From March 2nd to 4th 2023, 35 delegates from 20 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and more than a dozen comrades from Venezuela met in Caracas, Venezuela, to have our VII Continental Coordination Meeting of ALBA Movimientos, paying homage to our Eternal Commander, Hugo Chavez, 10 years after his physical passing.

In the middle of a mass national mobilisation paying homage to Commander Chavez, we arrived in combative and resilient Venezuela to debate and outline our concrete actions with a clear working plan developed following the III Continental Assembly of our articulation. Following a profound conjunctural analysis on the social and political context of our continent, we advanced in identifying concrete actions of anti-imperialist unity, solidarity and internationalism, political education, popular communication, and the development of strategic thinking for the emancipation of our peoples.

The Caribbean remains rebellious faced with the colonial imposition of fiscal paradises, militarized spaces under the guise of narcotrafficking used as bases for aggressions against other countries. Haiti remains in permanent resistance against the interventionist attempts of the United States and other multilateral organisations in its territory. Puerto Rico and Martinique, as well as more than 20 other countries continue to fight for their independence. Cuba continues to defend and build its revolution. In Mesoamerica, migrants are more and more discriminated against and exploited in the middle of a profound crisis resulting from the neoliberal system, yet there is hope with the government of Comrade Xiomara Castro.

The Andes has now arisen as one of the regions of major conflict. On one hand, there is resistance to the neoliberal governments like in Ecuador, and people in permanent struggle against parliamentary dictatorships as is the case of Peru. On the other hand, the accompaniment of alternative processes as can be seen in Bolivia. The previous year, 2022 has without a doubt shaped this Andean scene with the victory of the government of the Historic Pact in Colombia, which represents a project of change that we must accompany to ensure that this change is introduced with the people as the main protagonists, as a permanent struggle for the construction of peace with social justice, protection of life, and freedom for social leaders. Within this current scenario, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela continues to resist the imperialist sanctions imposed by the United States, defending the legacy of Commander Chavez, and advancing the struggle today for a new stage of advancing socialism through Popular Power without dependence on petroleum.

In the Conosur (Southern Cone) the imperialist agenda is centered on the extraction of natural resources such as lithium, as well as financialization, debt, and the production of food. In that vein, the battle over sovereignty in territories such as the Amazon, Antarctica, and other island territories such as the Falkland Islands. This is a fundamental issue, as well as the struggle against the IMF. However, with the recent triumph of President Lula in Brazil, the possibilities of regional integration in the political, commercial, and energy realms are greater. The project of sovereignty and integration promoted by these countries contributes to the reactivation of platforms like MERCOSUR, CELAC, ALBA-TCP, encourages regional coordination platforms like CARICOM to return to the principles of International Law for the Self Determination of the Peoples and as such, allows for the strengthening of mechanisms of integration outside those created by imperialism like the case of the OAS.

We consider that in this moment ALBA Movimientos must take note of the electoral victories as opportunities to dispute not only the governments and their alternative projects, but also for the people to have active participation and be the primary source of consultation, criticism, and mobilization that can guarantee the consolidation of these governments and defend them from imperialist threats of destabilization.

It is in this continental context; the VII Continental Coordination Meeting of ALBA Movimientos affirms its need to:

  • Strengthen the anti-imperialist struggle as the best homage that we can give to our Eternal Commander
  • Continue in our lines of work on solidarity and internationalism, fundamental for the materialization of our continental project. In this vein, strengthen our permanent campaign of solidarity with Haiti and organize another day of solidarity on March 29th, continue with the defense of the revolutions of our continent, and struggle against the economic blockades imposed on them by imperialism.
  • Affirm our commitment to the Caribbean islands to support their struggles for their total independence and the building up of sovereignty within their territories.
  • We declare ourselves in an ideological offensive against the permanent work of imperialism to conquer the minds and hearts of our people. As such, we will continue our work in Political Education throughout the continent, promoting the creation of schools and the organization of courses especially in the Caribbean and the Andean region. Also, we will strengthen our tools for communication from a popular and integrated perspective from the countries of our continent.
  • We will launch the Bolívar vs. Monroe campaign in the defense of unity, sovereignty, and the independence of Our America, at 200 years of the Monroe doctrine.
  • Put more focus on campaigns for liberation of political prisoners in our region and in the world, in particular the Comrades Julian Assange and Alex Saab, prisoners of US imperialism.
  • We will create spaces for national and regional debate which will allow us to discuss the Dilemmas of Humanity as we continue the preparatory process for the III Conference.

At 10 years since the passing of Chavez we continue along the path that he outlined for us: to build the ALBA of organized people, of the movements.

And we say to you with pride after 10 years battling in your name Commander: ALBA is here with the people alive and well; promoting the process of mobilization and struggle against imperialism, neoliberalism, capitalism, racism, patriarchy, colonialism and fundamentally for the construction of the alternative for our people, and just as you guided us: the afro-indo-feminist socialism of Our America.

Comandante Chávez lives on in us!

10 years after his passing, Chávez lives on in ALBA!

 

Communes or nothing!

Continental Coordination

ALBA Movimientos

March 2023