Packed event builds stronger ties with Venezuela

By Rebeca Toledo
New York

Published Feb 23, 2005 10:55 AM

A standing-room-only crowd of several hundred people attended an historic event here on Feb. 11. The activity was organized by the Alberto Lovera Bolivarian Circle, Fuerza de la Revolucion, International Action Center, Cuban Solidarity N.Y. and others. It was held at the 1199 Health and Hospital Workers' hall.

The event brought together many differ ent movements for an evening in solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution of Vene zuela. It was dedicated to the memory of Malcolm X, Ossie Davis and James Forman.

Speakers included former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark and author Jane Franklin.

The highlight of the night was back-to-back speeches from representatives of the Venezuelan and Cuban governments.

First up was Dr. Carlos Alvarado, vice minister for social development in Venezuela. He explained that he was in New York to attend the 10-year celebration of the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration to eradicate poverty.

The Bolivarian government under President Hugo Chávez in 1998 "started to change the laws and the structure of the government and declared that it was responsible for the basic rights of the people: housing, education, healthcare, jobs, women's rights and Indigenous rights." The social indicators in 2000 and 2001 quickly started to show a decrease in poverty in the country.

"When we continued our march toward eradicating poverty, invoking the people to be participates in history and challenging the very core of the powerful, we were met with a coup attempt in 2002 and work lockouts at the end of 2002. This can be called nothing but terrorism," Alvarado stated. "This was organized by a minority in the military and the government and of course it was supported by U.S. imperialism. All those who carried out these acts of terrorism are mostly living in the U.S. now, with some living in Colombia. We ask, who then really supports terrorism?"

Instead of giving in to the tremendous pressure it faced, in 2003 the Venezuelan government turned to developing social programs that would raise the standard of living of the people. "Mission Robinson has raised literacy to 80 percent in less than a year. Mission Barrio Adentro has brought healthcare to the most excluded sectors for the first time; 15,000 Cuban medical personnel have made this possible. Mission Zamora has begun to distribute land to the peasants. Credits have been made available and the peasants have begun to be organized into cooperatives."

'U.S. is destabilizing force'

Marcos Fuenmayor, a Venezuelan representative to the United Nations, spoke next. Responding to a recent U.S. State Department declaration that the Venezu elan purchase of Russian arms will be a destabilizing force in the region, he said, "We consider the U.S. military-industrial complex the destabilizing force in the world. We state again that Venezuela will defend itself against outside threats."

Responding to Condoleezza Rice's comment that Venezuela is having a negative impact on the region, he replied, "Perhaps it is a negative influence for those who want to starve us and declare 'free trade,' which means a concentration of wealth by big capital."

Responding to the recent kidnapping of a FARC leader in Venezuela, he said, "Colombia was used by imperialism. Imperialism's goal is to put Venezuela on the list of states harboring terrorists.

"The Bolivarian Revolution is with all of the oppressed of Latin America, Asia and Africa and the workers in Europe and the U.S. As Che said, 'We are anywhere where the powerful oppress the weak.'"

He continued, "The cost of being the voice of the poor is to be threatened and harassed by imperialism. But we readily take on this responsibility. We do not want a confrontation with the U.S. But we will not let anyone threaten our sovereignty.

"Events like tonight's show us that we are on the right path, the path of history. Imperialism can not stop history," he stressed.

'Political will finds a way'

The Cuban ambassador to the UN, Orlando Requeijo, began by saying, "Venezuela is a vibrant example for all of Latin America and the Caribbean. It is doing everything that goes against neoliberalism. Like Venezuela, Cuba does the exact opposite of what organizations such as the IMF [International Monetary Fund] and World Bank dictate. Our two countries have done more with less resources because of this."

In December 2004, Venezuela and Cuba signed a broad range of accords, including the Bolivarian Alternative for Latin America (ALBA), a direct response to the U.S.'s Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).

Requeijo explained, "ALBA is based on the integrative, complementary use of resources. Some of the things we are trying to do are to end customs tariffs between the two countries, develop industries both in Cuba and Venezuela and we trade in kind or in other currencies. We do not have to rely on the U.S. dollar for anything."

Cuba provides scholarships to Vene zuelans to study in Cuba as well as medical personnel to carry out its missions. Requeijo proudly stated that in 10 years, tens of thousands of Venezuelan medical staff will have been trained by Cuban personnel.

"But I want to talk about what Venezuela is doing for Cuba. Venezuela is providing energy technology to Cuba, providing scholarships to Cuban students for energy training. Venezuela is financing energy and electrical development, road pavement, the building of aqueducts, the maintenance of ports and the sewage system.

"This is the problem, this is the danger to imperialism," he concluded. "The integration of a Bolivarian Latin America is moving forward in a real way. Political will finds a way. Problems are solved when the lines of communication are clear. When there is a clear strategy, victory is certain."

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