World Social Forum
Latin Americans look to Venezuela
By Berta Joubert-Ceci
Porto Alegre, Brazil
The World Social Forum just held here was filled with debates, including ones
about its future.
Jan. 26 march of 200,000 in Porto Alegre.
WW photo: John Catalinotto
Despite the criticism of many world progressives that the WSF does not meet a
revolu tionary standard, the fact remains that it is still an international
forum where worldwide progressive forces converge and can debate and put
forward coordinated plans of action, even if not within the scheduled forum
events. Where else could progressives from Africa and Asia share plans with
their counterparts from the Middle East and the Americas--North, Central and
South? Even those intellectuals who say that the WSF has no relevance attend it.
The initiation of the WSF in 2001 was an attempt to bring together worldwide
organizations to plan the construction of alternatives to neoliberalism and
globalization. Since its beginning it has been dominated by social democratic
forces, and even funded by many corporations. It is timed to coincide with the
World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, an elite gathering that became the
focus of militant protests.
Originally, political parties and government personalities were excluded from
participating formally in the WSF. However, left parties and revolutionaries
have always attended and held their own alternate meetings and demonstrations,
even within the grounds where the "official" meetings are held. This year,
political parties and more revolutionary forces were part of the formal events.
Ivette Gonzalez, daughter
of Rene Gonzalez, one of
the Cuban 5, opened the
WSF on Jan. 27
WW photo: John Catalinotto
The last time the WSF met in Porto Alegre, in 2003, prominent speakers, mostly
social democrats, held huge meetings of several thousands. This year, the
format was changed to accommodate more events, a total of 2,500, where the
largest could seat no more than 1,000 people.
Spread along the banks of the Guaiba River were huge tents in what was called
the World Social Territory, where 11 different encampments corresponded to 11
themes.
>From 20,000 participants in 2001, the WSF this year grew to 155,000 people
>representing 135 countries. The Youth Camp had 35,000 participants.
Lula and Ch�vez speak at forum
Unlike previous years, two heads of state were part of this year's official
forum events: President Jose Ignacio "Lula" Da Silva of Brazil and President
Hugo Ch�vez Fr�as of the Bolivarian Republic of Vene zuela, both speaking at
the Gigantinho Stadium.
Lula spoke at the beginning of the WSF, calling for a worldwide campaign to
eradicate poverty. The Global War Against Poverty, initiated in 2004 in South
Africa, will be Lula's goal for discussion with world leaders in the coming
period. Unlike in 2003, when Lula was newly elected and thousands poured into
an open space to listen and cheer him, this time there was a divided public.
Some cheered but others loudly showed their opposition, reflecting divisions in
his Workers Party of Brazil.
Since his ascent to office, Lula has not met the expectations of the poor
majority, including the well-known movement of the landless, MST. A wealthy and
vast country, with a powerful oligarchy allied to U.S. and other imperialist
transnational corporations, Brazil is an illustration of who really holds the
power.
There were some attempts to pit Ch�vez against Lula. The Venezuelan president
later called for patience, reminding everyone, particularly Lula's critics,
that Brazil is in a different situation than Venezuela.
When Ch�vez spoke, at the end of the WSF, 15,000 people cheered and thousands
more who could not get in listened through speakers posted outside the stadium.
He spoke at length about several topics he had raised in a press conference
earlier that day. Entitled "The South Is Our North," his speech was a stirring
exposition of his vision of the future and the steps that the Bolivarian
Revolution is taking to make that a reality.
Some of the subjects he touched on during both events reveal the dynamism of
the revolution, which he said is centered in five axes or concepts. First, the
political, which he described as the construction of a participatory--not
representative--and revolutionary democracy. Second, the social, or creating a
society of equals. And thirdly, the economic.
This point was especially important, since it was the first time he addressed
it publicly outside Venezuela. He said that it is "necessary to transcend
capitalism. There is no solution [to globalization, poverty, etc.] within
capitalism, we have to revindicate socialism as a project and as the road to
follow."
Later, Samuel Moncada, the new
Venezuelan secretary of higher education, stated that Ch�vez's speech clarified
his option for socialism in Venezuela. The focus of discussion there over the
next several weeks will be to define the Venezuelan way, he said, since
socialism has to grow from the real conditions of every country, which in
Venezuela's case is called Bolivarianism.
The fourth base of the revolution is territorial, which Ch�vez described as a
model of endogenous development, growing from within. Venezuela has signed
important economic agreements with the international community recently,
especially with China. The 19 accords signed with China include one in which
China will build 100,000 housing units for poor people. However, the Venezuelan
president cautioned that the revolution needs to be self-sufficient and not
depend only on outside sources.
The fifth and last concept had to do with international relations. He stated
that Venezuela is dedicated to the construction of a pluripolar world and the
integration of Latin America and the Caribbean.
He mentioned the ALBA (Bolivarian Alternative of the Americas), which counters
Washington's Free Trade Agreement of the Americas with a proposal for
integration and cooperation among the countries of the region. A concrete first
step, an accord recently signed with Cuba, took place in December.
One ALBA project is already in the works: the television network Telesur. Orig
inally known as an "anti-CNN," Ch�vez described it instead as a network of
stations throughout the region and beyond that will bring to vast audiences the
reality and the struggles taking place in Latin America and the Caribbean. It
is expected to air next month on an experimental basis.
Ch�vez also raised the kidnapping of Rodrigo Granda last December in Caracas.
Granda is an international representative of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia (FARC-EP). Ch�vez described the kidnapping carried out in his country
by Colombian agents as a provocation set up by the United States to destabilize
the Bolivarian Revolution and find justification to invade Venezuela. He also
stated that, so far, the situation has been handled within the region.
Ch�vez was forced to recall Venezuela's ambassador to Colombia after that
government publicly admitted it had bribed Venezuelan officers, in an act
against the Bolivarian Republic's sovereignty, in order to kidnap Granda.
However, Colom bia and Venezuela not only share a border, but important trade
relations, and Venezuela threatened to shut down an important pipe line to its
neighbor. Colombian President �lvaro Uribe then called Cuban President Fidel
Castro asking for help to mediate in an attempt to normalize relations. Cuba
sent representatives to help negotiations--a move that is sure to displease
Washington.
Ch�vez also sent greetings to the people of Haiti, stating that Jean-Bertrand
Aristide is the legitimate president, kidnapped by the U.S. in the same way he
was during the April 2002 coup in Venezuela. He mentioned that in the last
meeting of the regionpresidents, he stated that any solution to the crisis in
Haiti will have to incorporate Aristide, that the solution could not be in the
hands of the United Nations or any group of presidents--who should not
interfere in other nations' problems--but in the hands of the Haitian people.
He proposed a National Consti tuent Assembly, as was done in Venezuela, where
the Haitian people could be consulted freely, without pressures or
manipulation, to decide their destiny.
The Bolivarian Revolution needs solidarity from progressives worldwide,
particularly here in the United States. The WSF next year will be
decentralized, with five different forums in five different countries. The
Americas Forum will be held in Venezuela and promises to be very
action-oriented.
Published Feb 13, 2005 9:49 PM
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