Hands off Venezuela at the National Union of Journalists Annual Conference

"The failure of the Bolivarian revolution would be a massive blow not only for the working people of Venezuela but also for the labour movement internationally. That is why the HoV campaign has been and is working in 30 different countries, including Venezuela, to raise the profile of the revolutionary processes taking place in that country and to counter the lies and distortions of the mass media about Venezuela in the UK and elsewhere."

These were the concluding remarks of Darrall Cozens from the HoV campaign when he addressed a packed lunchtime fringe meeting at the NUJ conference in Birmingham on Friday April 13^th. In an hour-long meeting more than 40 delegates listened intently to reports of developments in Venezuela, Cuba and Columbia. From the platform Darrall Cozens began the meeting by reporting on the massive electoral victory of Chavez and the Bolivarian movement in the presidential elections in December 2006.

For the 11^th time in succession the masses in Venezuela had demonstrated their support for the programme of the Bolivarian revolution. When Chavez was first elected President in December 1997, he won 56.2% of the vote on a programme of fighting poverty and corruption. In December 2006 he won 63% of the vote on an 82% turnout under the slogan of socialism or death. Despite this massive support for Chavez and the Bolivarian revolution, the Bolivarian government is called an "elected dictatorship" and even an "authoritarian democracy" by the USA and its allies. Even Tony Blair, who was elected last time by 34% of those voting, some 23% of the electorate, has called on Chavez to obey the wishes of the "international community", that is US and UK imperialism. The US had even colluded with the oligarchy in Venezuela in April 2002 to stage a coup to try and overthrow Chavez.

Darrall asked the audience a rhetorical question. Why is Chavez and the Bolivarian revolution hated so much by the oligarchy, the rich, in Venezuela and by US and UK imperialism? The answer is obvious.

Firstly, the power of the USA in Latin America is being challenged. Since 1823 the USA has operated under the Monroe Doctrine where it declared that it would control what was happening in its back yard, Latin America. Any move in the past to counter the policies and influence of US economic interests has been bloodily suppressed. Guatemala in 1954 and Chile in 1973 are two prime examples.

Secondly, the Bolivarian revolution is challenging the power of private property, landlordism and capitalism. Chavez has admitted that when he was first elected, he believed that he could steer a "third way" between capitalism and the "socialism" that had existed in the Soviet Union. His experiences had proved that there is no middle way. The only way is Socialism of the 21^st century.

Thirdly, the revolutionary process that is unfolding has brought into political activity hundreds of thousands of ordinary people who had historically been excluded from the political process. The masses were stamping their feet on the unfolding struggle.

During the attempted coup of April 2002, it was the pouring onto the streets of millions of ordinary people that resulted in the coup being stopped and Chavez being returned to power.

Finally, the Bolivarian revolution is acting as a beacon of hope for the masses in other countries in Latin America who are suffering under the yoke of the neo-liberal economic policies of capitalist exploitation.

On three major occasions there have been attempts to overthrow Chavez and halt the revolutionary process - the attempted coup of April 2002, the oil lockout of December 2002/January 2003 and the recall referendum of August 2004. On each occasion the workers, peasants and marginalised sectors in Venezuela have defeated the counter revolution. More attempts will be made in the future as no privileged group in society has ever given up its power, wealth and privileges without a fight to the bitter end, no holds barred. So it is vital that the international labour movement understands and supports the processes unfolding in Venezuela.

The next speaker was Pablo Navarrete a journalist who has recently returned from Venezuela. He gave numerous examples of the pernicious role played by the private media outlets in Venezuela in their attempts to destabilise and overthrow Chavez, even to the extent of calling for the physical elimination of Chavez. What other country in the world would allow its own media to call for the assassination of the elected leaders of that country, he asked.

The representative from the Cuban Embassy, Zelmys Rodriguez, highlighted the difficulties that Cuba has faced and is facing due to the international boycott of Cuba initiated by the USA. This boycott even extended to Cuban athletes not being allowed to stay in certain hotels in the world due to the fear of the hotel chain of the retribution that would come from the USA. Despite the boycott, however, Cuba has managed to develop an excellent health and education system, even to the extent of being able to send medical staff to many countries in the developing world as an expression of solidarity and goodwill. The hypocrisy of the USA was demonstrated with the case of Luis Posada Carriles, an international terrorist and ex-CIA operative who is wanted by Cuba and Venezuela for planting a bomb on a plane in 1976 that killed 73 people. This man is in jail in the USA at the moment on immigration charges and is soon to be let out on bail. Where is the war on terror in the USA, the speaker asked.

The final speaker from the Justice for Columbia campaign illustrated the dangers faced by trade unionists and activists trying to fight for a better society in Columbia. Many have been assassinated at the hands of paramilitary right-wing death squads linked to the armed forces. Columbia is like the bad kid on the block because almost all of the countries in Latin America were moving to the left, except for Columbia, where the wealth and power of the rich, such as the 6% that owns 80% of the land, is protected by the government.

Despite the limited time a lively question and answer session followed that set the scene in the minds of the delegates present for the debate in the conference in the afternoon on Venezuela where once again the NUJ committed itself to continuing to support the work of the Hands off Venezuela campaign.