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The Bolivarian revolution and the need for solidarity
Resolution adopted at the 34th Resistance National Conference, October 2005.
1. We recognise and welcome the development and growing strength of the Bolivarian revolution in Venezuela, led by the government of President Hugo Chavez. This is the first revolution of the 21st century, decisively disproving the argument that, with the collapse of the Soviet Bloc, the world has arrived at the “end of history”.
2. The revolution is making significant steps forward in driving back US imperialism and the local capitalist class. Significant gains are being won by the Venezuela people via policies aiming to develop the national economy to the benefit of the poor majority, urban and rural land reform, the redistribution of wealth and provision of social services such as health and education via a number of social missions, and the growing movement for workers’ management over the economy.
3. The Bolivarian revolution is the most important break-through in the new wave of rebellion because it has crossed over from rebellion to revolution. Venezuela shows the importance of not just struggling against the status quo, but of struggling for political power in order to transform the status quo.
4. The success of the Bolivarian revolution is helping fuel the ongoing revolt on the continent by, along with socialist Cuba, providing an alternative example to the policies of neoliberalism. The Venezuelan revolution has helped eased Cuba’s political and economic isolation, and Cuba has provided critical assistance in the form of doctors and other specialists needed by Venezuela to begin the process of transformation. Together Venezuela and Cuba form a revolutionary pole that actively seeks to challenge imperialist domination of the region through the promotion of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA). By combining their resources, Cuba and Venezuela has begun to put ALBA principles into practice through agreements that spread Cuban and Venezuelan social programs to the poor of the region, including in North America.
5. The Bolivarian revolution is being driven by Venezuela’s working people in the city and countryside. It is the mass involvement of Venezuela’s poor majority in the struggle to create popular power and deepen the transformation of the country’s political and economic structures that gives the process its revolutionary dynamism. The direct intervention of the working people has defeated counter-revolutionary attempts to overthrow the Chavez government three times: via the military coup, the bosses’ lock-out and the recall referendum.
6. The Chavez government is a revolutionary government that has encouraged and helped facilitate the radicalisation and organisation of working people to create a counter-power to the power of the capitalist class. The government has relied on the mobilisation of its base amongst working people to repel attempts to overthrow it and defeat the revolutionary process. We recognise that the revolution is an ongoing process and is developing unevenly and with contradictions; however, so long as the government remains on its current revolutionary trajectory, we offer it our unconditional support.
7. The development of the Bolivarian revolution has put socialism back on the agenda as the alternative to the injustices of the global capitalist system. By opening the struggle to create a “socialism of the 21st century”, the Venezuelan people are concretely answering the question posed by the slogan of the global justice movement “Another world is possible”: what kind of world? The Venezuelan revolution is giving a definite answer: A socialist world.
8. We recognise the threat posed to the revolution by US imperialism, which is seeking to isolate Venezuela internationally and foment a counter-revolution internally. In particular, there is the threat of US-sponsored terrorist attacks aiming to sabotage the process, including the very real danger of assassination attempts against Chavez. We are committed to building the campaign in solidarity with Venezuela to defend it against attack. We campaign for defence of Venezuelan sovereignty.
9. We are committed to spreading information on the revolution because we believe the example of the Venezuelan revolution helps build confidence that it is possible to struggle against the system and win. The Venezuelan revolution can help inspire a new generation of youth to struggle for change inside Australia. As a socialist youth organisation, we build solidarity with the Venezuelan revolution in order to help spread its example and assist us in the task of making a socialist revolution in our own country.
