Yannis Hotzeas

Yannis Hotzeas (Template:Lang-el) (1930 – 24 October, 1994) was a Greek communist, Marxist theoretician and one of the principal founders of the Greek Marxist-Leninist movement.

Early life

Hotzeas was born in Koroni Messinias Peloponnese, in a poor family. In 1941, his elder brothers are already organized in EPON, the youth organization of the National Liberation Front (EAM) fighting the Nazi occupation forces. In 1943 Hotzeas becomes a devoted and extremely active member of EPON in Athens. The next year, despite his very young age, becomes member of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), according to an exceptional decision of the Party leadership.

Persecutions

Since 1944, Hotzeas takes part in the fights against the Nazi forces and their collaborators. The liberation is followed, in December 1944, by fights against the British army that arrived in Athens and opposed the communist-led National Liberation Front forces. The following two years Hotzeas is arrested and tortured several times, both by the local police and by the British. In 1947, while the Greek Civil War is raging, he is arrested again and exiled in Makronisos and then in other islands. Despite the tortures, he refuses to declare any repentance for his beliefs. For this reason he is kept in exile until 1958.

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