By the Editorial Board Editor’s Note: Since publication, an important article on the elections in Peru was published by the Marxist-Leninist-Maoist online newspaper, Communist International. …
I'm not the most well read on the PCP, so forgive me if this answer is lacking, but the main two things I know were their overconfidence and their unhealthy reliance on their leader. During the height of their conflict with the Peruvian government, they made some very thoughtless mistakes like mistreating the peasantry that they relied on as their base of support. Then once Gonzalo was captured, a good portion of the party was still ready to continue the war, but the upper leadership refused to continue without Gonzalo at the helm and this caused the party to collapse and splinter.
There's definitely a lot to learn from the PCP, both positively and negatively, but I would say if we're reading from their mistakes it would be to follow the mass line, do not get overconfident in the revolution until it has actually succeeded, and ensure the leadership of our movements is flexible and self sufficient.
I'm not the most well read on the PCP, so forgive me if this answer is lacking, but the main two things I know were their overconfidence and their unhealthy reliance on their leader. During the height of their conflict with the Peruvian government, they made some very thoughtless mistakes like mistreating the peasantry that they relied on as their base of support. Then once Gonzalo was captured, a good portion of the party was still ready to continue the war, but the upper leadership refused to continue without Gonzalo at the helm and this caused the party to collapse and splinter.
There's definitely a lot to learn from the PCP, both positively and negatively, but I would say if we're reading from their mistakes it would be to follow the mass line, do not get overconfident in the revolution until it has actually succeeded, and ensure the leadership of our movements is flexible and self sufficient.