Mexico Seminar XXIII mobilizes against Washington’s offensive in Latin America

Some 99 political delegations from 38 countries, including most of Latin America and much of the world, plus delegates from all over Mexico, participated for three days, April 4-6, filled with political talks, book presentations and chants of solidarity. The occasion was the 23rd Seminar, entitled “Parties and a New Society,” hosted by the Workers Party of Mexico in that country’s capital.

The Seminar agenda follows a standard pattern that includes reports from parties, in government and out, on how to mobilize the population to make the existing society function. It may even be a socialist society like Cuba’s. There were statements from representatives of China, Vietnam and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. There was also room for reports on ongoing struggles.

From the viewpoint of anti-imperialists organizing inside an imperialist country, the key points hit by the Seminar were the following:

1. The absolute necessity to show solidarity with the Bolivarian government of Venezuela in its battle against U.S. imperialist aggression. All the many spokespeople who addressed this current crisis said this solidarity had priority. They saw the attack on Venezuela as also aimed at Nicaragua, Bolivia, Cuba and the sovereignty of the whole continent.
2. The need to critically examine the setbacks brought about in recent years after an imperialist offensive, using varied tactics, brought down progressive elected governments in Honduras, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. These came from military coups, electoral maneuvering and juridical maneuvering. How can we prevent further setbacks and reverse these? The comments were realistic and filled with determination to fight back, including a campaign to free President Lula in Brazil.
3. The Seminar welcomed the electoral victory by Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in Mexico, the one election result that countered the recent setbacks.

This reporter was the only delegate who represented a U.S.-based political party, Workers World Party, and delivered a succinct solidarity statement to the Seminar. The statement warned that however the 2020 election turned out in the U.S., the world should prepare for a continuation of Washington’s aggressive foreign policy. It also reported that Workers World newspaper featured Venezuela weekly on its front page for two months and that on Feb. 23 there were demonstrations in 100 North American cities in solidarity with the Nicolás Maduro government against the provocations by U.S. imperialism and its puppets.