We publish here the statement of the founding of the Revolutionary Marxist Current in Venezuela. This country has been living through a revolutionary process for the last five years, the roots of which can be traced back to the semi-insurrection of 1989, popularly known as "Caracazo". The programme of moderate reforms and national sovereignty of president Chavez (land reform, literacy programmes, no privatisation of state companies, and above all no privatisation of the oil company) has clashed with the interests of the local oligarchy and imperialism. In this period of capitalist crisis and intensification of imperialist exploitation they cannot allow any country to apply even the most moderate reforms. At the same time, the arrival of Chavez to power opened a process of mass mobilisation and organisation which the Venezuelan oligarchy, with good reason, feared. 

With the help and backing of the US embassy they organised a coup on April 11th 2002. The masses replied in an exemplary fashion and the mass mobilisation defeated the coup in less than 36 hours. Another attempt at overthrowing the government and smashing the revolutionary process took place in December 2002, through the sabotage of the oil company and a lockout by the bosses was also defeated by the decisive intervention of the masses. On that occasion the main role was played by ordinary oil workers, who with the support of the local communities and a section of the national guard took over the installations of the oil company and restored production under workers' control and management. Throughout this period, Chavez’s programme of staying within the limits of capitalism and private property has come against the reality of a capitalist class which is firmly committed to his overthrow and is using all means, legal and illegal, at their disposal to put an end to the revolutionary movement of the masses. 

The Marxists have explained from the beginning that the only serious way to defend the revolutionary process is not by negotiating with the capitalists (as often the Chavez government has attempted), but rather by deepening the revolution through socialist measures. Amongst these the most important would be the nationalisation of the banking and financial sector under social control, the nationalisation under workers’ control of private industry, and the running of the oil company under workers’ control and management. And there is only one force in society which is capable of carrying out such a programme: the working class. Many of these ideas have already been accepted by important sections of the most advanced activists in the workers' movement. It is with this orientation that the comrades of El Militante have been working in Venezuela for the last few months. 

The fusion with El Topo Obrero, a group of revolutionary activists carrying out mainly trade union work in the State of Lara, is the result of a whole period of joint work and political discussions between both tendencies. The founding of the Revolutionary Marxist Current is an important step forward in the building of a genuine Marxist leadership for the working class movement in Venezuela which is the only way forward for this revolutionary process. Revolutionary Marxists everywhere congratulate the comrades and we send them revolutionary greetings.

On December 13 and 14 comrades belonging to the revolutionary currents El Topo Obrero (The Workers’ Mole) and El Militante (The Militant), met in Barquisimeto, Lara, Venezuela. After some months of discussions and joint work (including the publishing of joint leaflets on the question of the occupied factories, against US ambassador Shapiro and against the opposition attempts to call a recall referendum against Chávez, the publishing of a document on the revolutionary events in Bolivia and joint education courses), we have reached the conclusion that there is agreement between both currents regarding the main political line and the tasks of revolutionary socialists.

The comrades discussed at length a document entitled "The Venezuelan Revolution and the tasks of the Marxists" which reflects this political agreement. It can be summed up in the understanding of the need to deepen the revolution and to move towards socialism as the only possible way to defend the revolutionary process which is taking place in our country.

All this in the understanding that we must build a revolutionary socialist organisation, able to gather the vanguard of the workers' and people's movement, trained and educated in the founding ideas of revolutionary Marxism, in order to lead the political and economical struggles of our people to a socialist conclusion.

As a result of this political agreement, it was voted to unify both currents in one single Revolutionary Marxist Current. Its publications will be, El Topo Obrero (The Workers' Mole) as the central organ of the current coming out every three weeks, and El Militante (The Militant) as a theoretical magazine coming out quarterly.

We make an appeal to all those comrades who agree with our ideas to join the Marxist Current. The struggle for socialism is the only way to defeat once and for all the oligarchy and imperialism that have shown again and again their willingness to smash the revolutionary process we are experiencing.

To defeat the capitalists, who are undemocratic and have sold out to imperialism, we must deepen the revolution through the struggle for the demands and the democratic rights of the workers and the people, advancing towards socialism!