Austria:

The Hands off Venezuela campaign was established in Austria following the international appeal made in December 2002. We started our work with the distribution of the international appeal and the collection of signatures in defence of the Venezuelan revolution. 

The main force behind the campaign at this time was Der Funke. From the very beginning we directed the campaign towards the labour movement, in particular towards the Young Socialists (YS) and shop stewards. We have used conferences, district meetings and branches to move resolutions, distribute leaflets and hold public discussions in order to spread awareness of the developments in Venezuela and in the labour movement. At the last national conference of the YS in October 2004 HoV supporters submitted a resolution calling for the expulsion of counterrevolutionary organisations from the IUSY (the International Union of Socialist Youth). This resolution created a heated debate and received the support of many delegates.

In January 2004 the campaign organised a speaking tour with Hermann Albrecht, a trade union activist from Venezuela. During the recall referendum we showed our support for the revolutionary process by holding a rally in front of the Venezuelan embassy in Vienna and explained our perspectives for the Venezuelan revolution: “Hands off Venezuela – forward to socialism”. Just two months later the campaign, which had in the meantime established a close relationship with the Bolivarian Circle of Vienna, successfully thwarted an esqualido (a term used to describe the opposition in Venezuela) meeting by picketing the venue. The notorious ProVeO (Pro Venezuela Organization) tried to use the prestigious “Latin American Institute” to promote their anti-democratic positions in Austria. This was the first and last public meeting of the so-called “opposition” to be held in Austria, and was a big success for the international campaign.

At the Austrian Social Forum (ASF) in Linz in June 2004, the HoV campaign held a joint meeting together with the Communist Party of Austria. Despite the fact that Oskar Lafontaine was speaking at the same time, more than 40 people came to the meeting, making it one of the biggest single-issue meetings at the forum. The campaign then also took part in the organisation of the World Youth Festival to be held this August in Venezuela.

Through all these activities and through the inspiring example of the Venezuelan Revolution itself, we were able to build and involve other political forces in the campaign. A meeting was held last weekend with several people representing different organisations, currents and campaigns in order to discuss the perspectives of the revolution in Latin America and the basis for a joint effort to spread awareness of what is happening in Venezuela.

Several organizations were represented including: the YS Vienna and several district organisations of the YS, the youth organisation of the Trade Union of Private Employees, the Austrian-Cuban Friendship-Association, Energy for Cuba, the Bolivarian Circle and the Marxist tendency Der Funke. Jorge Martin, international secretary of the Hands off Venezuela campaign, was the special guest and gave those present an insight into the history, development, principles, and successes of the campaign.

Despite differing angles, stresses and perspectives, all participants agreed on the basic idea of establishing a campaign to defend the Venezuelan and Cuban revolutions.

The meeting passed a joint resolution. The campaign agreed on three main objectives for the work of the campaign in Austria:

a) To struggle against imperialist manoeuvres and aggression against the Venezuelan and Cuban Revolutions.

b) The establishment of direct contact and links between the Austrian and Venezuelan trade union movements in order to facilitate the work in favour of the recognition of the UNT in the Austrian and international labour movement.

c) To participate, on the principles of anti-imperialism and working-class solidarity, in the alternative summit to be held parallel to the summit of European Union and Latin American heads of state in Vienna in May 2006.

Sandra Stern (GPA-youth and President of the Austrian Preperation Comitee for the WFYS in Caracas), Martin Konecny (YS Vienna), Carlos Troger (Bolivarian Circle Vienna), Emanuel Tomaselli (Der Funke) at the podium

The next step for the campaign will be to establish a jointly managed www.haendewegvonvenezuela.org website which should be online sometime in July. All the organisations, currents and campaigns that agree to the basic resolution of the campaign will have access to the website to publish material on Venezuela and Cuba. There will also be discussion forums on the website. A special section will also be maintained in order to keep a close eye on corporate media reports on Venezuela.

Although all the ideas could not be discussed in depth at the plenary discussion due to a lack of time, all participants felt that the most difficult first step had been taken and that many more things would be undertaken by the “Hands off Venezuela” campaign in Austria. 

Workshop discussing the set-up of the campaign

As a final remark we would like to highlight a contribution made by a shop steward who was present at the meeting. Just a few weeks ago a delegate to the national conference of the ÖGJ (Trade Union Youth of Austria) raised the example of Venepal, the CNV and workers’ control of industry in Venezuela in general in the debate about the nationalisation of key industries. These examples helped the young trade unionists to sharpen their position on this vital issue. The ÖGJ now demands the complete nationalisation of Austrian industry under workers’ control.

This graphically shows that the revolution in Venezuela and Latin America is an inspiration to the most advanced layers of the working class in Europe. The experience of our comrades in Venezuela will help to sharpen their ideas, methods and programmes in order to fight capitalism in imperialist countries.

The Hands off Venezuela campaign was established in Austria following the international appeal made in December 2002. We started our work with the distribution of the international appeal and the collection of signatures in defence of the Venezuelan revolution. 

The main force behind the campaign at this time was Der Funke. From the very beginning we directed the campaign towards the labour movement, in particular towards the Young Socialists (YS) and shop stewards. We have used conferences, district meetings and branches to move resolutions, distribute leaflets and hold public discussions in order to spread awareness of the developments in Venezuela and in the labour movement. At the last national conference of the YS in October 2004 HoV supporters submitted a resolution calling for the expulsion of counterrevolutionary organisations from the IUSY (the International Union of Socialist Youth). This resolution created a heated debate and received the support of many delegates.

In January 2004 the campaign organised a speaking tour with Hermann Albrecht, a trade union activist from Venezuela. During the recall referendum we showed our support for the revolutionary process by holding a rally in front of the Venezuelan embassy in Vienna and explained our perspectives for the Venezuelan revolution: “Hands off Venezuela – forward to socialism”. Just two months later the campaign, which had in the meantime established a close relationship with the Bolivarian Circle of Vienna, successfully thwarted an esqualido (a term used to describe the opposition in Venezuela) meeting by picketing the venue. The notorious ProVeO (Pro Venezuela Organization) tried to use the prestigious “Latin American Institute” to promote their anti-democratic positions in Austria. This was the first and last public meeting of the so-called “opposition” to be held in Austria, and was a big success for the international campaign.

At the Austrian Social Forum (ASF) in Linz in June 2004, the HoV campaign held a joint meeting together with the Communist Party of Austria. Despite the fact that Oskar Lafontaine was speaking at the same time, more than 40 people came to the meeting, making it one of the biggest single-issue meetings at the forum. The campaign then also took part in the organisation of the World Youth Festival to be held this August in Venezuela.

Through all these activities and through the inspiring example of the Venezuelan Revolution itself, we were able to build and involve other political forces in the campaign. A meeting was held last weekend with several people representing different organisations, currents and campaigns in order to discuss the perspectives of the revolution in Latin America and the basis for a joint effort to spread awareness of what is happening in Venezuela.

Several organizations were represented including: the YS Vienna and several district organisations of the YS, the youth organisation of the Trade Union of Private Employees, the Austrian-Cuban Friendship-Association, Energy for Cuba, the Bolivarian Circle and the Marxist tendency Der Funke. Jorge Martin, international secretary of the Hands off Venezuela campaign, was the special guest and gave those present an insight into the history, development, principles, and successes of the campaign.

Despite differing angles, stresses and perspectives, all participants agreed on the basic idea of establishing a campaign to defend the Venezuelan and Cuban revolutions.

The meeting passed a joint resolution. The campaign agreed on three main objectives for the work of the campaign in Austria:

a) To struggle against imperialist manoeuvres and aggression against the Venezuelan and Cuban Revolutions.

b) The establishment of direct contact and links between the Austrian and Venezuelan trade union movements in order to facilitate the work in favour of the recognition of the UNT in the Austrian and international labour movement.

c) To participate, on the principles of anti-imperialism and working-class solidarity, in the alternative summit to be held parallel to the summit of European Union and Latin American heads of state in Vienna in May 2006.

Sandra Stern (GPA-youth and President of the Austrian Preperation Comitee for the WFYS in Caracas), Martin Konecny (YS Vienna), Carlos Troger (Bolivarian Circle Vienna), Emanuel Tomaselli (Der Funke) at the podium

The next step for the campaign will be to establish a jointly managed www.haendewegvonvenezuela.org website which should be online sometime in July. All the organisations, currents and campaigns that agree to the basic resolution of the campaign will have access to the website to publish material on Venezuela and Cuba. There will also be discussion forums on the website. A special section will also be maintained in order to keep a close eye on corporate media reports on Venezuela.

Although all the ideas could not be discussed in depth at the plenary discussion due to a lack of time, all participants felt that the most difficult first step had been taken and that many more things would be undertaken by the “Hands off Venezuela” campaign in Austria. 

Workshop discussing the set-up of the campaign

As a final remark we would like to highlight a contribution made by a shop steward who was present at the meeting. Just a few weeks ago a delegate to the national conference of the ÖGJ (Trade Union Youth of Austria) raised the example of Venepal, the CNV and workers’ control of industry in Venezuela in general in the debate about the nationalisation of key industries. These examples helped the young trade unionists to sharpen their position on this vital issue. The ÖGJ now demands the complete nationalisation of Austrian industry under workers’ control.

This graphically shows that the revolution in Venezuela and Latin America is an inspiration to the most advanced layers of the working class in Europe. The experience of our comrades in Venezuela will help to sharpen their ideas, methods and programmes in order to fight capitalism in imperialist countries.