🕊️Jorge Bergoglio, Pope Francis, has passed away at age 88. The first Latin American pope made history with his defense of progressive ideas about the role of women, his sharp denunciation of capitalism, socioeconomic inequality, and militarism, and his support to the Palestinian people.

Bergoglio, before becoming Pope Francis, faced criticism for the Catholic Church's silence and support of the Argentinian military dictatorship.

As Pope, Francis was a fierce defender of oppressed people everywhere, especially those facing the brunt of US imperialist attacks like the Cuban and Palestinian people, and also the masses struggling to survive under neoliberal capitalism. "The first task is to put the economy at the service of peoples…The economy should not be a mechanism for accumulating goods, but rather the proper administration of our common home." He took it upon himself to upgrade the Church's teachings and open its arms to a radical view of Catholicism, "liberation theology."

#PeoplesHistory | Today marks the birth anniversary of Vladimir Lenin—revolutionary titan, architect of the Soviet state, and theorist whose analysis of imperialism still ignites anti-colonial struggles worldwide.

A century later, his praxis echoes in struggles against exploitation, from picket lines to liberated zones.

#PeoplesHistory | Today, we honor Olga Benario, a fearless German-Brazilian communist leader who fought fascism until her last breath.

Born in Munich in 1908, Olga Gutmann Benario joined the Communist Youth at just 14 years old. By 20, she orchestrated a daring armed raid on Berlin’s Moabit prison, freeing Otto Braun, a communist professor accused of treason. She escaped to Moscow, where continued her studies and activities.

In 1934, the Communist International (Comintern) assigned her a critical mission: to protect Luís Carlos Prestes, Brazil’s revolutionary, on his return to Brazil amid the Vargas dictatorship. Posing as a wealthy Portuguese couple, they traveled from New York to Brazil—and during their fake honeymoon, fell in love for real.

But in 1936, after a failed insurrection, Prestes, Benario, and their comrades were captured by Vargas' forces. Olga, pregnant with Prestes’ child, was deported to Germany and handed to the Gestapo in a chilling act of Nazi-Brazilian collaboration.