Party for Socialism and Liberation facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Party for Socialism and Liberation
Abbreviation	PSL
Leader	Central Committee
Founded	June 18, 2004; 21 years ago (2004-06-18)
Split from	Workers World Party
Headquarters	San Francisco, California Washington, D.C.
Newspaper	Liberation News
Ideology	Communism Marxism–Leninism
Political position	Far-left
International affiliation	International Peoples' Assembly
Colors	Red
Members in elected offices	0
Politics of the United States Political parties

The Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) is a communist political party in the United States. It was formed in 2004 when some members decided to leave another group, the Workers World Party.

The PSL calls itself a revolutionary socialist party. This means its members believe that capitalism (an economic system where private companies own and run businesses) must be replaced with socialism through a revolution. To work toward this goal, the PSL takes part in protests, runs candidates in elections, and teaches people about its political ideas.

Some of the party's well-known members include Claudia De la Cruz, Eugene Puryear, Gloria La Riva, Jodi Dean, and Michael Prysner.

What the Party Believes

A PSL supporter at a protest against the 2021 killing of Ma'Khia Bryant.

The PSL follows the ideas of Marxism–Leninism, a form of communism. The party's main goal is to end capitalism and build a socialist society. They believe that the U.S. government is controlled by the "capitalist class," or wealthy business owners, and that only a revolution can change this.

Ideas for the Country

The PSL has a list of demands for changing the United States. They want the government to take control of the 100 largest companies. They also want to make it illegal for companies to make a profit from workers' labor.

Other goals include:

• A guaranteed job and income for everyone.
• Free healthcare and childcare for all.
• Public housing with rent that is no more than 10% of a person's income.
• An end to all fossil fuel and nuclear power use.
• A national power grid based on clean, renewable energy.

The party also supports equal rights for all people, no matter their gender or background.

Ideas About the World

In world affairs, the PSL wants to cut the U.S. military budget by 90%. They also call for closing all American military bases in other countries and stopping U.S. aid to Israel.

The PSL has shown support for the governments of North Korea and China. The party views North Korea as one of the few countries that is a true alternative to the global capitalist system. It has defended North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

The party also supports China's government but has criticized some of its economic changes. The PSL has defended China's human rights record and denies that peaceful protesters were harmed during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.

The PSL supported Russia's takeover of Crimea in 2014. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the PSL did not support the invasion but said that NATO and the U.S. were to blame for causing it.

Party History

PSL protesters at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

The Party for Socialism and Liberation was created in June 2004. Members in San Francisco left the Workers World Party because they felt its leaders could no longer work toward building socialism. Some of the PSL's founders were Richard Becker, Brian Becker, Gloria La Riva, and Eugene Puryear.

Over the years, the PSL has been involved in many protests.

• In 2020, several PSL members were arrested during protests in Aurora, Colorado, related to the killing of Elijah McClain.
• After the conflict between Israel and Hamas began in October 2023, the PSL organized many rallies to support Palestine.
• The PSL also helped organize and participated in the June 2025 Los Angeles protests.

In May 2025, a former PSL member named Elias Rodriguez killed two workers at the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. The PSL released a statement saying it did not support the shooting and that Rodriguez had not been a member since 2017.

Organization and Related Groups

The PSL is a "democratic centralist" party. This means that once the party makes a decision, all members must support it in public, even if they disagreed in private. The party's leaders are chosen by a Central Committee, which is selected at a Party Congress held every few years.

The PSL is closely connected to several other organizations.

• ANSWER Coalition: This is an anti-war group. Many of its leaders are also members of the PSL.
• BreakThrough News: This is a news outlet. Many of its anchors and editors are leaders in the PSL.
• The People's Forum: This is an event space in New York City that hosts the BreakThrough News studio.

Many of these groups receive funding from Neville Roy Singham, an American businessman who lives in Shanghai, China.

Elections

The PSL often runs candidates for president, Congress, and local offices. So far, no PSL candidate has won an election. They usually appear on the ballot as members of the Peace and Freedom Party or as independent candidates.

Presidential Elections

The PSL has nominated a candidate for president in every election since 2008.

• 2008, 2016, 2020: Gloria La Riva was the presidential candidate. Her best result was in 2020, when she received over 86,000 votes.
• 2012: Peta Lindsay was the candidate.
• 2024: Claudia De la Cruz was the candidate. She received over 171,000 votes.

Other Elections

PSL members have also run for the U.S. House of Representatives, governor, and other state and local positions, mostly in California. While they have not won, some candidates have received thousands of votes. For example, in 2021, Cathy Rojas ran for Mayor of New York City and received nearly 28,000 votes.

See also

In Spanish: Partido Socialismo y Liberación para niños

• History of the socialist movement in the United States
• Democratic Socialists of America
• Freedom Road Socialist Organization
• Socialist Alternative (United States)
• Communist Party USA
• Green Party of the United States