Americas

More than 13,000 tonnes of food have been seized in the last two weeks in Venezuela as part of the Food Sovereignty Plan launched in order to fight speculation, hoarding and sabotage in the food distribution chain. In announcing the measures in his radio programme Allo Presidente on January 22, president Chávez said that "among the responsibilities of the government one of them is to attack the capitalist model, the monopolies and rackets, so that the people, the workers, together with the revolutionary government can take the country forward".

Our attention has been drawn to an article published in the Mexican newspaper El Financiero on August 27, 2007. What is significant about this article is that it makes a specific reference to the Revolutionary Marxist Current (CMR) in Venezuela and the Marxist Tendency Militante in Mexico. The Venezuelan CMR is mentioned as one of the "tools for ideological propaganda" with the aim of spreading the "socialist revolution in the 21st century".

The Sandinistas carried out many progressive reforms after they came to power, but they never seriously tackled the question of ownership of the means of production. By leaving the bulk of the economy in private hands they gave the local oligarchy and imperialism the instruments by which these were able to undermine the revolution and eventually defeat it.

At the end of the 1970s, the people of Nicaragua rose up and overthrew one of the most hated tyrants in the world, Anastacio Somoza. It was an inspiring revolution that raised the hopes of many workers and youth around the world. Today Venezuela raises similar hopes. But the Nicaraguan revolution was defeated. What lessons can we draw from this today?

Editorial for US Socialist Appeal 36: The campaign to elect the next President of the United States is in full swing. The Democratic and Republican primaries and caucuses have begun, accompanied by a media frenzy intended to make it seem as though there truly are significant differences between the candidates, and to distract working people from the pressing problems we face. As we go to press, the race to nominate the next presidential candidates of big business is still wide open. But the real question is, who will represent the working class majority of American society?

The Venezuelan revolution has inspired the workers, peasants and youth of all Latin America and on a world scale. Over the past decade the revolutionary masses have achieved miracles. But the Venezuelan revolution is not completed. It cannot be completed until it expropriates the oligarchy and nationalizes the land, the banks and the key industries that remain in private hands. After almost a decade this task has not been accomplished and this represents a threat to the future of the revolution.

José Carlos Miranda of the Black Socialist Movement and Roque José Ferreira of the FNITST-CUT (Railway workers), spoke in the Brazilian parliament against the new race laws being proposed by the government on November 26. Here we provide the videos.

The Democrats have continued to support the Iraq War, and have colluded with the Republicans on many key matters. It is not a question of this or that individual. It is one of common class interests shared by both parties. We, the working people in the USA, need to begin the process of building our own political alternative.

A large part of the US arms industry is now openly backing Hilary Clinton for President, a further confirmation that there is no fundamental difference between the Democrats and the Republicans.

Does Republican Congressman Ron Paul offer anything that can truly be called a "revolution", or is he more of the same from the capitalists' ranks? Should workers and students in the anti-war movement, or in general, give him support in any way?

The Bolivian oligarchy and imperialism are not prepared to accept democracy if the democratic will of the majority is to take away their power and privileges. Unfortunately, what is lacking in Bolivia is a programme to challenge the interests of the landlords and capitalists and a leadership that will fight for this programme.

There is plenty of evidence that the workers and peasants in Ecuador have shifted radically to the left. Opinion polls, surveys and the real movements on the ground indicate that more and more people are turning against capitalism. This has produced the new Correa government. But again, we see temporising and vacillation. The masses want action, not talk.

Reaction is raising its ugly head in Bolivia. The strategy of the Morales government seems to be based on making more concessions. Taking advantage of the temporising and vacillation of the Morales government the oligarchy is gaining even more confidence. What is needed is a serious campaign among the masses to explain what is at stake and take firm revolutionary socialist measures.

The Salvadorean newspaper Diario CoLatino has dedicated its weekly supplement Perspectivas to balance-sheet of the defeat of the constitutional reform in Venezuela, publishing in two pages the article by Alan Woods. Diario CoLatino has a circulation of around 35,000 copies and is the most widely read newspaper amongst left wing activists in the country, in the FMLN, the trade union and the student and peoples' movement. A few weeks ago, Diario CoLatino also published the analysis of the Argentinean elections by the comrades of the Corriente Socialista El Militante, showing the impact of and interest for Marxist ideas in the country.