As part of their
bi-monthly meeting, the Greater London Labour Representation Committee (LRC)
invited the Hands Off Venezuela campaign to lead a discussion on the recent
events that have taken place in Venezuela. The LRC, originally formed in 1900
to fight for political representation for the Labour Movement, was re-formed in
2004 to secure a voice for socialists within the trade unions, the Labour Party
and Parliament. Will Roche from the HOV campaign gave a summary of events
dating from the re-election of President Chavez in 2006, in particular, the
development of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). The Party, with over 6 million members, including 285,000 housewives, 1.4 million
laborers, and 745,000 professionals, held its founding congress earlier this
year. 1,676 congress
delegates debated a draft program which included subjects like; defence of the
revolution, building socialism, building popular power, socialising power,
planned economy, communal state, defence of nature, a state based on popular
power, and internationalism.
The speaker also
described the extensive campaign of sabotage the right-wing opposition have
been carrying out; in discrediting the constitutional reforms, in creating food
shortages by refusing to supply produce, especially milk, the attempt to freeze
millions of dollars of oil assets abroad by ExxonMobile, and the murderous
activity of the Colombian government in assassinating members of the FARC
whilst Chavez was negotiating the release of hostages.
These are all parts
of an overall concerted effort to de-stabilise and destroy the Venezuelan
revolution. The Venezuelan government has responded in the best of ways by
carrying out several nationalisations, of the electricity industry, of
telecommunications, of the beef and milk industries, of the cement industry,
and of steel production, bringing these key industries into public ownership
and control.
A vibrant discussion
took place after Will’s update, with a variety of questions and contributions,
especially on the subject of workers’ control. Gary Heather, the chair of the
meeting and long standing member of the HOV campaign, expressed his support and
congratulated the London HOV group on managing to meet weekly since the
campaign was established over 4 years ago.
The
tasks facing the members of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, the
struggle against bureaucracy, the struggle for a democratically elected and
recallable leadership, and of the carrying out genuine socialist policies, is a
struggle that is shared by workers world wide, none more so than by a great
many members of the Labour Party here in Britain.
