Presented by Lisa Armstrong on behalf of the CPUSA International Department to the National Committee meeting, January 31, 2026.

Greetings from the International Department to members of the National Committee and guests here today.

As you all know, the aggressive new tactics of U.S. imperialism spelled out in the Trump regime’s National Security Strategy are being put into practice in Venezuela, Cuba, and Greenland. In addition, new threats of intervention are being made against both Columbia and Mexico to force them to adhere to US demands or face the wrath of the U.S. military. The National Security Strategy heightens threats of world war and creates an even less secure and violent world.

The Trump regime’s Strategy, while marketed as an “America First” policy, is a blueprint for U.S. imperialism and global domination rather than a genuine national security plan. Essentially, the Strategy advocates for the U.S. to seize and control any assets it desires in the Americas under the false pretext that doing so strengthens U.S. security. However, most importantly, the Strategy blocks access to these resources from other competing world powers. The Trump regime’s aggressive imperialist tactics include the use of military invasion, pay-to-play tariff extortion, and the division of the world into spheres of interest. This new imperialist landscape creates a dangerous world of heightened imperialist competition among the world’s most powerful, and heavily armed, countries.

We have seen this policy expressed in the invasion of Venezuela and abduction of the Maduros, the threats of invading and taking Greenland, suggestions that the U.S. military act within the borders of Mexico, and generalized threats against Colombia and Nicaragua. Most recently, on January 29, 2026, Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency focused on Cuba, asserting that the Cuban government poses an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security and foreign policy due to its alliances with “hostile” states and fabricated claims of Cuba’s support for terrorism. The order establishes a mechanism to impose additional tariffs on imports from any country that directly or indirectly supplies oil to Cuba, effectively pressuring third-party nations to cut energy shipments and deepen Cuba’s fuel crisis.

This executive order is a cruel and illegal escalation of the decades-long U.S. economic war against Cuba. It is an act of collective punishment against the Cuban people. The claims made in the order are imperialist hypocrisy used to legitimize economic terrorism. In reality, the true threat to regional stability is U.S. imperialism itself. The fuel blockade is intended to create extreme hardship to break Cuba’s revolutionary spirit and the people’s resilience that protect the social achievements gained through their revolution.

We call on all members of the CPUSA to participate in their regional and local peace movements, trade unions, and grassroots coalitions against U.S. imperialism. If there is not an organized peace movement near you, build the coalition! Comrades, there is extreme urgency to make our voices heard.

We want to change directions here, and focus on important news within our movement. Our world communist movement continues its work on behalf of the working class struggle. Parties in most countries continue to grow, and large amounts of youth are joining and leading the struggle adding a fresh new outlook from a demographic who sees no real future in capitalism. Highlights from recent reports by the International Department Research group are listed below.

India

Beginning on January 19, 2026 the 50,000 strong Red Flag Long March began in Charoti, Maharashtra to Palghar, walking for 35 miles over two days. Thousands of women were mobilized by Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s mass front of women, the All India Democratic Women’s Association, the majority of whom are from indigenous communities (Adivasi) in the state. Also participating are the communist-led mass movements of students (SFI), youth (DYFI), trade unions (CITU) and agriculturalists (AIKS). The march is led by the CPI(M) in preparation for the district and local elections.

Their demands center the rights of indigenous people with the implementation of the Forest Rights Act and demands for government and religiously held land to be given to the people working the land (a demand known in India as “land to the tillers”). This march is the outcome of months of struggle, including a 30,000 women rally in November and a 25,000 person rally in October.

Nepal

On Sunday, January 25, 2026 our fraternal party, the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist), won 8 of 18 seats up for election in the National Assembly Election. This despite the media narrative that they were forced out of office in a popular revolt which was in actuality a color revolution instigated by right-wing forces. Following their win of 8 seats, the CPN-UML stands third largest with eleven seats total. The Nepali Communist Party (an alliance of splinter groups and Maoists outside of our fraternal unified Party and who supported the coup) fielded candidates in all open races, but won none of the races. This election is a clear loss for the NCP. The CPN-UML remained stable in its National Assembly representation. The general election will be held on March 5, 2026.

Communist Party of Denmark

According to the Communist Party of Denmark, Greenland’s continued dependence on Denmark is rooted in a history of colonial subjugation rather than free choice, and while Greenlanders alone have the right to determine their future, Denmark cannot shirk its historical and political responsibilities. As climate change accelerates Arctic ice melt, Greenland’s geostrategic importance has surged, driven by shifting trade routes and intensifying competition over natural resources—dynamics shaped by global monopoly capitalism rather than the actions of any single political actor.

The growing tensions surrounding Greenland reflect powerful financial and imperial interests, exposing the hypocrisy of Denmark’s diplomatic posturing toward the United States while it continues to function as a colonial power and an uncritical participant in the US-led NATO alliance, having long facilitated American military presence in Greenland and elsewhere. In doing so, Denmark contributes to global instability and reduces Greenlanders to pawns in a ruthless, exploitative, and war-prone imperial competition for markets, raw materials, and power.

From this perspective, the DKP argues that confronting the capitalist, anti-people system in all its forms is essential, stressing that international alliances are driven by self-interest rather than goodwill, and calling for an unequivocal defense of Greenland’s right to self-determination and a clear rejection of all foreign interference.

Iraqi Communist party

The Iraqi Communist Party has voiced grave concern over the rapidly worsening situation in northern and eastern Syria after talks between the Syrian interim authorities and the Syrian Democratic Forces collapsed, triggering a return to armed confrontations, the takeover of key strategic areas by government forces, and a deepening humanitarian crisis marked by mass displacement around Aleppo.

The Party warns that this dangerous shift from dialogue to violence threatens de-escalation efforts and undermines the achievements of the Autonomous Administration, long regarded as a pillar of stability and a key force in counterterrorism. It also highlights alarming security breaches, including the loss of control over detention facilities such as Al-Shaddadi Prison and Al-Hol Camp and the escape of ISIS elements, developments that pose a direct threat to Iraqi national security.

In response, the Party reaffirms its solidarity with democratic forces and the Kurdish people in Syria, stressing that genuine recognition of Kurdish national rights through serious dialogue is essential to Syria’s stability and unity, and calls on all Syrian national forces to reject authoritarianism, militarization, and foreign intervention in favor of a democratic, just, and inclusive political solution.

The International Department will continue to broaden its research and continue supporting unity in our international movement.

Images: CPUSA members in Detroit protest the invasion of Venezuela and kidnapping of the Maduros. CPUSA; Tens of Thousands in the CPI(M)-AIKS Nashik March Celebrate Republic Day on the Highway to Mumbai with Enthusiasm. CPI(M) on X.