[WSF-Discuss] Chávez Speaks to Social Movements About New Revolutionary Path at World Social Forum

[CACIM]

Chávez Speaks to Social Movements About New Revolutionary Path at World
Social Forum

James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com

@ http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/print/4159

Mérida, January 30th 2009 (Venezuelanalysis.com) -- Social movements in
Latin America have been in the "trenches of resistance" against global
capitalism, and now need to move to an "offensive," taking concrete steps
toward the creation of alternatives to capitalism, Venezuelan President Hugo
Chávez expressed during a speech to thousands of participants in the World
Social Forum Thursday in Belém do Pará, Brazil.

"Just like Latin America and the Caribbean received the biggest dose of
neo-liberal venom, our continent has been the immense territory where social
movements have sprouted with the greatest strength and begun to change the
world," said Chávez.

Chávez expanded upon the traditional slogan of the World Social Forum,
"Another world is possible," adding, "another world is necessary, and
another world is being born in Latin America and the Caribbean!"

The Venezuelan president, who was joined by several allies in the region,
Presidents Evo Morales of Bolivia, Rafael Correa of Ecuador, Luiz Inacio
"Lula" da Silva of Brazil, and Fernando Lugo of Paraguay, emphasized that
the drive toward social justice has taken on a new character since leaders
with leftist policies have been democratically elected over the past decade.

"Revolutions are no longer guerrilla battalions, no! This is a new
revolutionary wave," Chávez asserted, requesting that social movements "step
up their popular offensive toward revolutionary changes."

Thousands of activists from Latin America and abroad welcomed the heads of
state with a thunderous ovation. The audience included radical organizations
such as the Landless Worker's Movement (MST) in Brazil and the Confederation
of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) in Ecuador, which have
criticized their governments for not moving far enough from the policies
dictated by global financial institutions such as the World Trade
Organization (WTO).

Outside of the event, a few hundred members of Brazil's United Socialist
Workers Party (PSTU) protested against Lula, a former factory worker and
union leader who they said has made to excessive concessions to bankers and
big business and done little to stabilize employment in the wake of the
world economic crisis.

The Brazilian President blamed the economic crisis on the "casino"
capitalism promoted by Global North countries, and said the crisis is much
more severe and could get worse.

President Correa agreed, using more decisive rhetoric against U.S.-dominated
institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World
Bank. "Using the art of deception they will try to confuse us into thinking
the victims are the guilty ones," he said. "They are the ones responsible
for the crisis. They are not the ones to give us lessons."

Correa, whose promotion of state-run industrial mining have been met with
heated resistance from CONAIE and many environmental organizations in the
Andean country, criticized transnational mining companies for destroying
Latin America's environment in search of natural resources.

"It is very comfortable for the First World to say, 'Take care of the
Amazon, don't drill, don't extract resources,' while they prey on its
natural treasures and achieve luxurious lifestyles while our people wallow
in misery and receive nothing in return," Correa said. "We have to demand
co-responsibility."

President Chávez, who has headed up several regional integration
initiatives, encouraged unity among Latin American and Caribbean movements,
in order to chart an independent path toward development.

"This year will be hard, we must unite," Chávez said. "Our socialism should
not be a copy. Our socialism should be a heroic creation… Socialism of 'our
America,' a profoundly democratic socialism. This is our path."

The World Social Forum originated in 2001 and has since expanded to include
regional social forums in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and South Asia. It
is "an open meeting space" where people opposed to capitalist and
imperialist domination of the world exchange and debate ideas, and plan
strategies for constructing alternatives, according to its website.

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