Let’s briefly recall the political context of 2004: the US government believed they could “export democracy” to Iraq, but in fact US occupation troops in Iraq faced a growing wave of resistance that had deep popular roots. The Anti-Imperialist Camp initiated a symbolic campaign under the slogan “10 Euros for the Iraqi Resistance”, which was supported by thousands with their names. The campaign intended to demonstrate that resistance to the occupation, including armed resistance, is not only politically and morally legitimate, but also protected by international law. The political activities of the Anti-Imperialist Camp as well as the alliances and cooperations we formed were obviously successful enough to register with the NSA. The Signal Intelligence Directorate with … [read more]

In the poorest countries of the world, where hundreds of thousands of people die of hunger and diseases, many have celebrated the massacre of New York. Among those peoples who in the last decades have been suffering from all kinds of humiliations, aggressions, massacres and injustice, many have cheered in occasion of the twin tower collapse. They see the evil where the rich see the good. Only priests with fully stuffed stomachs could condemn these extreme sentiments of the damned of earth. In fact, the poor and miserable consider the USA and their allies as those responsible for their inhuman conditions of life, for the hopeless barbarism they have to suffer from. Are they wrong? The hypocrite governors of the US and the NATO states are threatening, cursing and crying that peace … [read more]

Orr claims that the city is unable to pay its approximately $20 billion in debt out of city revenues. Orr’s June 14 Proposal for Creditors and the bankruptcy petition itself make it clear that the bankruptcy’s real goal is to gut the pensions and benefits of Detroit’s over 20,000 retirees. Most of the debt to the banks that caused Detroit’s financial crisis is considered “secure debt,” to be paid despite the bankruptcy filing. The list of Detroit’s top 20 unsecured creditors that was filed with the bankruptcy court places the General Retirement System of the city of Detroit and the Police and Fire Retirement System of the city of Detroit, as well as trustees associated with administering the pensions, at the top of the list to suffer the bulk of the losses in bankruptcy. … [read more]

Al Pueblo Pobre Venezolano y Nuestroamericano A los Pobres del Campo y la Ciudad: trabajadores, campesinos, juventud popular, habitantes de barrios, pueblos y caseríos A la Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana A los Patriotas, Progresistas y Revolucionarios Queridos Hermanos y compañeros de lucha. Comienza un nuevo año, quizás, en la situación más dramática que le ha tocado enfrentar a nuestro Pueblo desde 1830. Allá en esa fecha, quedó sepultada temporalmente la Independencia nacional en la quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino un 17 de diciembre, cuando el libertador apagó su llama libertaria en medio de la soledad y la incomprensión. Tuvieron que pasar 162 años para que Bolívar retornara junto a los suyos, a Sucre a Miranda, a Simón Rodríguez, a Ezequiel Zamora y su … [read more]

Editorials in Europe celebrate the victory of someone who does not belong to the WASP elite as the restoration and confirmation of the American Dream—a Black man as elected monarch. The nightmare of the Bush years was supposedly just an aberration that failed, a deviation that is behind us now; the true, liberal America of opportunities is back, bright eyes, bushy tail. The lower and middle class had enough of the anti-social and war-mongering course of that coalition of protestant fundamentalists and neo-conservatives, and voted accordingly. The majority of white America, however, still voted for the zany duo McCain&Palin. One element that makes the United States so attractive is the apparent absence of formal exclusion for social advancement, and Obama seems to be the epitome of … [read more]

Filled with its own complexities and contradictions, attempting to narrowly define OWS is a useless exercise. And although criticized by the mainstream because of the movement’s vague demands and festival-like character, no one, not even corporate media have been able to deny OWS’s tremendous impact. Despite the movement’s growth throughout the country, however, its own contradictions can be best understood in its inability to effectively address the question of race. Beginning as a largely white and middle-class movement in many cities, such contradictions have kept it from mobilizing people of color communities – those most affected by the current economic crisis and who make up a majority of New York City’s residents. While such limitations have held the Occupy … [read more]

Michel Martelly is closely associated with the extreme right in Haiti that twice overthrew elected government (in 1991 and 2004). He has vowed to reconstitute the notorious Armed Forces of Haiti, disbanded in 1995 due to its record of massive human rights violations (elements of which are in training and waiting for the call). He says that Haiti's economic and social development depends on convincing more foreign investors to set up shop. He told CBC Radio's The Current on April 7 that Haiti has been "going in the wrong direction for the last 25 years," a reference to the long and difficult struggle by the Haitian people to move beyond the terrible legacy of the Duvalier tyranny. The two-round electoral exercise that landed him in power was foreign-funded and inspired. The United … [read more]

BOLÍVAR AND ZAMORA REVOLUTIONARY CURRENT (CRBZ) DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES We are a sum of wills brought together by a great commitment, filled with passion for and love of the Bolivarian Revolution. We are, above all else, men, women, groups, organizations, and collectives, highly aware of the quota of responsibility that we bear in this historic moment of transformations and the arrival of the Patria Nueva, or New Homeland. We understand that Revolution is a question of making dreams into realities, and this is precisely the great challenge of the Bolivarian Revolution: make into a tangible reality the proposed historical and cultural project of our Revolutionary Program, the SIMON BOLIVAR NATIONAL PROJECT. This requires of us revolutionaries a conscious, creative and steady … [read more]

Our stomach turns when we do a visual count of the damages caused by the merciless rains of recent days. It’s just that figures alone don’t allow for a full comprehension of the catastrophe’s characteristics – in figures there is a cold rational that isn’t understood until one sees concrete faces, the faces of little kids scared and searching for answers amongst such despair. Wrinkles and colors of our People, the poor, asking ourselves how damn long will we be the everlasting protagonists of natural disasters? And while the answer is simple, it is urgent that we ideologically alphabetize at this precise moment, at the center of this crisis, and expose the great unmasked guilty party in front of cameras and in front of consciousnesses. The guilt lies with capitalism, the … [read more]

This suppression of civil rights is aimed at those who dedicate their time and energy to supporting the struggles of the Palestinian and Colombian peoples against U.S. funded occupation and war. The FBI has indicated that the grand jury is investigating the activists for possible material support of terrorism charges. The activists involved have done nothing wrong and are refusing to be pulled into conversations with the FBI about their political views or organizing against war and occupation. The activists are involved with many groups, including: the Twin Cities Anti-War Committee, the Palestine Solidarity Group, the Colombia Action Network, Students for a Democratic Society, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization. These activists came together with many others to organize the … [read more]

In this regard, we want to sign the Commitment of Caracas as a revolutionary guide for the challenges ahead of us. We have gathered with the aim of unifying criteria and giving concrete answers that allow us to defend our sovereignty, our social victories, and the freedom of our peoples in the face of the generalized crisis of the world capitalist system and the new threats spreading over our region and the whole world with the establishment and strengthening of military bases in the sister republics of Colombia, Panama, Aruba, Curacao, the Dutch Antilles, as well as the aggression against Ecuadorian territory, and the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. We consider that the world capitalist system is going through one of its most severe crises, which has shaken its very foundations and … [read more]

“.”So spoke Venezuela President Hugo Chavez from the plenary podium on the last afternoon, December 18, of the 12-day long Climate Conference.“While the conference was a failure, it, at least, led to more consciousness of what the problem is for all of us. Now starts a new stage of the struggle for the salvation of humanity, and this is through socialism. Our problem is not just about climate, but about poverty, misery, unnecessary child deaths, discrimination and racism—all related to capitalism,” Chavez said at the Bolivarian Alliance of the Peoples of Latin America (ALBA) press conference held at the Bella Centre conference immediately following Chavez’ last remarks at the plenary.Bolivia President Evo Morales followed Chavez’ remarks by … [read more]

Like in the 60ies: arrests on false charges of drug crimes Drop all charges against Sharon Black-Ceci, Steven Ceci and Patrick Allen! Stop police attacks on all political activists!On the morning of December 9, long-time Baltimore Community activists Sharon Black-Ceci and Steven Ceci were dragged from their home by Baltimore police. The two, long-time leaders in the anti-racist, and poor people's rights struggle, had been under police surveillance for their political activism. They have each been falsely charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, a felony, and possession of marijuana, a misdemeanor.On Nov. 14, while both Sharon Black-Ceci and Steven Ceci were attending a workers' rights conference in NYC, Baltimore police broke down the door of their Baltimore … [read more]

Statement on Honduras    We, the undersigned, who participated at the Conference of the Central and Eastern European solidarity groups at Budapest, Hungary on 6, 7 and 8 November, 2009 express our strongest condemnation of the military coup in Honduras against the legitimate president Manuel Zelaya.     We express our solidarity with the courageous struggle of resistance against the coup on the part of the Honduran people, led by the National Front of Resistance.     We demand the immediate reinstatement of President Manuel Zelaya, trial and punishment for the coup plotters and the convening of the Constituent Assembly in which the people of Honduras can decide truly about their own future, free from imperialist intervention.   … [read more]

Lawyer imprisoned for more than 2 yrs for defying “special rules” for terror suspect—before U.S. law people are UNequal Free Lynne Stewart! Lynne Stewart was sent to prison on November 19, 2009. People throughout the United States and around the world recognize this as a great miscarriage of justice.Her indictment was an outrage. So too was her conviction. The fact that this seventy year old veteran civil rights attorney has been sent to prison is a crime itself. She is serving a 28 month sentence although the Court of Appeals has remanded her case back to the original trial court with the hope that her sentence will be lengthened. The Bush Justice Department had sought a 30 year sentence.“Lynne Stewart should be set free,” stated Brian Becker, national … [read more]

Congratulations, HUGO CHAVEZ!From: The Sierra Leone People's Democratic League (PDL).To: His Excellency, Dr. Hugo Chavez,President, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Venezuela, Caracas.Date: 5th. December, 2006.Your Excellency:The Sierra Leone People's Democratic League (PDL) heartily congratulates Your Excellency on the resounding victory at the just concluded Presidential election, internationally judged as most democratic, peaceful, honest and transparent, especially your election for the third term, to continue the mantle of leadership as President, and Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces of Venezuela. Your Excellency re-election is a victory for continuity of the vision and mission of the great Bolivarian Revolution, for freedom and dignity. It is a testimony to Your … [read more]

President Chavez' antiimperialist strive, that has brought about outstanding social and democratic progress above all for the poor, can count on broad support within the country. Hence, the slogan of the Bolivarian popular movement on the forthcoming elections is: 10 million votes for a new revolutionary mandate.We intend to join this slogan with our voice of international solidarity. In fact, one strong aspect of Hugo Chavez' presidency is his country's solidarity with the peoples of the world. President Chavez continuously pointed out the crimes of the Guantánamo camp of torture, the occupation terror in Iraq, the threathening of war against Iran and last but not least the Israeli state terrorism against the Palestinian and the Lebanese people.As a sign of supporting the … [read more]

By: Gregory WilpertSource: Venezuelanalysis.com According to Chavez, this socialism would be different from the socialism of the 20th century. While Chavez was vague about exactly how this new socialism would be different, he implied it would not be a state socialism as was practiced in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe or as is practiced in Cuba today. Rather, it would be a socialism that would be more pluralistic and less state-centered. "We have assumed the commitment to direct the Bolivarian Revolution towards socialism and to contribute to the socialist path, with a new socialism, a socialism of the 21st century, which is based in solidarity, in fraternity, in love, in justice, in liberty, and in equality," said Chavez in another speech in mid 2006.[1] Also, this … [read more]

   Those who searched for clear answers within the usual multitude if the Social Forums - this time "polycentric" with Caracas as the point of Latin American reference - had to wait for the closing speech of Hugo Chavez, president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela:  "Also you will respect our autonomy to express what we think: I think that we have to push the Forum to form a big global movement as an anti-imperialist alternative comprising the entire world which got the capability of connexion, of growth, of struggle. I also believe that we have already taken some steps in this direction. We run the risk of a folklorization of the Forum. A Forum which discusses and debates without conclusions, for example, for me seems at least strange … if it … [read more]