Caracas, Venezuela – On July 26, the delegation from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) participated in a gathering of trade unionists from around the world with the leaders of the Central of Bolivarian Socialist Workers (CBST), the largest labor federation in Venezuela.

Taking place as part of the 25th Sao Paolo Forum, the purpose of the meeting was to debate the current conditions – both internationally and nationally – in the anti-imperialist struggle, and how the working classes of the world can support the Bolivarian Revolution. The gathering was chaired by Carlos López, the national coordinator of the CBST. There was a sense in the room that there was a long struggle ahead, but that the direction of events was on their side and a great revolutionary offensive was underway in the Americas.

The topics under discussion began in Europe, where the Venezuelan revolutionary movement sees a potential fissure in the U.S.-EU alliance. While many European countries were quick to support Juan Guaidó in his coup attempts, one by one many of these countries have moved to recognize Maduro as the only legitimate president. A crucial part of this rollback has been played by the labor movements of these countries.

There was also a lot of talk about “the countries we lost” to the reactionary coups across Latin America, with trade union leaders from Brazil, Argentina, Chile and El Salvador speaking to the ongoing resistance to these new regimes. Despite the electoral defeats in these countries, there are signs elsewhere in the region that the anti-imperialist struggle continues to make advances. Trade unionists from Mexico spoke about the new labor federation being created to replace the old PRI-dominated formation, and that solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution would be a key part of its international work. Other speakers referred to the historic struggle underway in Puerto Rico, where unions are playing a critical role in the anti-colonial struggle

Tom Burke of FRSO spoke on the conditions of the working class in the United States and the need to build internationalism within the labor movement. The gathering concluded with the distribution of a solidarity statement to be signed by the attending unions and shared with its members.

The FRSO is participating in the 25th Sao Paolo Forum, the largest gathering of the Latin American left. Be sure to follow Fight Back! for further reports from their delegation.

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