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Home » 2007 » #696 » Australian News » 'The goal of socialism is alive'

Paul Benedek, Brisbane

“President Hugo Chavez declared in early January, ‘We’re on our way to socialism, and nothing and no-one can prevent it’. This just confirms what we saw over 12 months of living inside the Bolivarian revolution. It is sweeping the old order aside and increasingly placing power in ordinary people’s hands”, McIlroy said.

The two resided in a poor, working-class neighbourhood of Caracas. They took an active part in many struggles, witnessing grassroots education and health missions (social projects), empowered indigenous communities, environmental collectives, worker-controlled factories and the new institutions of people’s power — the communal councils.

Wynter and McIlroy helped organise Australian solidarity brigades to Venezuela during 2006, culminating in a tour at the time of the successful re-election of socialist president Hugo Chavez. Chavez won a huge majority of 63% in last December’s poll.

“The Chavez government has seized back control of the country’s enormous oil resources from the traditional oligarchy and foreign petroleum corporations, and is using this wealth to fund huge improvements in health, education and living conditions for the great majority of the people”, Wynter added. Venezuela’s “socialism of the 21st century” is a beacon of hope for people power in a world of war and exploitation, they concluded.

Wynter and McIlroy will present a multimedia forum about their experiences on February 3, at 7pm (6pm for refreshments) at the CEPU Auditorium, 41 Peel Street (corner Merivale Street), South Brisbane.

The forum is being organised by Green Left Weekly and sponsored by the Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network. Contact Paul on (07) 3831 2644 for more information or visit <www.greenleft.org.au> and <www.venezuelasolidarity.org>.

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