send to the Greek comrades and the family of the deceased our condolences. - Editorial Staff of "Dem Volke Dienen"
Our comrade Andreas Vogiatzoglou passed away
In deepest pain we announce that our comrade Andreas Vogiatzoglou, General Secretary of the Central Committee of CPG(m-l) passed away today. Our comrade Andreas fought for a year and a half with cancer, which stroke him for the second time after the decade of 2000 and was beaten despite his brave struggle.
Born in 1955 in Alexandria, Egypt, he moved to Athens at the age of 8 and already very young he encountered and was inspired by the revolutionary communist ideas in a period of great and critical battles for the communist movement. With these ideas he participated in the uprising of November 1973 against the fascist dictatorship in Athens and one year later, when he started his studies in the Department of Chemical Engineering in Thessaloniki, he had already joined the Marxist-Leninist movement and undertook a leading position in PPSP, the students’ organization of OMLE, the predecessor of CPG(m-l). At the 1st Congress of PPSP, in 1977, he was elected in the Central Board and, in parallel, he joined CPG(m-l). During the first years after the fall of the dictatorship, with his stance and activity in the vanguard of the movement in all fronts and matters, he evolved as a top-level party leader in Thessaloniki. He participated in the 2nd Congress of CPG(m-l) in March 1981 and fought against the prevailing line of dissolution. After his military service, he immediately joined the cause of reconstruction of CPG(m-l) and in the 2nd Conference of the Party he was elected in the Central Committee.
In his entire course, from then until today, his offer as a leader has been decisive for the Party, for its decisions and analysis which marked their footprint and contributed to the legacy of the movement and of the peoples’ cause. From the position of General Secretary of the Central Committee, in which he was elected for the first time in the 7th Conference in 2010, he took the lead in the formation of the Party’s political directions and in the battles within the movement to reach the answers needed in the struggle and perspective of the working class and the peoples. His militancy and vanguard leading spirit persisted until a few months before his death, with his active participation int all Party procedures.
Our comrade Andreas has been untamed, militant, in the vanguard in his entire life. He never compromised with the limits in the development of the Party, of mass struggle, of the movement. He was always seeking the terms to displace these limits, to expand the militant and revolutionary potential of the masses. Honest and passionate, persistent and decisive, popular and tireless, enemy of routine and source of liveliness and strength, he was a force of boost, a source of inspiration and duties for all. For the members and leaders of our Party. For the members and leaders of the non-parliamentary Organizations and Parties of the left, against who he acted as a comrade but also demanded their cooperation to produce specific results for the movement and the struggle of the masses. This is how he earned appreciation and respect within militants. With his vivid participation in the struggles in his neighborhood and in broader Attica he earned the love and appreciation of the people. With the same energy and passion, he lead, cared for and supported our relations with the comrades of TKP/ML and with militant-revolutionary forces in the world, always keeping in the foreground of his thoughts internationalist solidarity, friendship and common struggles of the peoples.
Our comrade Andreas, his offer, his inexhaustible power and potential cannot fit into an announcement for his death. Although we were perfectly aware of the severe condition of his health in the last months, it is unbelievable for us that he is gone! In the conditions that all peoples of the world, including our own, are facing today, the loss of our comrade becomes even more painful, because the fight against these conditions demands people made of the material that Andreas Vogiatzoglou was made of, the material of persistent, tireless revolutionary communist of the vanguard!
We, therefore, have good reason to honor Andreas Vogiatzoglou and his offer in the peoples’ cause, in the cause of the struggle for the formation of the revolutionary communist movement that our times demand. We have good reason to continue our struggle even more decisively, inspired by his legacy.
To the companion of his life and our comrade Rena and his daughter Dimitra, who fought and stood by his side every single moment throughout the last difficult months, we extend our deepest condolences and express our warmest support.
Τhe date, time and place of the political funeral of our comrade Andreas Vogiatzoglou will soon be announced.
The Central Committee of CPG(m-l)
Athens 18/10/2022
https://www.kkeml.gr/our-comrade-andreas-vogiatzoglou-passed-away
TKP / ML-CC: ANDREAS VOYATZOGLOU, GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF GREECE (marxist-leninist) IS DEAD!
Our fraternal party KKE(m-l) and the international proletariat suffered a painful loss on October 18, 2022. ANDREAS VOYATZOGLOU, who has been the General Secretary of the KKE(m-l) since 2010, was re-diagnosed with cancer 2 years ago, which he contracted and defeated in 2000, and joined the caravan of the immortals.
Born in 1955, Comrade Andreas was involved in the revolutionary struggle from a young age in the communist ranks. Comrade Andreas, who took part in the November 17, 1973 uprising that led to the overthrow of the Colonels' junta, came to the fore as a youth leader during his university years. In 1981, at the 2nd Congress of the KKE(m-l), he was in an active struggle with his comrades against the faction that tried to liquidate the party. He was elected to the Central Committee at the 2nd Conference in 1983, playing his historical role in the process of rebuilding the KKE(m-l) against the party liquidationism that had occurred. Since then he has been a prominent, active and guiding cadre in raising the red banner of the Greek proletariat.
With the death of Comrade Stalin and later Comrade Mao, it has been in a position that has not taken a step back in the struggle to wave the flag of the International Proletariat in Greece against the revisionist attacks that emerged with the reversals from socialism. During the long periods when the imperialist-capitalist system shouted triumphantly, declared that "revolution and socialism are dead" and the class struggle retreated on a world scale, his party and Comrade Andreas did not hesitate to continue the cause of the liberation of the proletariat. Since 2010, he has shouldered the post of General Secretary, leading and commanding his party in the struggle for revolution, socialism and communism. Until his last breath, he fulfilled the highest responsibility of the party.
Our party TKP / ML knows very closely the approach, solidarity and embrace of the KKE(m-l) led by Comrade Andreas on the basis of internationalism. In 2015, in the international operation against our Germany-based party, the KKE(m-l) under the leadership of Comrade Andreas demonstrated an instructive example of proletarian internationalism with its strong ownership and effective campaign. Again, he examined the right-wing liquidationism that emerged in our Party in 2017 in many ways, subjected it to evaluation and finally led the KKE(m-l) to take a clear position against the right-wing liquidationist factionalism. Comrade Andreas maintained and deepened the historical fraternal relations between our party and the KKE(m-l) during his term as general secretary. Comrade Andreas also has a special meaning and importance for our party.
Our party is saddened by the loss of a very important name for the cause of the sister party KKE(m-l) and the International Proletariat. We will reach his ideal with our persistent, determined march on the route of the Revolutionary struggle, which Comrade Andreas devoted a lifetime to, which is the path of liberation of the working class and the people, which will be crowned with Communism. We salute and embrace his memories, his struggle, his determination and his unwavering stance in the face of his historical responsibilities. His ideals will live on our red route.
- Comrade Andreas is Immortal!
- Long Live Proletarian Internationalism!
- Long live KKE (m-l)!
- Long live our Party TKP / ML, led by TIKKO, TMLGB!
TKP / ML-CC
(Communist Party of Turkey/Marxist-Leninist - Central Committee)
October 19, 2022
