2nd World Social Alternative: peace as a means of freedom

Caracas, July 24, 2024.- Regarding the 2nd Meeting for a World Social Alternative: From Bolívar to Chávez, a panel on the Alternative for unalterable peace took place this Wednesday.

Socorro Gomes, from the Brazilian Center for Solidarity with the People and Struggle for Peace, emphasized the aspiration of peoples around the world to live in peace and stated that this is only possible when they are free and masters of their own destiny.

She highlighted that there are currently significant threats to peace, being imperialist intervention the greatest one, especially from the United States, “which, although in decline, is heavily armed and has over 800 military bases around the world,” putting life on the planet and the fate of free peoples at risk.

She also specified that “peace is not possible in an oppressed people,” while applauding the initiatives of organized peoples to strengthen peace, especially the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), as it is a “great instrument for the peace of the peoples seeking an alternative.”

Moreover, Elisa Salvador from the Angolan League of Friendship and Solidarity with the Peoples stated that “to have peace, we must have tranquility, and many of us in other countries, primarily in Africa, live in misery, we live with hunger, we live with wars; therefore, it is not possible to talk about peace.”

In this regard, she emphasized that to achieve peace, it is necessary “to have goodwill from our leaders, from our rulers, from institutions; only by uniting in this way, we could achieve it.”

David Denny, representative of the Caribbean Movement for Peace and Integration, began his participation by expressing his “solidarity with the Government and the people of Venezuela” regarding the upcoming electoral process. “For us, this is a very important day; Venezuela is a sister nation that has always stood by the poor peoples of the Caribbean region… we wish the best for July 28 and hope to see the victory of the people.”

He indicated that “we are in the midst of an ideological, economic, political, and military war. We must unite our forces to defend our region from U.S. imperialism,” urging to “work together, build unity in the region, and continue the struggle for reparations.”

The Peace Council from the United States was represented by Bahman Azad, who pointed out that “the balance of power on a global scale has begun to shift, and we are facing many dangers and brutal, criminal negative reactions against peoples and progressive forces… We are witnessing the crimes against humanity that the Zionist state of Israel is committing against Palestine.”

In this regard, he emphasized the power of the unity of peoples to achieve peace and specified that “imperialism is not just a matter of politics; it is a system.”

Finally, Carolus Wimmer from the International Solidarity Committee and the struggle for peace extended his solidarity to the leftist movements in the United States and those who “fight against that unjust, imperialist system.”

Wimmer stated that to build a future, it is necessary to review history and work towards self-determination, “for Bolívar, peace was not pacifism or tranquility; for Bolívar, peace was justice, independence, freedom.”

He also invited the peoples not to “lower their guard,” as that is what the enemy expects in order to attack.

Three books and several stories were presented by Jorge Arreaza at FILVEN 2024

Caracas, July 14, 2024.- The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) raised its literary voice this Sunday at the International Book Fair of Venezuela, at the National Art Gallery in Caracas.

Jorge Arreaza presented three different books: “El desafío y el sentido histórico de la unidad” (The challenge and the historical meaning of unity- ALBA editions and Pueblos Institute); “Irreversibilidad… Como la luna llena. Crónica de la última proclama” (Irreversibility… Like the full moon. Chronicle of the last proclamation – Vadell publishers); and “La Alianza de Simón Bolívar” (The Alliance of Simón Bolívar – Vadell publishers). It is important to mention that the last two books were written by Arreaza.

Jorge Arreaza said that with the text The Challenge and the Historical Meaning of Unity, the regional bloc seeks to create content to support regional integration. “Each author who participated in this book, which was released in record time, a short pregnancy, but it was born with a lot of capacity to contribute, which is what we want to do from ALBA-TCP, create content to contribute to transformation and talk about the integration that we have been talking about for years.”

He emphasized that this text speaks of unity beyond the Alliance. “It is an advanced, anti-imperialist, decolonial proposal (…) This book is different from many points of view.”

On the other hand, Irene León, a sociologist and international political analyst from Ecuador, and one of the presenters of the book “The Challenge and the Historical Meaning of Unity,” asserted that unity is at the forefront of political debates and ALBA is the fundamental alternative for integration.

“Unity resurfaces as a priority. ALBA, conceived by Bolívar and Chávez, is an anti-systemic initiative, it is a proposal for integration within diversity”, she highlighted.

Irreversibility… Like the full moon

In a second moment, Jorge Arreaza presented his book “Irreversibility… Like the full moon. Chronicle of the last proclamation”, a work that describes his own experience with Commander Hugo Chávez, the most difficult days as leader of the Bolivarian Revolution, and how he suffered a serious illness.

In the pages of this book, Arreaza also recounts conversations with Commander Fidel Castro about Chávez’s health, complex medical treatments, among other topics. “That was very tough, it was December, we didn’t know if he would survive the operation, it was known that his life was at risk”, expressed Arreaza from the National Art Gallery.

Arreaza revealed that the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro Moros, asked him to write this story, “a testimony not from politics, but from the heart”.

Readers will be able to learn about everything Hugo Chávez experienced in Havana, Cuba, and later in Caracas, at the Military Hospital, in January 2013.

Regarding this story, Surirma Prieto, a community member from Bolívar state, commented on the text: “This book, I ask, should be in every heart of every Commune (…) I lived this book, I met Hugo Chávez thanks to Jorge Arreaza with this wonderful book.”

Meanwhile, the philosopher and director of the Pueblos Institute, Luis Berrizbeitia, shared that this book allows to build what Commander Hugo Chávez proposed for future generations. “Thank you, Jorge, for sitting down and writing it (…) And thank you very much, especially, to the Venezuelan people, to the community members, to all those who are in the spirit of this proclamation of Commander Hugo Chávez and that Jorge captures today”, he said.

The Alliance of Simón Bolívar

The FILVEN 2024 also hosted and was the setting for the baptism of the book “The Alliance of Simón Bolívar“, where Arreaza highlighted that this work was written using the method of the teacher Simón Rodríguez: “the school for everyone”.

He explained that this edition is written in a non-conventional way. Without periods in some paragraphs, messages with drawings, and the use of capital letters in a diverse and unexpected manner. “You will be able to see, from pages 52-53, that it is written in a non-traditional way, the Simón Rodríguez’ method”.

On the other hand, he said that “The Alliance of Simón Bolívar” also promotes unity as the only way for the defense and projection of the region against the onslaught of capitalism and American imperialism.

Nelson Chávez, a researcher at the Samuel Robinson Institute for Original Thought, stated that in this book, the author’s attempt, his proposal is to try to make Simón Bolívar’s alliance speech “touch the heart of every reader”.

He emphasized that, “the Liberator will always need to be defended (…) The author brings us a new Liberator, a liberator who did not exist or who was getting shape in the songs with justice, with freedom, with greatness, with the beauty of the Liberator that had been hidden from us for 200 years.”

Similarly, Valentina Vadell, editor of Vadell Publishers, indicated that this second edition of the book “is to highlight the work done by Jorge Arreaza and democratize it so that everyone can have it.”

“Without a doubt, this book is inspired by Simón Rodríguez, and in which we all feel part of, which is Our America, that American union that the Liberator Simón Bolívar spoke so much about,” Vadell referred to when presenting this work, which she described as a historical manifesto.

Ralph Gonsalves: Being part of ALBA-TCP is an extension of our constitutional precepts

Caracas, April 24, 2024.- The Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, emphasized on Wednesday that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines became a member of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), on the occasion of its twentieth anniversary this year, because “it is an extension of the constitutional precepts of our country”.

During his speech at the 23rd Summit of Heads of State and Government of the regional integration bloc, held in Caracas, the Caribbean leader explained that ALBA-TCP is an organization of faith and reason, it is based on the freedoms and dignities of men and women, and also defends economic justice and equity for workers, peasants and producers of wealth; all of which corresponds to the contents of the preamble of the Constitution of his nation.

He reminded that the founders of the Alliance, Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez, insisted on solidarity, complementarity and reciprocity as values of the mechanism, for which he thanked the governments of these two countries for having been key and examples of these founding principles.

Gonsalves began his speech by thanking Venezuela for the invitation and expressing that it would remain engraved “in the hearts and minds of our peoples for the praiseworthy work that Venezuela, its people, the Bolivarian Revolution, have done for the benefit of our Caribbean and Our America, and for humanity as a whole”.

The Prime Minister expressed his solidarity with Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, which are suffering aggressions, blockades and unilateral coercive measures imposed by the United States, reiterating to the rest of the authorities present that “our duty is to defend the governments and revolutionary processes in each of these three countries”, because they are processes that undoubtedly aim to improve the lives of their peoples, defend their independence and sovereignty, and have better opportunities for the development and progress of their peoples.

The leader referred to the millionaire resources approved by the United States to continue fueling conflicts in the world, stating that monopoly capitalism cannot exist without wars, “the war economy is essential for its survival”.

In his participation, he also mentioned the need to create a shipping company to transport goods among the ALBA-TCP countries, which could include non-member nations of the bloc.

ALBA-TCP consolidates its role as founder of the new international order

For the construction of the new world order, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) consolidates itself as the forefront of the geopolitical structure with a multicentric and pluripolar vision that defines “the alternative world, the new humanity”.

The statement was made by the President of the Republic, Nicolás Maduro, who positively assessed the “great civilizing changes in the conscience of the world”, as well as the emergence of new values to which ALBA-TCP is already engaged.

“There are great civilizing changes in the conscience of the world, new values are emerging in a new world, in a new international order, and ALBA is already engaged with the new power and with that civilization. I believe that ALBA can consider itself as part of the founding countries and regions of the new emerging world, the new multipolar, pluricentric international order”, he emphasized during the opening ceremony of the 23rd Summit of Heads of State and Government ALBA-TCP.

From the Miraflores Palace, located in Caracas, he reiterated that the world is moving towards “a great civilizing change”, which is in line with the new configuration of world power, where new emerging powers are arising “which bring the breath of centuries in their creative force”, such as the BRICS group.

In this sense, he stressed that BRICS are consolidating themselves as “a great integrating group for the diversity of continents and regions”, being a reliable example of the new emerging world.

“Let us be conscious of where we are, who we are, where we come from, the strength that we gather here, the strength of the peoples,” he reflected.

Presidential Press Office

President Maduro: ALBA-TCP is a reference for the struggling peoples

Caracas, April 19, 2024.- The time for the ALBA social movements, with a very broad vision, to coordinate a new world social alternative against capitalism, against fascism, for a human civilization of peace and love has come”, said the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro Moros, during his participation this Friday in the Gathering for a World Social Alternative.

He said that the new alternative must be one focused on life and hope, on a multipolar world based on the peoples, “because only the aware, mobilized, organized and empowered peoples will be able to build the new world; this is not a matter for the elites”.

The international meeting, which brings together in Caracas close to 300 delegates from movements of 60 countries from Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, is organized by the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) and the Simon Bolivar Institute for Peace and Solidarity among Peoples (ISB).

In his opinion, the world is going through a new transition period, a new era and “we have to be at the forefront, if we stick to the old rhetoric, to the old slogans, to the old ways of politics, they will walk all over us”.

In this sense, he urged the movements and leaders gathered to build the new world social alternative for the new transition era, and from Venezuela “we say new era of transition to socialism, a new civilization, the civilization of love, solidarity, equality, life (…) the humanity to come will be better, much better. Hopefully, we can reverse climate change, mitigate it”.

During his speech, the Head of State expressed his trust that the great scientific-technological development will allow freeing the planet from global warming and the destruction it has entered, and that the mitigation and prevention measures can, at some point, be combined with measures to heal the 200 years of damage caused to the planet by capitalism. “I believe in that. I am confident, I have hope,” he said.

Permanent mobilization

President Maduro stated that the revolutionary movements in power must be in permanent mobilization, “it is one of the keys of the Bolivarian Revolution, active people, mobilized people regardless of the circumstances (…) it is a very wise line to take, the popular movements in the struggle against neoliberalism and the emerging fascism”.

The Venezuelan President assured, in his speech, that Zionism is behind the extreme right in his country, behind the Machado and Capriles surnames, “all of them came out to applaud the genocide against the Palestinian people, all of them came out to applaud the assault and bombing with missiles of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, all of them, Machado, Lopez, Capriles, the surnames here”.

“Zionism is the leading force of fascism in the world and is getting into Latin America. Be alert! What I can tell you is this: in Venezuela they will not succeed, this people will prevail against fascism and the Zionism of the surnames, the oligarchy” he affirmed.

ALBA-TCP as a moral reference

President Maduro recalled that next December will be the 30th anniversary of the first meeting between Commanders Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez, in 1994; and “on December 14 we will also commemorate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of Our America, today the Bolivarian Alliance”.

He stressed that today ALBA-TCP is being consolidated, it is a moral, political and ideological reference; it is a reference for the struggling and dreaming peoples. “Africa is already rising again in its struggle against European colonialism. Asia is becoming an alternative. Our America struggles to maintain its free spaces and to liberate new ones”.

Along his speech, the President affirmed that “Colombia and Venezuela have a common destiny, union, cooperation and shared development of this vast region liberated by the sword of Bolivar”; “sooner we will conquer freedom and sovereignty and re-found the free Republic of Haiti”; “the struggle for Palestine is the struggle for justice and the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ” and the “people of the United States will be one of the great stars of the changes coming for the world in the future years”.

Delegates of the Gathering for a World Social Alternative will be watchers in Popular Vote in Venezuela

Caracas, April 20, 2024.- The Executive Secretary of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), Jorge Arreaza, participated this Saturday in a presentation on the National Popular Vote 2024 to be held tomorrow Sunday in Venezuela, this activity was addressed to the international participants of the Gathering for a World Social Alternative who will participate as watchers of the election day.

The People’s Power Minister for Communes and Social Movements, Guy Vernáez; Representative Blanca Eeckhout, president of the Commission for the Development of Communes of the National Assembly (AN) and spokesmen and spokeswomen of the communal electoral commission responsible for organizing the poll called by President Nicolás Maduro also took part in the explanation, held in Caracas.

Arreaza, who before his appointment to ALBA-TCP was Minister for Communes in Venezuela, said that this is the first National Popular Vote, in which Venezuelan men and women over 15 years of age “are called to vote in the nearest electoral center to be able to choose among the projects that the community in its assemblies where the most immediate sovereign power resides, identified and prioritized”.

The diplomat referred to the Concrete Action Agenda (ACA in Spanish) of the Communal Councils, which describes the critical issues or needs identified by the communities, with a proposed solution or project that takes into account the potential of the territory.

Minister Guy Vernáez highlighted that the national vote constitutes a “possibility to give the world a different view of what people outside see” about Venezuela. He said that tomorrow’s event is not only an election, “it is much more, it is a milestone that breaks all previous processes, it goes beyond that path”.

He affirmed that the organization process has been very simple, due to the training that Chávez transmitted to the communal organizations, while he assigned to watchers the task of understanding, through their participation in the elections, the meaning of the People’s Power and the communal leadership.

Representative Blanca Eeckhout recalled that Chávez said that every need must become a movement, every movement must become an organization and this must become a power to change reality. She also addressed the Tree of the Three Roots (Simón Bolívar, Simón Rodríguez and Ezequiel Zamora), which Chávez turned into a political, pedagogical action, of permanent consciousness transformation.

“Tomorrow we will see the systematization of a permanent work of resistance (…) it is not only choosing the project, this has been the work of years of men and women who have not given up despite adversity,” he stressed.

People’s Power

Carolina Arellano, representative of the Social Controllership of “El Piñal” Communal Council and “Carlos Escarrá” Commune, “Mario Briceño Iragorry” municipality, Aragua state, emphasized that an unprecedented process will be held, with the participation of the 49,000 Communal Councils of the country, over 1,300,000 spokespersons ready for this battle, to say “what we want and how we want it in our communities”.

Ofelia García, representative of Communal Economy of the “Simón Rodríguez” Bombona Communal Council, “5 Raíces” Commune, Naguanagua municipality, Carabobo state, defined the poll as a “re-politicization of the Communal Councils”, which are responsible for the organization, accompanied by the National Electoral Council.

Anti-imperialist Youth: a global call to action

Caracas, April 20, 2024.- The Seminar: Anti-imperialist Youth in Struggle and for Solidarity, as part of the Gathering for a World Social Alternative, organized by the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) and the Simón Bolívar Institute (ISB), was an event full of historical value.

The event took place this Saturday in Caracas, where the views and expectations of the region’s young people committed to social transformation merged.

Genesis Garvett, head of the Grand Venezuelan Youth Mission and representative of the National Assembly, who emphasized the urgency of an international solution to confront imperialism, participated in the event.

In a speech full of energy, Garvett stressed that “imperialism is a global problem that demands a joint and coordinated response from all nations”. He highlighted the need for solidarity among young people in every country.

“Each people has its own agenda of struggle, but confronting imperialism requires a joint and coordinated response,” he stated.

The seminar was organized as an opportunity to exchange ideas and strategies to achieve a definitive change in the current model.

“These meetings have to bring about the definitive change in the imperialist paradigm and we have to defeat them, that is one of the lessons that as Venezuelan youth we would like to share with each one of our brothers here,” Garvett said.

Some of the topics discussed included the impact of imperialism on digital platforms and the cognitive manipulation of the younger generations. Garvett warned of the dangers of losing concentration and critical thinking skills in the face of this growing threat, and called on youth to be alert and resist this influence that seeks to twist the truth.

The event also served as a platform to reflect on the legacy of the Liberator Simón Bolívar, whose bicentennial of his passage to immortality will be commemorated in 2030, and on the need to expand the concept of homeland beyond national borders, promoting a united America fighting for justice and emancipation.

Solidarity voices

From the Venezuelan capital, Watan Alabed, representative of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, expressed his admiration for the internationalist approach of the Bolivarian Revolution, highlighting the legacy of Commander Hugo Chávez in promoting unity among oppressed peoples.

“What we are experiencing today in Caracas is a testimony of the internationalist concept that Commander Chavez instilled in Venezuela’s social and civic revolution”, Alabed affirmed. “The youth present in this meeting shows an enthusiasm and determination that inspires all of us who fight for freedom in Palestine and all over the world”.

It is worth noting that the activity included a large and important debate on solidarity with the peoples attacked or sanctioned by imperialism, with the participation of representatives from Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

President Nicolás Maduro urges ALBA-TCP to continue permanent action against fascism in the world

Caracas.- The President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, called on the peoples belonging to the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) to continue the popular action to confront fascism.

From the ” Gathering for a World Social Alternative” taking place in Sabana Grande, Caracas, with participants from ALBA-TCP, social movements and intellectuals from around the world, he reiterated that demonstration is a permanent feature of the revolutionary movements.

“The revolutionary movements in power must continue with the permanent mass demonstration. It is one of the keys of the Bolivarian Revolution. An active people, a mobilized people in any circumstance, is the only way to be prepared for the battles we have to fight,” he affirmed.

In his address, the Venezuelan Head of State, emphasized that the peoples who lead the political power and those engaged in resistance, are aware and active, well-informed and mobilized in the struggle against neoliberalism and fascism, which are emerging as alternatives.

As an example, he explained that fascist and neoliberal options are reflected today in “Vox in Spain, Milei in Argentina, Bolsonaro in Brazil, Netanyahu in Israel. Fascism is the horrendous face of Hitler’s image, it is in the face of Netanyahu, a war criminal, murderer of peoples”.

In view of this world reality, the President denounced that Zionism hides in alternatives such as Bolsonaro and Milei, through financing.

In the case of Venezuela, he said that Zionism also has allies in the Venezuelan extreme right. “Here in Venezuela, they are behind the surnames of Machado and Capriles, all of them came out to applaud the genocide against the Palestinian people, all of them came out to applaud the assault and bombing with missiles of the Iranian Consulate in Damascus. All of them, Machado, Lopez, Capriles, the surnames here, are also a product of Zionism, it is not a coincidence, it is a branch of imperialism”.

The national leader to ALBA-TCP called for fighting the battle in social networks and making progress in social media to prevent crises of credibility, legitimacy, leadership and alternatives.

Finally, he warned that “Zionism is the leading force of fascism in the world and is getting into Latin America. Be alert! What I can tell you is this: in Venezuela they will not succeed, this people will prevail against fascism and the Zionism of the surnames, the oligarchy or whatever they call it”.

Presidential Press Office