British Students Pledge Support for Venezuela

The National Union of Students at its Easter National Conference passed a resolution supporting the Venezuelan Revolution. The motion recognised the “enormous social change has taken place in Venezuela in recent years, with the government funding wide-ranging social programmes.”

It pointed to the “dramatic increases in democratic participation, especially by indigenous people, women and the poor, including in eight national elections and referenda since Hugo Chavez’s election as President in 1998.” Again, it welcomed the “right to publicly funded free education including at university… (where), through literacy drives, over 1.2m Venezuelans have been taught to read and write since 1998, virtually abolishing illiteracy.”

On healthcare, the resolution explained that “more than 70% of the Venezuelan population for the first time now have access to free healthcare and medicines… through ‘Operation Miracle’ is funding up to 1,500 free eye operations daily for poor people in Latin America and the Caribbean. Over six million are expected to be treated over the next decade.”

The resolution concluded by opposing US military intervention in Venezuela and stressing the need to work with the trade unions and solidarity movement to provide student unions with information about education and healthcare achievements in Venezuela. Furthermore, it agreed to send a message of support to the Venezuelan Education Ministry commending the provision of free education and steps taken to eradicate illiteracy.

Jeremy Dear and Rodrigo Trompiz from the HOV Steering Committee visited current NUS President Kat Fletcher and President elect Gemma Tumelty to discuss how the campaign can work together with the union to achieve the goals stated in the resolution. The meeting was extremely positive, and the NUS is very keen to help all that it can to promote solidarity with the Venezuelan revolution, whether with screenings, speaker tours or at freshers’ fairs.