Venezuelan trade unionist Ricardo Galindez comes to Britain and Ireland!

The supporters of the Hands Off Venezuela campaign are going to start the New Year in the same way as they finished 2004 – by raising the profile of the Venezuelan Revolution. In December 2004 Hands Off Venezuela supporters in London organised a speaking tour for Oscar Negrin, who is the head teacher of a school in Caracas occupied by the pupils and the community as a response to the bosses’ lockout of December 2002.

In February Hands Off Venezuela supporters are hosting the Venezuelan trade unionist and Marxist, Ricardo Galindez. This comrade, originally from Barquisimeto, has been the editor of the socialist journal El Topo Obrero for more than 20 years. He has participated in the revolutionary process since the very beginning. His involvement in left-wing politics cost him the hatred of the bosses in the state of Lara and a bullet in his chest that almost killed him. That was not the only time that the bosses’ thugs picked on him. He was also on the front line during the creation of the UNT. From the very first moment he pushed for resolutions outlining the anti-capitalist nature and militant approach of the new Venezuelan trade union. In February labour movement activists and youth in London, Cambridge and Dublin will have the chance to hear a first hand report of what is going on in Venezuela at the moment. Hands Off Venezuela is aiming to extend solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution across the left. Galindez is going to meet students, trade union activists, progressive MPs and anti-war activists during the 10 days he will be spending in Britain and Ireland.

This is a very interesting moment for the Venezuelan Revolution. On the one hand occupied factories like Venepal are raising the question "who runs the country?" and demonstrating to everybody that bosses are not necessary to run society. Galindez is a leading figure in the solidarity committee with the Venepal workers. On the other hand, Chavez is accelerating the process of land reform. This process of speeding up the land reform has been stirred up by the intervention at “El Charcote”. This is a cattle ranch owned by the British company Vestey Group Ltd. This intervention is the first in a chain of 15 landed estate interventions in the state of Cojedes alone. This measure attacks the interests of the Venezuelan oligarchy, which has continually plotted against the Venezuelan Revolution head on. All of us will have the chance to discuss all these issues with Ricardo Galindez, and find out what more can be done to support the Venezuelan revolution.

The supporters of the Hands Off Venezuela campaign are going to start the New Year in the same way as they finished 2004 – by raising the profile of the Venezuelan Revolution. In December 2004 Hands Off Venezuela supporters in London organised a speaking tour for Oscar Negrin, who is the head teacher of a school in Caracas occupied by the pupils and the community as a response to the bosses’ lockout of December 2002.

In February Hands Off Venezuela supporters are hosting the Venezuelan trade unionist and Marxist, Ricardo Galindez. This comrade, originally from Barquisimeto, has been the editor of the socialist journal El Topo Obrero for more than 20 years. He has participated in the revolutionary process since the very beginning. His involvement in left-wing politics cost him the hatred of the bosses in the state of Lara and a bullet in his chest that almost killed him. That was not the only time that the bosses’ thugs picked on him. He was also on the front line during the creation of the UNT. From the very first moment he pushed for resolutions outlining the anti-capitalist nature and militant approach of the new Venezuelan trade union. In February labour movement activists and youth in London, Cambridge and Dublin will have the chance to hear a first hand report of what is going on in Venezuela at the moment. Hands Off Venezuela is aiming to extend solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution across the left. Galindez is going to meet students, trade union activists, progressive MPs and anti-war activists during the 10 days he will be spending in Britain and Ireland.

This is a very interesting moment for the Venezuelan Revolution. On the one hand occupied factories like Venepal are raising the question "who runs the country?" and demonstrating to everybody that bosses are not necessary to run society. Galindez is a leading figure in the solidarity committee with the Venepal workers. On the other hand, Chavez is accelerating the process of land reform. This process of speeding up the land reform has been stirred up by the intervention at “El Charcote”. This is a cattle ranch owned by the British company Vestey Group Ltd. This intervention is the first in a chain of 15 landed estate interventions in the state of Cojedes alone. This measure attacks the interests of the Venezuelan oligarchy, which has continually plotted against the Venezuelan Revolution head on. All of us will have the chance to discuss all these issues with Ricardo Galindez, and find out what more can be done to support the Venezuelan revolution.