Socialist Action & the Struggles in Latin America

Introduction: Socialist Action has been active in organizing against U.S. intervention in Latin America from our inception. From the fight to defend the Nicaraguan and Grenadian revolutions in the 1980s, to the current fights against U.S. aid to Columbia and the continued occupation of Puerto Rico, we have made solidarity with our brothers and sisters to the south an important part of our work. The U.S. ruling class views Latin America as its exclusive backyard where it should be able to exploit the resources and labor of the region with impunity. We disagree! We call an end to all U.S. interference in the affairs of Latin American countries, and defend the alternative to neo-colonialism that is offered by the Cuban revolution. We welcome any feedback to the materials posted here!

Latin American News & Views:

Will the FMLN Bring Needed Change to El Salvador? The Farabundo Marti Front for National Liberation (FMLN), the long-standing ex-guerrilla organization of the Salvadoran people, won the [March 15] presidential elections. Its candidate, Mauricio Funes, was elected with 51.2 percent of the votes, defeating the party that has ruled for decades, ARENA. Large crowds in the streets celebrated the defeat of the neoliberal mass murderers. continued

Celia Hart on the Resignation of Fidel Castro: Fidel can give up being president of the Republic of Cuba. In reality, this is a responsibility that can be borne by any of the leaders. But Fidel cannot, even if he wants, cease to be the Commander in Chief of the Cuban Revolution, even if he is ill and we are only entitled to know what he wants through his reflections. continued

Chavez’s Defeat in Referendum Opens Up Debate: The unexpected defeat of the constitutional changes backed by President Hugo Chavez in the Dec. 2 national referendum has provoked deep-going discussion in the Venezuelan left. Much of it is expressed on the website Aporrea, which is operated by a Venezuelan current of Trotskyist origin linked to the Movimiento Socialista de los Trabajadores (MST) inArgentina. In general, this current identifies itself with Chavez but it does offer a broad forum for the left, including groups and individuals critical of Chavismo. continued

Rightists Build Parallel Government inBolivia: A latent civil war in Boliviawas defused temporarily by a holiday truce and the Morales government's offer of "dialogue" with its right-wing opposition. But the rightists continue to consolidate a regime of reactionary and racist terror in the southeastern provinces, known as the "Media Luna" (the “Half Moon”), and in some border areas, notablySucre, the country's judicial capital. continued

Chavez Projects a ‘Petro-Socialism’ in Venezuela: Since the failure of the U.S. backed coup of April 2002 to remove the Hugo Chavez regime in Venezuela, that country’s radical leader has posed the major political challenge to imperialism. His support for to Cuba has also been an important encouragement and material aid for the world’s only revolutionary regime. continued

A Shift to the Left in Latin American Elections: How should revolutionists respond to the current electoral shift to the left in Latin America? A series of elections in Latin America—including Brazil, Nicaragua and Venezuela—have led or are expected to lead to victories of left or neopopulist candidates. The most polarized vote will undoubtedly be in Venezuela on Dec. 3. continued

Cuba’s Take on Climate Change: Enemies and allies of Cuba alike can probably come to agreement on one thing: Cuba is by far leading the fight against climate change, internationally. Armando Choy, a key figure in the Cuban Revolution, and today head of the massive environmental cleanup operation in Havana Bay, explained, “This is possible because our system is socialist in character and commitment, and because the revolution’s top leadership acts in the interests of the majority of humanity inhabiting planet earth—not on behalf of narrow individual interests, or even simply Cuba’s national interests.” continued

A Debate onBolivia: “General jubilation” greeted the Bolivian government’s move to take control of the country’s hydrocarbon resources on May 1, according to the Cuban daily newspaper Granma. “An impressive multitude [that] gathered to celebrate May Day” in La Paz, Bolivia’s capital, “exploded with joy and cheers” when these measures were announced. This joy was shared by opponents of imperialism everywhere. continued

Celia Hart: Permanent Revolution inLatin America: To celebrate the new rise of revolutionary movements inLatin America, Celia Hart—a leading Cuban journalist and intellectual and the daughter of two of the most celebrated leaders of the Cuban Revolution, Armando Hart and Haydee Santamaria — began a series of lectures inMexico City on June 29. continued

Defend the Cuban 5: Renown civil rights and human rights attorney Leonard Weinglass toured the San Francisco Bay Area on the weekend of May 22-23 to mobilize support for the Cuban Five. Weinglass was at the center of several historic legal defense cases, from the Pentagon Papers trial to the trial of the Chicago Seven. For a decade he was chief counsel to Mumia Abu-Jamal. continued