https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/2661b19d-9c5a-4e3c-8107-57a9a701d493 On this day, January 17, 1961, Patrice Lumumba, the leader of the anticolonial struggle in the Congo and its first democratically-elected prime minister, was removed from prison and murdered in the dark of night by a firing squad acting with the approval of the United States and Belgium. He was 35. Though not a socialist, Lumumba’s demand that the Congo should control its own extensive mineral wealth proved to be his death sentence. In an August 18, 1960, meeting of the National Security Council, US President Dwight Eisenhower told CIA chief Allen Dulles that Lumumba must be “eliminated” so that the Congo would not become “another Cuba.” Belgium, the former colonial ruler, saw Lumumba as a threat to their continued economic stranglehold over the Congo’s vast resources. Belgian officials coordinated with the CIA, supplying funds, expertise, and local collaborators to ensure Lumumba’s removal. The two powers worked together to install a puppet regime that would protect their imperialist interests. On January 17, 1961, Lumumba and two of his associates, Maurice Mpolo and Joseph Okito, were tied to trees and gunned down one by one. Weeks later, when questions surfaced over the official version of Lumumba’s death—that he had been killed by enraged villagers after attempting to escape—the Belgians returned, exhumed the bodies, hacked them up, dissolved them in acid, and kept as souvenirs Lumumba’s teeth and bullets removed from his body. Lamumba’s murder exemplifies how imperialist powers, particularly the United States, have historically intervened in nations striving for socialist ideals and true independence. From orchestrating coups to supporting oppressive regimes, the U.S. has consistently undermined movements challenging capitalist hegemony. Lumumba’s legacy endures as a symbol of resistance against imperialism and the ongoing fight for self-determination. Watch Hakim’s “Every Leader The US Has Assassinated” episode on Means TV to learn more. #trending #viral #capitalism #imperialism Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:37:25 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://tankie.tube https://tankie.tube/lazy-static/avatars/3ba3ff73-a8b6-49c9-add8-9653ef090c7f.webp https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/2661b19d-9c5a-4e3c-8107-57a9a701d493 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://tankie.tube/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.