Denmark: Nationwide campaign and book launch

The book has been published with support from the Venezuelan embassy in Copenhagen, the Marxist paper Socialistisk Standpunkt and the trade unions 3F Esbjerg and LFS.

The author has been on a nationwide tour to present the book and last but not least to discuss the Venezuelan Revolution, the elections and the way forward.

The book was officially launched on Monday September 6, at a reception organised by the embassy and HoV, at the Venezuelan embassy, with 60 people present, from other embassies, the Danish left wing etc. All the guests were welcomed by the video on the elections. After the video the Venezuelan Charge d’affairs in Denmark, Roger Corbacho welcomed all to the reception. He thanked the author of the book and Hands Off Venezuela, Denmark, which he described as one of the progressive movements in Denmark. He explained the social progress as eradicating analfabetism by the ten years of revolution.

The book was according to the Venezuelan tradition properly ”baptised” with flower leaves spread over the cover of the book.

Andreas Bülow was then given the word and he explained how he was convinced of the necessity to write the book, when he saw the smear campaigns launched in the international and Danish press against the revolution, and when he discovered nothing had been written in Danish. He answered the lies from the media that there is no freedom of speech in Venezuela. Quite the opposite he said. Like Roger Corbacho, Andreas also explained how the revolution has meant social progress for the Venezuelan people in health, education etc. But he also explained that there are some problems in Venezuela. There is a sabotage of the economy from the opposition, who wants to destroy the revolution through their ownership over the media and economy. They hope by this to create indifference in the Venezuelan people towards the revolution and by this advance in the upcoming elections. According to Andreas this is the most pressing problem to be addressed now in Venezuela, that a small oligarchy despite tens years of revolution still owns and controls the most important parts of the economy. There is a danger that the Venezuelan masses in the end only sees ”socialism” as words, and not as something that makes their lives better. It is necessary for the revolution to take decisive steps towards socialism not just in words but in deeds and take control over the means of production in order to make a democratic plan for developing the economy and benefiting the large majority of Venezuelan people.

This was the main line also explained at the other meetings in the book tour that is still going on.

The campaign has so far visited a school with 100 students participating, Copenhagen university and Roskilde University with approximately 20 participants at each meetings, in the other part of Denmark, Jutland, in the two cities Aarhus and Aalborg, were there was a very great interest in the book, the revolution and the campaign. Yesterday there was a meeting at a technical high school and an open meeting in the city Roskilde.

The book launch and the speaking tour has gotten a wide press coverage in Denmark and also in the Venezuelan state media. The only left-paper, Daily Worker is reproducing large extracts from one of the books ten chapters. Modkraft.dk, a well-known left-wing internet website with around 1.800 unique visitors every day, also reproduced the whole of chapter one. Also the Venezuelan state media reported on the Book launch. Articles appeared in Agencia Venezolana de Noticias, Radio YVKE Mundial, Librerias del Sur and Radio Nacional de Venezuela. Also the Spanish-language paper published by Latin immigrants in Sweden, Liberación carried a report of the event.

Next week there will be more meetings and the tour will be closed by a panel debate on the perspectives for Latin American revolution and socialism in the 21 century with Andreas Bülow in the panel with Trine Mach, candidate for parliament from the Socialist Peoples party (SF) and Flavia Oregon from the Unity List.

So far almost 100 copies of the book have been sold and about 250 in total has so far attended the public meetings. The book is being sold for €25 and part of the money collected is used to finance the speaking tour.

Meeting in Flakkebjerg

Meeting in Århus and Aalborg

Meeting at the embassy