Caracas, Venezuela – The Freedom Road Socialist Organization's trade union delegation arrived in Caracas, Venezuela for the “1st International Meeting of Workers in Solidarity with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, its Government and Its People,” starting on August 29.

Delegates from most of the Latin America and Caribbean countries, as well as some other parts of the world are participating. This includes labor delegations and trade union leaders from Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Colombia, Honduras, El Salvador, Argentina, Nigeria, Portugal, France, the UK and Spain.

On opening day, the international delegates joined their Venezuelan trade union comrades and traveled to the Plaza Bolivar in the center of Caracas. Delegates, special guests and workers from across Venezuela joined in a “No mas Trump!” rally. Francisco Torrealba, the president of the Venezuelan Workers Confederation, kicked off the rally with a rousing speech.

Attendees signed a declaration against U.S. imperialism and Trump's blockade, demanding respect for international law and the sovereignty of Venezuela. Delegates and people from the street joined in chanting, “No more Trump!” and “Que viva Venezuela! Que Viva Maduro! Respeto por Venezuela!”

The 1st International Meeting of Workers is taking place during Trump's economic blockade. In addition, Venezuelans are hearing constant threats of war and invasion from Trump’s National Security Advisor John Bolton. Concretely, the U.S. failed to overthrow President Maduro on April 30 of this year during a coup d’état worthy of the Keystone Cops. The U.S. coup was over before it even started. The reality is that U.S. sanctions mainly harm the people of Venezuela and solidify political support for the Bolivarian Revolution and President Maduro.

Tomorrow the trade unionists from 25 countries will meet again for the ultimate goal of building solidarity with the working class, the people and the government of Venezuela. The top priority is to oppose the criminal economic sanctions put in place by U.S. President Donald Trump. Venezuelan trade unionists are sending a clear message to the workers of the world that they want to decide their own future.

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