Athens, March 29. On March 26, a massive online solidarity event was held.
Greece participated with a group of solidarity friends that make up the new Greek chapter of the Network in defense of Humanity.
Here is the press release prepared by the participating Greek friends:
“Press release from the Greeks invited to the International Meeting of Movements, an initiative of the movements of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
On March 26, an International Meeting of representatives of movements and actions was held in Caracas. The occasion of the meeting is the 200 years since the Battle of Carabobo, the greatest victorious battle of the anti-colonial struggle in Latin America, fought by the “Popular Army”, made up of indigenous people, blacks, whites and all the peoples of much of South America headed by Bolívar, from whom the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela took its name.
The meeting was organized by the representatives of the 7 million Venezuelans active in the country’s movements, youth, women, environmental movements, etc., the representatives of the unions of millions of Venezuelan workers and the representatives of the famous communes of Venezuela – a conquest of the Bolivarian revolution – the cells of the organization of the society that organize production, as well as in the big cities, the representatives of the intellectuals and artists of the country.
Guests, representatives of movements from all over the world. 1,873 representatives from 164 countries participated, who in a technically impeccable presentation, of unmatched professionalism, were able to meet, exchange hundreds of messages and experiences, listen, but also speak from a screen divided into dozens of squares.
The host was the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, who spoke as a member of the huge movement that is leading the Bolivarian revolution in his country. He analyzed the historicity of the day, highlighting the profoundly anti-imperialist character of the struggle of the peoples of Latin America, past and present. He spoke of the millions of Venezuelans who, organized in unions, movements, communities, actively participate in the country’s anti-imperialist movement, but also in the global solidarity movement. He invited us to the International Conference of the Peoples that they are organizing on June 21 and 24. It shaped the historical continuity of the struggle, with a documentary of the day Chávez was released 27 years ago and the now famous statement by Chávez, as soon as he was released from prison, that when asked “what is his next target?” his answer was “power.” He presented us with the image of today’s Venezuela fighting, despite the strict embargo, against the pandemic and even managing to send oxygen to the Amazon region of Brazil, where Bolsonaro’s neoliberal policy has left the country defenseless, paying one of the highest prices. stop the pandemic.
The speakers were not ministers and other significant people, but people with a common characteristic. They are all representatives of movements from around the world, who participated in the International Online Meeting. Each one was presented and received by President Maduro himself.
From Brazil, a representative of the women’s movement that participates in the Sao Paulo Forum, developed the capitalist crisis that with the pandemic acquires lethal characteristics for the peoples. From Oklahoma, USA, a BLM representative provided the opportunity to develop the conversation about fighting racism and oppression. From Moscow, a young man and member of the Duma said “we are young and we are charting the future of our countries,” he called similar conferences on all continents and announced the establishment of the “Russian-Venezuelan Friendship House” in Moscow.
From the Catalan unions, the spokesperson spoke of respect and solidarity in the anti-colonial struggle, saying that Europe is not in a position to give lessons in democracy, asking for the continued coordination of the peoples’ struggle and the exchange of opinions and experiences online. The representative of Mexico connected the event with the Sao Paulo Forum and highlighted the need to fight against exclusions and sanctions. From Cuba, always a pioneer in international solidarity, the person in charge of international relations presented the preparatory meetings that have already been held in Cuba and that resulted in a Working Group for participation in the Peoples’ Summit, invited us to spread the message around the world and confidently concluded that with united peoples, another world is possible. Finally, from Argentina, the well-known intellectual Atilio Borón, when describing the movements of the anti-popular capitalist forces, concluded that “the representatives of oppression have the money and the means to coordinate their propaganda and geopolitical actions, and this creates the need to coordinate to join forces ”, a need that gives special value to the International Meeting and other initiatives in the near future.
Our country participated in this International Meeting with the following 15 guests: Costas Hisijos, former alternate minister for national defense, former deputy. Nadia Valavani, former alternate minister for the National Economy, former deputy. Vangelis Gonatas, “We are all Venezuela”, Yannis Rachiotis, lawyer, Loukia Konstantinou, Director of the Cultural Center “Nuestra América”, Mana Papadimitriou, Actress and Director, Dimitris Kaltsonis, University Professor, Vasilis Fouskas, University Professor, Themis Tzimas, Postdoctoral researcher , Katerina Tolika Professor and Representative of the Popular Unity party, Zisis Zannas, former MP, Vasilis Chatzilamprou former MP, Panayotis Papadomanolakis, bogger, Yannis Tsalavoutas, blogger, Maria Kaliva Prifti, journalist, Lamprini Thoma Journalist. Each and every one of us is left with the decision to continue our presence in such actions and to convey the message of the International Meeting as widely as possible, with this extensive press release as the first step in this direction.
President Maduro himself, finally greeting the speakers one by one and “closing” the meeting, said that Venezuela resists pressure, defends the revolution, protects its people from the pandemic and “opens its heart”, as he stressed, inviting us everyone to visit and see the reality of the country. He requested that we be inspired by the solidarity lessons of Cuba, highlighted the initiatives around the world to break the monopoly of propaganda in the media, from graffiti with anti-imperialist content in the streets to intervention on the internet, gaining ground by producing information and exchange of ideas and opinions. And he concluded that it is time to confront capitalist oppression with the socialism of the 21st century, to go beyond representative bourgeois democracy, to participatory popular power, fighting with cooperation and solidarity, passion, love and faith for the future.
ATHENS MARCH 28, 2021 “
