DEMOCRACY LED BY THE PEOPLE WILL WIN IN VENEZUELA
Newsletter ‘In Movement’ 7 (2024)
Internationalist greetings! Welcome to the seventh edition of the In Movement Newsletter from the International Peoples’ Assembly (IPA) for 2024. This month is marked by the Venezuelan presidential elections, to be held on Sunday, July 28. Contesting this election are the candidate of Chavism and the Bolivarian Revolution, Nicolás Maduro, and nine opposition candidates, among them some representatives of the extreme right, who threaten to promote acts of violence and non-recognition of the electoral results.
Although a peaceful election day with massive participation is expected, we must remain attentive to any attempt of coups or foreign intervention. We will always be on the side of democracy, popular sovereignty and truth.
To learn more about our view of what is at stake in these Venezuelan elections, we invite you to read our statement.
Democracy Led By The People Will Win In Venezuela
The Venezuelan people will hold their presidential elections on Sunday, July 28, in a profound act of democracy and people’s participation. This election occupies a central role in regional and international geopolitics because it is a country that has been building, since 1999, a revolutionary process towards socialism. In response to these initiatives, U.S. imperialism has been conducting attacks against Venezuela through sanctions, attempts at foreign intervention, as well as media campaigns, not only against the government but against the entire people and country.
In the last 25 years, since the government of Hugo Chávez, Venezuela has held more than 30 electoral events–presidential, provincial, local, and constituent. As they say, the Venezuelan people favor democracy driven by people’s protagonism. This election will be no different; the credibility of the electoral process remains strong, with an electronic voting system providing printed voter confirmation, full auditing of votes and polling centers, in addition to hundreds of international observers, among other safeguards.
Ten presidential candidates are participating in this election, including Nicolás Maduro–the candidate for reelection and proponent for continuing the Bolivarian Revolution. There are also nine opposition candidates with different political nuances, including the far right, which is threatening and instigating acts of violence to take place before, throughout,and after the election. The number of candidates and the rigor of the electoral process demonstrate the National Electoral Council’s (CNE) continued commitment to the Barbados Agreements and its provisions on elections and broad participation of legal candidates. However, an international campaign is moving to interfere with the elections, undermining democracy and the right of the Venezuelan people to decide their own future.
At this crucial moment, in which democratic presidential elections and the future of an independent and sovereign nation are at stake, we call on the peoples, social organizations, political parties, people’s movements, and networks to pay attention and to follow the Venezuelan elections. We will not allow any imperialist or fascist attempt at intervention or coup to take place in Latin America. We will always be on the side of democracy, popular sovereignty, and truth!
International Peoples’ Assembly
Updates
Activist in the USA protested against the war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu | On July 24, tens of thousands filled the streets in Washington DC to protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit at the United States Congress following an invitation by leading politicians from both mainstream parties. Chanting “Free, free Palestine” and carrying signs with the messages “arrest Netanyahu” and “end all U.S. aid to Israel,” activists called for an end to the war in Gaza that has killed 40,000 Palestinians. In a statement, The People’s Forum, an organization part of the IPA process, affirmed: “No amount of standing ovations by US Congress could hide the crimes of the Israeli war machine or the complicity of the US government which continues to sponsor it. Despite the extensive barricades and a heavy police presence, including NYPD officers, to suppress protests, the mass mobilization could not be stopped. The raising of the Palestinian flag at Union Station near the US Capitol symbolized a significant shift in public opinion.”
Meeting for a World Social Alternative | The second edition of the Meeting for a World Social Alternative took place in Caracas, Venezuela, on July 23 and 24. The event was organized by the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People’s Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP) and the Simon Bolivar Institute (ISB), and was attended by hundreds of international guests representing movements, parties, collectives and trade unions from around the world. Activists from IPA member organizations participated in the discussions, among them the director of the Tricontinental Institute, Vijay Prashad; the secretary general of the Mazdoor Kisan Party of Pakistan, Taimur Rahman; and the president of the Socialist Party of Zambia, Fred M’membe. The first version of a minimum agenda for joint action to confront imperialism in decline was approved in the first edition of the meeting in April of this year, now this document of the World Social Alternative is going to its second version, still under elaboration. For more information, see albatcp.org.
The war in Sudan – perspectives from the Left | The civil war in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has been raging on for over a year. This conflict has caused tremendous destruction and devastation to Sudan, displacing over 10 million people and putting 70% of the population at risk of famine. To discuss the war in Sudan from a left perspective, the IPA, Peoples Dispatch and Madaar held a press conference on July 18th with Sudanese activists from the frontlines of the struggle. We were honored to hear from: Niamat Koko from the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP), Randa Mohammed from the Sudanese Women’s Union, and Dr. Ihssane Fakiri from the Doctors’ sector of the SCP and a founding member of the Sudanese Women’s Union. Access Peoples Dispatch and Madaar for more information.
Kenyans call for Ruto’s resignation | As thousands of Kenyans continue to take to the streets to protest President William Ruto and his policies, the government has responded with heavy repression, and security forces have already killed at least 50 protesters. In a statement published on July 5th in the context of the #RejectFinanceBill protests, the Communist Party of Kenya noted that: “These protests were not merely about an imposed IMF finance bill; they were a potent manifestation of the deep-seated inequalities that plague Kenya.” Read the full statement here.
We say no to the occupation of Haiti | The first wave of 400 Kenyan police officers arrived in Haiti on June 25th to serve as the backbone of the US-engineered and funded occupation of the country. The deployment of the Kenyan police force, who are trained by Israel, comes at a moment when the people of Kenya are mobilizing against the neoliberal policies of the US-backed government in the country. Since its successful revolution in 1804, Haiti has been the target of western violence and aggression from the US, France, and their allies. The current escalation is not disconnected from this history as the occupation attempts to keep Haiti mired in poverty and prevent its sovereignty. Defend Haiti’s right to dignity, sovereignty and independence!
Julian Assange is Free! | The digital activist and editor of WikiLeaks Julian Assange left Belmarsh prison and departed the UK on June 25th. Assange’s freedom is the result of a global campaign for his release and in defense of the truth about the crimes committed by US imperialism. Despite the pressure and violence against those who challenge it, we will not give up on defeating US imperialism. Julian Assange was a political prisoner of the US empire. His unjust imprisonment for 1,901 days represented an attack on the freedom of the press and an attempt to cover up the truth about the horrors committed by the US war machine.
News
Sudan’s health crisis, from war zones to refugee camps
The health crisis in Sudan has reached critical levels due to the widespread destruction of hospitals, collapsed sanitation infrastructure, and mass displacement of the population.
Palestinian factions sign a deal in China to establish a unity government in post-war Gaza
By reaching a unity deal, Palestinian factions are saying that the “day after war” in Gaza is a purely Palestinian matter.
‘Hunger stems from political choices’, says Lula at G20 meeting
The Brazilian President and Minister of Finance defended taxing large fortunes; the meeting discussed the launch of Global Alliance Against Hunger.
The student uprising in Bangladesh wins a ruling reducing quotas in government jobs
The Supreme Court in Bangladesh issued a decisive ruling in order to reduce quotas in government jobs set in a controversial system that led to the outbreak of deadly violence.
The Argentine government wants to raise the retirement age to 75
Raising the retirement age, reimplementing the AFPJ and moving forward with the labor reform stopped by the courts are the main items on the government’s parliamentary agenda.
After 45 days in prison, Daniel Jadue is dismissed as Mayor of Recoleta
The trial has been seen by several experts as revenge against Jadue for implementing programs that attacked the economic interests of several powerful economic groups, as well as an attempt to stop the political rise of the communist mayor.
Analysis
How Latin America Can Delink from Imperialism
This dossier explores the possibilities that the current crisis of global capitalism creates for sovereign regional development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean and the importance of South-South alliances in this struggle.
They Are Making the Waters of the Pacific Dangerous
The US-led militarisation of the Pacific, aimed at China, is intensifying. The ongoing Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise features 25,000 military personnel from 29 countries.
