This year's world youth festival to be in Venezuela

By Julie Fry
Chicago

Published Feb 23, 2005 10:57 AM

Caracas, Venezuela, has been designated as the host city for this year's 16th World Festival of Youth and Students, which is to take place in August. The festival, which has been a traditional gathering for young progressives since 1948, usually draws thousands of youth and students from more than 100 countries.

The slogan for this year's festival is "For peace and solidarity--we stand against imperialism and war." Therefore, it is fitting that the festival is taking place this year in Venezuela--a country whose people are standing so strong against imperialism in the face of continuous threats from the U.S. government.

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The Youth of the Fifth Republic (JVR)--the youth organization of the party led by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez--had proposed that the festival be held in Caracas this year. The JVR is organizing all the festival activities in Venezuela.

Venezuelan youth have participated in every aspect of the struggle to defend the Bolivarian Revolution and Chávez from U.S.-backed right-wing forces. Now youth from all over the world will have a chance to show their solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution and with the heroic youth of Venezuela.

Youth and students in the U.S. are already preparing to take a large and broad delegation to Venezuela this summer. A recent meeting of the U.S. National Preparatory Committee for the Festival in Chicago drew over 100 people representing more than 40 youth and student organizations from across the country. They represented a range of struggles--from farm worker organizers to anti-imperialist activists. There are Local Organizing Committees in more than 20 cities already and more still being organized.

The 14th World Youth Festival, held eight years ago in Havana, Cuba, drew more than 800 delegates from the U.S.--the largest U.S. delegation to date. Many of those youth wanted to see the revolutionary process in Cuba for themselves and show their solidarity with the Cuban people.

Similarly, the Bolivarian Revolution is inspiring many young people in the U.S. to take part in this year's festival. The National Preparatory Committee hopes to bring hundreds of youth from the U.S. to support the Venezuelan people and the struggles of youth from all over the world.

The festival will include an anti-imperialist tribunal, artistic and cultural events, and athletic activities.

People interested in participating can contact [email protected].

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