Bolivia , Songun ,Juche and the road to socialism-special article by Dr Dermot Hudson

                                           

The world progressive community has roundly condemned the pro-imperialist coup'd etat against the progressive government of President Evo Morales and his Movement Towards Socialism which had ruled Bolivia since 2006 , a total of 13 years . Morales , a reformist , nationalised energy resources and recently nationalised lithium resources . It is this move that many think caused the imperialist planners and policy makers to order the overthrow of Morales and his replacement with a pro-imperialist reactionary puppet regime . Of course this is not the first time a progressive government in Latin America has been toppled by the imperialists and reactionaries , one can cite the cases of Goulart in Brazil who was overthrown in a CIA orchestrated military coup in 1964 , the infamous coup in Chile in September 1973 which saw the overthrow of the elected President Allende and more recently the unsuccessful attempts to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.It is truly outrageous that the US imperialists , big multi-national corporations and cliques of far-rightists are able to conspire to overthrow sovereign governments.
   Many are calling for solidarity with President Morales and protests are being organised . However one may caustically observe that some of those calling for solidarity with Bolivia did not call for solidarity with People's Korea against US and UNSC sanctions as well US inspired psychological warfare .However it is positive that wide sectors of the world progressive community are opposing the coup in Bolivia.
                       

 What were the deeper reasons for the overthrow of Morales by the pro-American fascist plotters and what lessons can the DPRK offer to Bolivia ?. Morales was a reformist who pursued the strategy of the peaceful road to socialism . There are similarities with Allende in Chile who was a personal friend of the great leader President KIM IL SUNG and a supporter of People's Korea. Allende was the elected president of Chile and pursued a left reformist policy . President KIM IL SUNG met a delegation of the Popular Unity grouping of Allende , a year or two before the coup that overthrew Allende and resulted in his tragic death .President KIM IL SUNG had a frank talk with the delegation and advised them as follows " If you want to get a grip on the power, you must have the control of the military and police.
The government is defended by the army and police. Winning the power does not mean easy solution of all problems immediately... You can hardly say you have got the full control of the power unless you have got a complete control of the military and police...“It is true that Allende has become President by forming a united front and implementing the ‘strategy of peaceful transition.’ The  strategy of peaceful transition,’ however, is the one of importance in the effort to snatch the power. Once you have got the power, you have to take hold of the military and police first of all in order to bolster the power. The power depends on the gun. So, you have to take control of the army and police ahead of all things if you want to grip the power completely."
 (quoted in "Echoes Down the Century " Pyongyang FLPH  2014).
  Basically Morales and his party the Movement Towards Socialism had failed to gain control of the police and armed forces who turned against the government at a crucial moment . In the DPRK state power is in the hands of the people and the armed forces of the DPRK are guided by the Workers' Party of Korea and are the revolutionary armed forces of the party , revolution and working class . As respected Marshal KIM JONG UN said " Leadership of the Party is the lifeline of the KPA, and its might is inconceivable separated from the leadership of the Party. The general direction ahead of the KPA is one, that is, to advance straight forward with guns leveled in the very direction our Party indicates." 
                                  

 Some ignorant Western critics of the DPRK' Songun (military first) think that Songun rule by the military but nothing could be further from the truth ! In the DPRK the revolutionary armed forces are under the leadership and guidance of the Worker's Party of Korea . I have seen at military parades the flag of the Workers' Party of Korea  flutters proudly on tanks and vehicles of the KPA .
   The DPRK's Songun policy is a good example for anti-imperialist and progressive countries . Rather than being faced with imperialist coups and colour revolutions the DPRK is able to to negotiate on a level playing field with the imperialists . Thanks to the DPRK's nuclear deterrent the US ended up begging the DPRK for negotiations.
   The Songun policy of the DPRK , the Juche and the revolutionary line of self-reliance mean that the DPRK is standing proud and tall in East Asia defying all attempts by the imperialists at "regime change "  as well the draconian sanctions of the imperialists .It can be said that a missile test a day keeps the imperialists away ! When former socialist countries in Europe and elsewhere capitulated and fall by the wayside , the DPRK upheld the red flag of socialism . Similarly  other progressive anti-imperialist countries are toppled by the imperialists , the DPRK will continue to march along the road of socialism and independence !
Dr Dermot Hudson
Chairman Juche Idea Study Group of England
President Association for the Study of Songun Politics UK
Chairman UK Korean Friendship Association
Chairman British Solidarity Committee for Peace and Reunification on the Korean Peninsula.