Vancouver Forum Report - Venezuela after the referendum defeat - what next?

Last week's Hands Off Venezuela forum here in Vancouver was a great success. Over 60 people came out to hear Carmen Vina, Advisor to the Venezuelan Minister of Labour, and Mike Palecek, the Western Canada HOV campaign coordinator, discuss the recent defeat of the constitutional referendum. Vina provided some context for the "no" vote and explained some of the reasons many Venezuelans abstained from voting, in particular the fear based, anti-Chavez campaign. Palecek spoke to the lack of a concrete response from some sections of the Venezuelan government to the opposition's "no" campaign and pointed out that after many years of struggle people want to see a decisive shift in the economic basis of society.

Both speakers were well received and the discussion period after they spoke was very lively. The questions being asked reflected a continuing interest in the Venezuelan revolution and its potential lessons for activists in other countries, such as Canada. A handsome donation was collected and sales of the No Volveran DVD and the FRETECO booklet were quite good.

Our many thanks to the Vancouver Bolivarian Society who helped us arrange to have Carmen Vina speak and provided translation.

Fairfax Culpepper
HOV Vancouver