Vol. 71/No. 46      December 10, 2007

In addition to the 2,200 Ecuadoran youth who attended the congress at one point or another, conference organizers reported that 412 delegates came from other countries. The largest international delegations were made up of about 300 from Colombia, 50 from Venezuela, and 25 from Cuba. The event was sponsored by the Federation of University Students of Ecuador (FEUE) and other student organizations here.

“I came to exchange ideas and to get to know the necessities of other coun tries and to look for solutions,” Isaac Jacome, a law student from the University of Cuenca in Ecuador, said in an interview.

A range of political questions were discussed and debated at workshops and plenary sessions. Workshops were held on topics such as “Women in Society,” “Experiences in the Fight Against Imperialism,” and “Socialism: Utopia or Reality.”

Several cultural events took place as part of the conference. The Federation of University Students (FEU) of Cuba organized a book presentation of Cien Horas con Fidel (One Hundred Hours with Fidel), a book-length interview with Cuban president Fidel Castro by French journalist Ignacio Ramonet.

One of the workshops was on “Social Movements and Their Historic Fight for a Better World: A Vision from the Student Movement.” Several delegates there spoke about the role youth and students can play in the struggle against imperialism. One of them, a member of the Popular Front of Ecuador, pointed to the mobilizations of workers and youth that led to the 2006 nationalization of U.S.-owned Occidental Petroleum.

Students from Colombia spoke about opposition to the repressive measures the U.S.-backed Uribe government is taking against workers and farmers in the guise of “fighting terrorism.”

José Abril Viscaya, a student from Venezuela, pointed out that “not all students seek to be a part of social movements against imperialism.” He noted that in Venezuela today, some university students, many of whom are on track to be part of the better-off middle classes, are aligning themselves with the pro-imperialist opposition against the government headed by President Hugo Chávez. He said right-wing students had recently set fires at the University of Caracas and tried to blame pro-government students.

Participants in the OCLAE congress held two marches through the streets of Quito. They carried signs and banners representing the different student organizations. At the end of one of the marches, a rally was addressed by a member of the Federation of University Students of Colombia, a member of the Young Socialists from the United States, and Irma González, daughter of one of five Cuban political prisoners in the United States known as the Cuban Five. She voiced the demands of OCLAE in demanding the release of the five.

The conference concluded with the approval of a final declaration of resolutions. The resolutions included demands for freedom for the Cuban Five, independence for Puerto Rico, an end to the U.S. embargo against Cuba, and solidarity with Venezuela in face of Washington’s hostility.

One of the topics of discussion throughout the OCLAE congress was the political situation in Ecuador since President Rafael Correa took office in January. Correa was elected with broad working-class support based on promises to improve living conditions and bring about “21st century socialism.” He promoted the election of a 134-member constituent assembly, with powers to modify the constitution, as a way to make these changes.  
 
Discussion on Correa government
A number of Ecuadoran youth at the OCLAE congress cited actions by the Correa government they hope will lead to fundamental changes benefiting workers and peasants. These include increases in government spending for education and health care, cash relief for the poorest sections of working people, and subsidies for housing, fuel, and other essentials.

Luis Aynuca, an iron ore worker from Latacunga, Cotopaxi province, told the Militant Correa defends the expropriation of Occidental Petroleum, carried out originally by his predecessor Alfredo Palacio.  
 
 
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