On May 7 and 8, we held the Second International Congress on the Victims of Communism in Madrid, in collaboration with the CEU Institute of Historical Studies. The opening lecture, titled “Silence, the Enemy of Freedom,” was delivered by Ana Blandiana, recipient of the 2024 Princess of Asturias Award for Literature. In her speech, Blandiana offered a powerful reflection on historical memory as a tool of resistance against communist totalitarianism. She defended literature as a form of social struggle and recalled that, in countries under communist rule, freedom was not a legal right but an act of heroism. She also stated that one of communism’s most devastating crimes was the destruction of collective memory: “Memory is the backbone of any society, and as it is destroyed, society becomes a soft monster.”

The event was inaugurated by Alfonso Bullón de Mendoza, President of the San Pablo CEU University Foundation and Director of the CEU Institute of Historical Studies; Elio A. Gallego, Director of CEU-CEFAS; and José Luis Orella, Director of the CEU Chair in History, Memory, and Identity. Bullón de Mendoza emphasized the need to critically reassess all totalitarian ideologies, noting that “Spain is not a country that has been unaffected by the effects of communism.” Elio A. Gallego warned against the tendency to oversimplify evil in history by identifying it solely with fascist regimes. Such a reduction, he argued, prevents recognition of other forms of totalitarianism and evil, while also hindering the recognition of different forms of good. He stated, “Only by moving beyond this ideological and reductive framework that leads us to view evil in a one-dimensional way can we begin to recognize the various forms of good.” Likewise, José Luis Orella highlighted the centrality of human dignity and the role of the Church in defending freedom against totalitarianism. He reaffirmed a commitment to truth, stating that “what unites us all is the struggle for freedom—but a freedom that is rooted in the values and natural dignity of the human person.”

Communism in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

The first roundtable, titled “The Iron Curtain: Crimes and Repression in Eastern Europe,” featured Jan Stanislaw Ciechanowski, Professor of Contemporary History at the University of Warsaw, who emphasized that “Communists disguise themselves with the slogan of liberating the proletariat, thereby legitimizing all their actions.” Ádám Dergán, Deputy Director General of Hungary’s Committee of National Memory, stated that “it is essential to have institutions dedicated to studying the facts and preserving memory so that the atrocities of the communist dictatorship are not forgotten.” Finally, George Bologan, Ambassador of Romania to the Holy See, addressed the audience, warning that “totalitarian regimes destroyed human sensitivity. Communism replaced religious transcendence with the promise of immanent salvation.”

The second lecture of the day, titled “Kazakhstan: Epicenter of the Gulag in the Soviet Union,” featured Aldiar Mukitanov, Attaché at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Spain, who stated: “Remembering these events is not about dwelling on pain, but about valuing the peace, dignity, and freedom we enjoy today”. Raimbek Toktaubayev, Counselor at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Spain, also spoke, offering an overview of the labor camps in his country. He pointed out that “there are still significant discrepancies in the reported number of labor camps that were established. This calls for systematic and thorough research.”

Iberoamerica and communism

The following roundtable, titled “The Revolutionary Explosion in Ibero-America,” featured Regis Iglesias, spokesperson for the Christian Liberation Movement (Cuba), who stated: “Times of change are coming—favorable to democracy, the family, and Christianity. But we must remain vigilant not to fall into extremes and to keep the human person at the center“. Marco Miyashiro, Chief of the Special Intelligence Group of the Anti-Terrorism Directorate of the National Police of Peru, emphasized that “the true fight against terrorism in Peru began in the 1990s and was won through the legitimate force of the State.”

Finally, Víctor Hugo Malagón, expert in politics and international relations and Vice-Rector for Institutional Relations at Sergio Arboleda University (Colombia), stated that “leftist revolutions have used violence as a method of political action,” and stressed that “the true revolution in Ibero-America must be a moral renewal based on respect for freedom.”

Wednesday’s session concluded with the lecture “Peru in Darkness: We Resist with Hope” by Peruvian filmmaker Luis Enrique Cam. During his presentation, the representative of the “We Resist with Hope” project reflected on the impact of terrorism carried out by Shining Path and the MRTA in Peru, and how these events led society to reflect on its responsibility in preserving historical memory. “Our goal is to honor the victims of terrorism and to promote intergenerational dialogue,” he stated.

The congress continued on Thursday, May 8, with the first roundtable, titled “The Mutations of Revolutionary Expansion in the World“. Juan Carlos Jiménez, Professor of the History of Thought and Social Movements at CEU San Pablo University (Spain), argued that “in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Western societies experienced a re-ideologization of their youth.” Julio Borges, Doctor of Philosophy, lawyer, and former President of the National Assembly of Venezuela, stated that “when we talk about communism, we are not talking about politics, but about a religion in which politics becomes God. This religion seeks to create heaven on earth.”

Finally, Edgardo Pinell, a lawyer and journalist exiled in Spain from Nicaragua, told the audience that “the Sandinista groups allowed no opposition; they operated against the law and outside the law. For them, there is no democratic principle to respect.”

The need of truth

The session continued with the lecture “Against Oblivion: The Need for Historical Truth,” delivered by Rajmund Fekete, Director of the Institute for the Study of Communism (Hungary). The Hungarian speaker warned about communism as a totalitarian ideology that promises paradise on earth at the cost of erasing the past and destroying individual freedom. In this regard, he pointed out that its legacy remains alive in Western culture and universities, emphasizing the importance of preserving memory so that new generations understand the value of freedom: “Communism was a religion with its own bible, a faith that demanded erasing the past in order to promise paradise on earth,” he cautioned.

The second roundtable of the day, titled “Revolutionary Terrorism in Europe,” featured Ricardo Martín de la Guardia, Professor of Contemporary History at the University of Valladolid (Spain), who shared with the audience that “since 2018, Germany has had an office for victims of terrorism, and the Ministry of the Interior pursues all terrorists operating clandestinely, even after decades.” Marco Falvella, President of the International Association of Victims of Terrorism and himself a victim of terrorism (Italy), stated that “we must share memory and seek truth and justice, but also send a message of peace and non-violence.”

Finally, Carmen Cordón, daughter of Publio Cardón—who was kidnapped and murdered by the GRAPO—shared her testimony and noted that “in one month, the murder of my father, Publio Cardón, will be subject to the statute of limitations, and since there is no body, the GRAPO terrorists who killed him cannot be convicted.”

Next, the panel titled “The New Left of the 21st Century: Woke Ideology and Other Totalitarian Currents” took place. Mike González, Senior Fellow at The Heritage Foundation (USA), shared that the situation in the United States is changing with the arrival of President Trump: “Private companies are pleased that, with Trump’s victory, they no longer have to comply with woke objectives,” he stated.

Vajk Farkas, Director of the Madrid office of the Center for Fundamental Rights (Hungary), warned that “the dynamic between European institutions and Hungary is that they want to impose neo-Marxist ideologies on us, and our refusal leads to us being canceled.” The panel concluded with the intervention of Alejandro Peña Esclusa, founder of the Union of Democratic Organizations of America (Venezuela), who explained the situation of progressive policies in Latin America: “If drug trafficking and organized crime were defeated, the São Paulo Forum would collapse. 21st-century socialism translates into turning America into a region dominated by drug trafficking and crime,” he asserted.

The congress concluded with the closing lecture, “The Survival of Communism Today: North Korea,” delivered by Doohyun Kim, Social Networks Associate for the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea. Kim shared his story and escape from North Korea, highlighting the abuses and inhumanity of the totalitarian communist regime. Kim explained to the attendees that “freedom is a gift and carries a responsibility: to be the voice of those who cannot yet speak.” For this reason, he feels compelled to expose and raise global awareness about the situation in his country. Finally, the speaker delivered a message about our duty to know the truth and do everything possible to fight against these regimes: “I do not want the world to look away from North Korea,” Kim concluded.