Three Days of Intense Activity highlights Venezuelan Revolution at LP Conference

The Hands Off Venezuela Campaign was engaged in a lively three days of intense activity over the last weekend of September - bringing the message of the Venezuelan Revolution to a wide audience of anti-war activists, students, trade unionists and Labour Party members. 

Beginning on Saturday, HOV intervened in the 50,000 strong Stop the War demonstration in Manchester with a huge stall and a massive HOV banner attached to two high pillars for all to see. During the next day, HOV activists attended the Stop the War conference, intervened in the workshop on Latin America, and signed up dozens of people for HOV. Many activists visited our stall to buy literature, magazines and DVDs, as well as to discuss developments in Venezuela. Many of these were students who were keen to help with HOV screenings at universities and colleges. 

In the evening, HOV attend the 150-strong rally of Labour Against the War. Again, we set up a stall outside the event which drew a great deal of interest and gave everyone material about the campaign. In the hall, we prominently displayed the national HOV banner, while many of the platform speakers, including Tony Benn, John McDonnell MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, referred to Venezuela in their speeches.  

The following day, groups of HOV supporters leafleted the Labour Party conference, loudly calling for the support of the revolutionary developments in Latin America. We received a warm response from the rank and file delegates and trade unionists as we drew attention to our lunchtime fringe meeting. 

The fringe meeting itself was held in the Friends Meeting Place just opposite the Labour Party conference centre. Although HOV had speakers at Labour's fringe meetings in previous years, it was the first time that HOV had held its own meeting. Despite another meeting on Venezuela called at the same time by VIC, the Hands Off Venezuela meeting was packed by 1 o'clock. People were standing at the back and sitting in the aisles, while another 40 people were turned away from the meeting due to lack of space. A film crew from French national TV was also present to film John McDonnell's contribution. 

The enthusiastic meeting was chaired by Espe Espigares from HOV's national steering committee who highlighted the importance of the Venezuelan Revolution in the run up to the Presidential elections in December. The first platform speaker was Rob Sewell, the convener of the national steering committee, who explained that the revolutionary movements unfolding throughout the countries of Latin America were not separated events but were part of the unfolding Latin American Revolution. Rob gave an outline of the rise of Hugo Chavez, the April 2002 coup, the bosses' lockout, and the magnificent movement of the working class and the oppressed which defeated the counter-revolution. "Now Chavez has opened up a debate on socialism", stated Rob, "which has raised the tasks of the Revolution to a new level. The question of a ‘revolution within the revolution' has come to the fore. Chavez has also stated that after the December election measures will be taken to make the Revolution irreversible." Rob also called for the lessons of Venezuela to be learned here and called for the trade unions to take back the Labour Party for socialism. 

The next speaker was Jeremy Corbyn MP, who had just returned from Mexico. Jeremy described the "unbelievable occasion last Saturday in Mexico City where one million delegates assembled to debate the questions of which way forward." They voted to recognise Lopez Obrador as president of Mexico and will return to install him on 20^th November. "The debate at this Democratic Convention was not about procedures but how to combat the whole neo-con strategy", stated Jeremy. "Calderon stands for the privatisation of gas, electricity and other essential services. We must express our solidarity with those fighting against this programme which threatens the very gains of the 1910 Revolution. Internationalism and solidarity means acting ourselves and linking up with those in struggle." 

The final speaker was John McDonnell MP, who is standing for leader of the Labour Party. He said that his victory for leader would mark a fundamental change. "You would know clearly which side a Labour government was on - on the side of the people against the US neo-cons", said John. "Venezuela has come up at every meeting I have spoken at. It represents a struggle for freedom against imperialism. Latin America has long been the area for a source of labour and raw materials for Washington. Chavez has risen up against this oppression. That is why they want to remove him. We must make sure Venezuela is not isolated and we must work to bring about a European bloc of support for Chavez and the revolution", he said. "Finally we must put all Labour MPs on the spot as to where they stand in every selection." 

After questions and answers, the meeting - which was very enthusiastic - was asked to go back and drum up support for the Venezuelan Revolution. Above all everyone was urged to join HOV, get their union or Labour Party to affiliate to the campaign and send delegates to the national HOV conference on 4^th November. The three days of activity proved to be a roaring success.