Latin America solidarity gathering

The Second Latin American and Asia Pacific Solidarity Gathering, held on October 21-22, was attended by 200 people. Organised by the Latin American Solidarity Network (LasNet), it was addressed by Gissel Gonzales from Bolivia's Coalition in Defence of Water and Life; Maria de Lourdes Vicente da Silva, an organiser with the Landless Workers Movement (MST) in Brazil; Rosa del Carmen Curihuentro Lancaleo, a journalist and a Mapuche (the indigenous community of Chile and Argentina); and Heriberto Salas, a representative from the Mexican People for the Defence of the Earth, among others.

Speakers from the Asia-Pacific included Shamima Ali, director of Fiji's Women's Crisis Centre, and Chaz Doherty, a representative of the Tu Hoe Nation in New Zealand. Featured Australian speakers included Australian Manufacturing Workers Union national president Julius Roe, Maritime Union of Australia Victorian secretary Kevin Bracken and Martin Kingham, Victorian secretary of the construction division of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union.

From GLW issue 689