By Alison Bodine
2017 is the 19th year of the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela. For nearly two decades this revolution, which began with the election of Comandante Hugo Chávez in 1998, has been making tremendous gains for poor, working and oppressed people in Venezuela. Including massive improvements in education, healthcare and housing. The fact is, in Venezuela today more people are living just and dignified lives.
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The Seeds of Solidarity for Venezuela project was officially launched last Saturday 12/3/2016, with a great panel of presenters, which included Lisa Sullivan, international coordinator, liaison and inspiration to get this program going. We also had a report back from Ausra Kubilius, Seymour Kellerman, Emily Sedgwick, and Robert Schwartz, who travelled to Venezuela recently to witness the effort for food sovereignty and eco-socialism being developed in the Lara state. Likewise, we had a presentation by NY resident Quincy Saul, from the organization Ecosocialist Horizons, who is working to organize the first ecosocialist international in Venezuela next year October-November 2017. The event was well attended. Now forward with the collection of heirloom, non-GMO seeds! If you would like to donate please contact us at vensol2016@gmail.com.
From l-r, Sergio Reyes, co-coordinator of US-Venezuela Solidarity Committee, Emily Sedgwick, Robert Schwartz, Quincy Saul, Seymour Kellerman, and Ausra Kubilius.
11/28/2016 — The VSC co-signed the following letter of solidarity with Colombian people. This was an initiative of Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ).
Dear Sisters, Brothers, Friends and Comrades,
It is with deep sorrow that we write to express our condolences for the recent assaults against your organizations and against the entire process for peace. We have learned that 72 human and labor rights defenders, peace activists, indigenous leaders and environmentalists were assassinated in 2016 alone. In the four years of its existence, 125 members of the Marcha Patriótica (Patriotic March) popular movement for peace have lost their lives. We are dismayed by the campaign of paramilitary violence that has occurred leading up to and following the October 2nd Peace Referendum. We are especially shocked by Operation Extermination, carried out by death squads between November 17 and 20. Five persons were murdered and attempts were made against three others. All of those targeted were members of the Marcha Patriótica, and all but one were affiliated with the National Unitary Federation of Agricultural Workers Unions (Fensuagro), the largest labor organization within the Marcha Patriótica. We are also deeply concerned to learn that two insurgents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-Peoples Army (FARC-EP) were killed November 13 in a non-combat situation by Colombian Armed Forces snipers. This is a violation of the ceasefire and a provocation against the peace process. Meanwhile, we have received new notices of a series of new paramilitary threats directed against leaders and members of the Marcha Patriótica, Fensuagro and various similar popular organizations.
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Sat. December 3, 2016 – 3PM
At encuentro5, 9A Hamilton Pl., Boston, MA (near the Park Street T station).
Lisa Sullivan, International Coordinator Seeds of Solidarity Project (Skype participation).
Ausra Kubilius, Seymour Kellerman, Emily Sedgwick, and Robert Schwartz, Boston area observers recently returned from Venezuela.
Nataka Creyton, Boston Urban Farming Institute.
Quincy Saul, Ecosocialist Horizons, also recently visited Venezuela.
Seeds of Solidarity for Venezuela, a project of the Venezuela Solidarity Committee of Boston, is committed to supporting a growing grassroots movement in Venezuela that has emerged with the goal to achieve food sovereignty. We provide organic heirloom seeds to farmer organizations and urban agricultural collectives that are involved in self-reliance and food security initiatives in low income rural and peri-urban areas of Venezuela’s Lara State.
This is a people-to-people campaign.
Co-Sponsored by Mass. Global Action
Download the flier here.
Confronted with food distribution shortages, urban and rural communities in Venezuela have opted to take action. A growing grassroots movement has emerged with the goal to achieve food sovereignty, and in that process, many farmer organizations and urban agricultural collectives are growing organic products using non GMO seeds. This effort has been supported by the enactment of public policies, such as the Seeds Law, a legal framework -drafted with the participation of farmer organizations- that promotes the use of traditional non GMO seeds, and the creation of the Ministry of Urban griculture.
(picture) Urban garden in Caracas
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Dear compañeras and compañeros, from the belly of the beast, the United States, we salute and congratulate you for carrying out this 11th National Encounter of Peasant Seeds in Monte Carmelo. Here, in the U.S., those among us who are older remember or directly participated in solidarity campaigns in the past in the world, where our government took the side of capitalist oppressor. We sided with the poor, peasants, workers, who struggle to build a better world for all instead of profits for a few. We do the same right here in our country too, we also envision changing this imperialistic country into a better place. Therefore, it is only natural that we exercise solidarity with revolutionaries in Venezuela.
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A well crafted plan to “take over Venezuela” will take place today, starting at 9AM in Caracas and larger cities throughout the country. People are asked to meet at pre-determined points in Caracas to finally converge at the Fajardo Highway for a demonstration with speakers from the right-wing opposition. These speakers will give directives for actions they are asking their supporters to take the day after. The public leader for these actions is the Governor of Miranda State, Henrique Capriles, who is also the head of MUD, Mesa de la Unidad Democratica (Table for Democratic Unity).
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The collection of signatures for the recall referendum has been postponed by the National Electoral Council in response to injunctions from several State-level courts. Also, the opposition-held National Assembly, in an extraordinary session on Sunday October 23rd, declared themselves in open rebellion against the government, the Supreme Court and the National Electoral Council.
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Report back and report from the trenches
At Encuentro 5 – 9A Hamilton Place, Boston, MA (Park Street T station)
Saturday, July 30, 2016 – 4PM – 6PM
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Americans have been trained by decades of Cold War propaganda to look for any confirmation that ‘socialism means poverty.’ But in the case of Venezuela and other states not governed by the free market, this cliche simply doesn’t ring true.
By Caleb T. Maupin | July 12, 2016
WASHINGTON — (ANALYSIS) The political and economic crisis facing Venezuela is being endlessly pointed to as proof of the superiority of the free market.
Images and portrayals of Venezuelans rioting in the streets over high food costs, empty grocery stores, medicine shortages, and overflowing garbage bins are the headlines, and the reporting points to socialism as the cause.
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US-VENEZUELA SOLIDARITY 