Latin America - Socialist Action

Le Vénézuela et le socialisme du 21éme siècle

1st May 2006 Socialist Action 0

First published: May 2006

La visite de Chávez à Londres à la mi-mai a donné l’occasion d’approfondir notre compréhension de nombreux éléments de la révolution vénézuelienne. Les principaux points sur lesquels Chávez a insisté dans son discours dans le meeting de solidarité à Camden Town Hall le 14 mai ont été particulièrement instructifs.

Premièrement revenons sur des notions de base. Ce qui est en train de se passer au Vénézuela est la première tentative consciente de créer une société socialiste depuis la révolution sandiniste au Nicaragua. C’est donc aussi la première lutte offensive à un niveau étatique depuis plus de 25 ans. Ceci est déjà considérable. Après un quart de siècle, la classe ouvrière est en train de mener une lutte directe pour obtenir le pouvoir d’Etat. Qui plus est, la révolution vénézuelienne a la particularité d’être la première prise du pouvoir étatique victorieuse par le biais essentiellement d’une insurrection urbaine, depuis la révolution russe de 1917 et ses suites immédiates.

Venezuela and 21st century socialism

1st May 2006 Socialist Action 0

First published: May 2006

Chávez’s visit to London in mid-May gave an opportunity to deepen understanding of many details of the Venezuelan revolution. Particularly instructive were emphases in Chávez’s speech to the solidarity rally in Camden Town Hall on 14 May.

First let us return to fundamentals. What is taking place in Venezuela is the first self-defined and conscious attempt to create a socialist society since the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua. It is therefore also the first offensive struggle at a state level for over 25 years. That is already momentous. After a quarter of a century the working class is waging a direct struggle for state power. Furthermore the Venezuelan revolution has the specific form of being the first successful taking of state power essentially through urban insurrection since the Russian Revolution of 1917 and its immediate aftermath.

The US assault on Latin America

1st May 1990 Socialist Action 0

First published: May 1990

The return of the ballot box in several key Latin American countries (a rarity in the last ten years) has been hailed as the return of democracy in the continent.

This is less than half the truth. While some of the most vicious dictatorships have gone, in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia, Peru, and others have either been severely weakened or thrown into total disarray as in Paraguay and Haiti, this ‘democratic’ wave has not touched the decisive countries in Central America such as Guatemala and El Salvador, and the policies of the new civilian governments are determined by strict limitations imposed by the outgoing military and the utterly capitulating character of the parties coming to office. Besides, the ‘democracy’ that has been introduced is severely faulty, to put it mildly.