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The 16-year-old Swedish activist arrived in Lisbon on December 3, 2019, where she stayed for a few days before leaving for the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 25). Catarina Martins, the national coordinator of Bloco de Esquerda, went to Madrid, to participate in several demonstrations of the counter-summit for climate change.

Irish unity will need time do properly plan and debate, but that respectful discussion is already under way in Ireland - north and south.

Speech by Catarina Martins at the 6th Party Congress of the Party of the European Left, December, 2019

Bloco de Esquerda consolidated its position as the third political force in Portugal, maintaining the 19 MPs it had elected in 2015, with 10,01% and 500,017 of the votes, on an election in which the Socialist Party (PS) won the legislative elections without achieving an absolute majority (36,34% of the votes, electing 108 MPs).

At present times, unimaginable scenarios of human rights violations and misuse of power are developing in several places around the world. As such, although other scenarios of political and social tensions may be developed, let us focus on the present circumstances taking place in Catalonia.

In the European elections of 2019, Bloco de Esquerda affirms itself as the third most voted political force, doubling the number of seats (electing Marisa Matias and José Gusmão) and going from 4.56% to 10.56%.

It must be stressed that the demand of fighting climate change has been on Bloco de Esquerda’s political agenda for a long time, both at the European and national levels, expressed by different voices within the party.

The parliamentary leader of Bloco, Pedro Filipe Soares, mentioned that “the Venezuelan people’s desire to be able to freely and sovereignly decide their future is an aspiration we subscribe”.

It is widely known that the overwhelming majority of domestic violence victims is composed by women, and the number of victims is shocking: since the beginning of 2019, 12 women and 1 child have already been murdered.

The list of Bloco de Esquerda for the 2019 European elections is headed by MEP Marisa Matias, and respects gender parity with 11 women and 10 men. 

Chris Bambery remembers the life of Portuguese revolutionary, Bruno da Ponte.

The 4th edition of the International Ecosocialist Encounters will take place in Lisbon, Portugal, at Escola Secundária Camões, on the 23rd, 24th and 25th of november. This event will have more than 60 speakers from five different continents to discuss proposals and experiences of international ecosocialists.

João Semedo, former co-leader of Bloco de Esquerda, died on 17th July, 2018, after some years fighting cancer.

On the 21st and 22nd of October, political and civil society activists gathered in Lisbon to debate an Alternative for Europe, a Plan B. This is the joint declaration produced by the gathering.

In the portuguese local elections, which ocurred on the 1st of october, Left Bloc grew in the number of votes and councilmen elected.