“What is occurring in Latin America is an historical moment, not the result of an accident,” said Bernardo Alvarez Herrera, Venezuela’s ambassador to the United States, at the opening session. “For the past seven years, there have been threats of all kinds of interventions, the U.S. has a policy of ‘regime change,’ and we have been accused of hosting international terrorists. But what you see in this hemisphere is a new debate on an alternative road.”

The U.S. government has repeatedly backed efforts by sections of the local capitalist class to topple the Venezuelan government headed by President Hugo Chávez. Washington supported an April 2002 military coup attempt against the Chávez administration, a boss lockout spearheaded by the management of the country’s state-owned oil company at the end of that year, and a presidential recall referendum in August 2004. All failed due to massive resistance by working people, who, encouraged by laws passed by the government, have fought for land, jobs, decent living conditions, and democratic rights.

Venezuelan capitalists and their U.S. allies are also incensed by the growing alliance between Caracas and Havana. The recently released U.S. National Security Strategy (see front-page article) says Cuba is led by “an anti-American dictator” who “seeks to subvert freedom in the region.” It also labels Chávez as a “demagogue awash in oil money [who] is undermining democracy and seeking to destabilize the region.”

Jorge Alonso Velos of the Afro-Venezuelan Network spoke at the conference here on increased efforts by Venezuelans of African descent to fight against historic anti-Black discrimination in that country. “We have made visible our problems and placed them on the table and have achieved a presidential declaration against racial discrimination,” Velos said. “What we are demanding is amending the constitution to outlaw discrimination in employment, housing, and education.”

Other conference workshops took up U.S. military moves in the region, collaboration between the governments of Venezuela and Cuba, and opportunities for organizing solidarity actions on high school and college campuses in defense of Venezuela.

“The Cuban people did not hesitate to offer solidarity to the government of Hugo Chávez,” said Dagoberto Rodríguez, the head of the Cuban Interests Section here, at a March 4 conference public event held at a nearby church. “We know very well what solidarity means and the defense of the sovereignty of other cultures and peoples. More than 20,000 Cubans are in Venezuela serving 60 percent of the population,” he said. Cuban volunteers in Venezuela include some 15,000 doctors, 3,000 dentists, 1,500 optometrists, and 1,500 technicians and other medical personnel.

At the closing session, the Venezuela Solidarity Network endorsed the May 20 march called to oppose U.S. aggression against Venezuela and Cuba and defend the sovereignty of both nations. The action will also demand that Washington normalize relations with Havana, and immediately release the five Cuban revolutionaries held in U.S. prisons on frame-up charges.

More than 40 groups have endorsed the May 20 demonstration. They include Bolivarian Circles in about 10 U.S. cities, Communist Party USA, Cuba Solidarity New York, IFCO-Pastors for Peace, National Network on Cuba, Service Employees International Union Local 1199, Socialist Workers Party, Socialist Front of Puerto Rico, Workers World Party, U.S./Cuba Labor Exchange, and the Young Socialists. For more information contact the May 20 Hands Off Venezuela and Cuba Coalition at may20coalition@mindspring.com
 
 
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U.S. hands off Venezuela and Cuba!  
 
 
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