On July 28, 45 people attended a seminar on "People's Power in Latin America: rebellion, workers' control and 21st century socialism". Held at the Princess May Community Centre, the forum was a joint initiative of the Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network (AVSN) and the Australia Cuba Friendship Society (ACFS).
Venezuelan charge d'affairs Nelson Davila, who had just returned from Nauru, described the impact of capitalist development on the small Pacific island state, which has had its sole natural resource — phosphate — sucked dry by Australian mining companies. He related the discomfort of the US, Australian and other foreign diplomats at the Donor Roundtable meeting he attended when he offered food, medicine and solidarity from the Venezuelan government. The US government offered soldiers and weapons.
Davila also presented greetings to the ACFS's Cuban Rebellion Day celebration attended by 200 people in Fremantle.
The joint seminar included a plenary examining the roots of the Latin American rebellion against neoliberalism. Workshops addressed themes such as media and free speech in Venezuela, women and revolution in Latin America, and the life and legacy of Che Guevara.
Electrical Trades Union organiser and AVSN's Venezuela May Day brigade participant Terry Hayes presented a workshop on workers' control and the union movement in Venezuela. Other workshops examined Cuba's "green revolution", Cuban political prisoners in the US and the mass movement against the electoral fraud that last year robbed Mexico's left-wing presidential candidate Lopez Obrador of victory.
The AVSN will be screening the films Venezuela: No Volveran in August and John Pilger's War on Democracy in September. For more information, phone Trent on 0407 070 841 or email <perth@venezuelasolidarity.org>.