Fight Back! interviewed Michael Humaña, a trade union leader from Chile, on October 14 to learn about the trade union struggle there and in Latin America.

Fight Back!: Which organizations are you a member of?

Michael Humaña: I am the president of the National Union of Education Workers in Chile (SNTE) and organizational secretary of the Continental Federation of Education Workers.

Fight Back!: What took place in Bolivia on October 10 and 11?

Humaña: In the Trópico of Cochabamba, Bolivia, we founded CIMA, la Coordinación Internacionalista de los Movimientos Sociales Antiimperialistas del Abya Yala. It is an organization that looks to be the anti-imperialist wall of the peoples to confront the criminal “Shields of the Americas” of Donald Trump.

With the leadership of President Evo Morales, we hope to be the anti-capitalist, socialist alternative of the peoples who struggle.

Fight Back!: What was your role in the meeting to form CIMA?

Humaña: In this anti-imperialist gathering, I was part of the coordination team.

Fight Back!: What is the significance of the presence and participation of Evo Morales at the gathering?

Humaña: Evo Morales is the leader of the revolutionary left and of the movements of peasants and popular in the south of our America. After the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela, Evo Morales transformed into the main anti-imperialist leader of all the continent. The experience of 14 years in the government of Bolivia, the proposal of Living Well and Pluri-Nationality, are examples for peoples of “Indoamérica.”

Fight Back!: Did the gathering result in any agreements, points of unity, or plan for action?

Humaña: The main objective of the encuentro was to advance a programmatic unity, therefore the resolution to found CIMA. There are the fundamentals to create a solid continental organization with real capacity to mobilize a front against U.S. imperialism and Israeli Zionism.

Some of the points of agreement are: Declare October 9 as an International Anti-Imperialist Day to honoro Che Guevara; to advance to building of a Continental Network of Popular Communication; defense of Mother Earth and common goods – this will be a fundamental task to confront predatory extractivism and confront electoral processes to retake local and national governments, but with a program that is socialist, anti-colonial,and anti-imperialist, without trusting the neoliberal politicians.

To demand the freedom of our political prisoners like President Nicolás Maduro, First Lady Cilia Flores of Venezuela, President Pedro Castillo and Victor Polay in Perú, former Assembly Representative Freddy Mamani in Bolivia, and to end the political persecution of social leaders on the continent like our brother Evo Morales Ayma.

Fight Back!: What are the lessons to share with movements in the U.S. that are to be learned from the national mobilizations in Bolivia?

Humaña: We believe in the fundamental task of unity of the social movements of the continent, from Alaska to Patagonia. The social movements in Bolivia give us the lesson that the bravery of the people can take down criminal and tyrannical governments. Unity of the working class, the peasants and students is fundamental to stop the oligarchies in our countries. The anti-imperialist conviction of the people of Bolivia must be an example to all the peoples of the world.

Fight Back!: Can you provide a brief explanation of the situation in Chile?

Humaña: Today in Chile, there is the return of Pinochetism to the government; the criminal military dictatorship returns to push reforms and deepen neoliberalism. Sadly, the previous governments of progressive neoliberalism and social democrats governed with the laws and constitution of the dictatorship. They have allowed education, healthcare and pensions to be run like a business and we have lost many social rights. So now, the far right comes to deepen the neoliberal agenda further. The popular movement and trade union movement are weakened and only the students maintain the call to rebel and engage in struggle against neoliberalism.

But, from the teachers and other popular forces, we continue giving battle to rebuild the Chilean popular movement behind a program and project with a socialist perspective and popular power.

#International #Chile #Labor #SNTE #CIMA

¡Lucha y Resiste! entrevistó a Michael Humaña, un sindicalista Chileno y un internacionalista, el 14 de octubre para aprender sobre de la lucha de su sindicato y en América Latina

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Cuáles son las organizaciones de que estas un dirigente?

Michael Humaña: Soy Presidente del Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadoras y Trabajadores de la Educación – SNTE Chile y Secretario de Organización de la Central Continental de Trabajadoras y Trabajadores de la Educación.

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Que acaba de pasar en Bolivia esta fin de seman en pasado?

Michael Humaña: En el Trópico de Cochabamba, Bolivia, fundamos CIMA, la Coordinación Internacionalista de los Movimientos Sociales Antiimperialistas del Abya Yala. Organización que busca ser la Muralla Antiimperialista de los Pueblos para enfrentar al criminal “escudo de las americas” de Donald Trump.

Con el liderazgo del Presidente Evo Morales, esperamos ser la Alternativo Socialista y Anticapitalista de los Pueblos que Luchan.

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Cuál era tu posición en el encuentro?

Michael Humaña: En este encuentro Antiimperialista me corresponde ser parte del Equipo de Coordinación

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Que significa la presencia y la participación de Evo Morales en el encuentro?

Michael Humaña: Evo Morales es el Líder de la Izquierda Revolucionaria y de los Movimientos Campesinos y Populares del Sur de Nuestra América. Luego del secuestro del Presidente Nicolas Maduro de Venezuela, Evo Morales se transforma en el principal líder de los antiimperialistas de todo el Continente. La experiencia de los 14 años de gobierno en Bolivia, la propuesta del Vivir Bien y la Plurinacionalidad, son ejemplos para todos los pueblos de Indoamérica.

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Finalizaron acuerdos como puntos de unidad o un plan de acción? 

Michael Humaña: El principal objetivo del Encuentro era avanzar en la unidad programática, por tanto, los resolutivos de la Fundación de CIMA son fundamentales para crear una organización Continental sólida y con capacidad real de movilización para hacer frente al Imperialismo estadounidense y al sionismo israelí.

Algunos de los puntos de acuerdos son: Declarar el 9 de Octubre como Día Internacional Antiimperialista en homenaje al Che Guevara. Avanzar en la construcción de una Red Continental de Comunicación Popular. La defensa de la Madre Tierra y los bienes comunes, será una tarea fundamental para enfrentar el extractivismo depredador y enfrentar procesos electorales para recuperar los gobiernos locales y nacionales, pero con un programa Socialista, Anticolonialista y Antiimperialista, sin confiar en los progresismos neoliberales.

Exigir la Libertad de nuestros presos políticos como el Presidente Nicolas Maduro, la Diputada Cilia Flores de Venezuela, el Presidente Pedro Castillo y Victor Polay de Perú, el ex Diputado Freddy Mamani de Bolivia y el fin a la persecución política de líderes sociales del continente como el hermano Evo Morales Ayma.

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Cuales son lecciones a compartir con los movimientos en los EEUU que aprendieron desde las movilizaciones nacionales en Bolivia? 

Michael Humaña: Hoy creemos que es una tarea fundamental la unidad de todos los Movimientos Sociales del Continente, desde Alaska hasta la Patagonia. Los movimientos Sociales de Bolivia nos dan la lección que con valentía el pueblo puede derrocar a los gobiernos tiranos y criminales. Que la unidad de la clase obrera, los campesinos y los estudiantes es fundamental para frenar a las oligarquías nacionales. La convicción antiimperialista del pueblo de Bolivia debe ser ejemplo para todos los pueblos del mundo.

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Como puede explicar la situación en Chile ahora?

Michael Humaña: Hoy en Chile ha vuelto a gobernar el Pinochetismo, los criminales de la dictadura militar vuelven al gobierno para impulsar reformas de profundización neoliberal. Lamentablemente los gobiernos del progresismo neoliberal y la socialdemocracia, gobernaron Chile con las leyes y la constitución de la Dictadura, permitieron que la educación, la salud y las pensiones fueran un negocio y se perdieran como derechos sociales. Por tanto hoy, la ultraderecha solo viene a profundizar más de 30 años de neoliberalismo con gobiernos civiles. El movimiento popular y sindical está muy debilitado y solo los estudiantes mantienen viva la llama de la rebeldía y la lucha antineoliberal.

Pero desde el magisterio y otras fuerzas populares seguimos dando batalla para reconstruir el movimiento popular chileno tras un programa y proyecto con perspectiva socialista y de poder popular.

#International #Chile #Bolivia #CIMA #Labor #EvoMorales #MichaelHumana

Since the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, there has never been an attack against the Chilean people like the one that President Sebastián Piñera has unleashed against the massive protests of the working class and peoples in that country. More than 18 dead, hundreds of disappeared, over 1500 political prisoners across Chile: these are the results of the repression by the armed forces and carabineros who took control of the country last October 18, when the government declared a state of emergency in the capital.

In spite of this, the massive mobilizations have not stopped; on the contrary, on October 23, 24, 2019 a General Strike was called, which paralyzed the main cities of the country as hundreds of thousands of Chileans flooded the streets, including original peoples such as the Mapuche people of the Andean region.

It has been thus because the demands of the masses of Chilean people are absolutely just. The protests were triggered by the increase in the price of public transportation, met by massive protests of the Chilean youth. Very soon the workers, people in the popular neighborhoods, the teachers and others joined in because the neoliberal measures of Sebastián Piñera’s government in collusion with the imperialist organizations (IMF, WB, OECD) are impoverishing the majority of the Chilean people.

The brutality of the repressive forces of the Chilean state has served to radicalize the actions of the people so that the mobilizations in Chile have become real popular rebellions, with looting and fires of large transnational corporations and government offices, the raising of barricades, roadblocks, work stoppages and strikes. The government has indicated that it could backtrack on some measures, but people refuse to back down because the politics of the Chilean regime and imperialism have had such a devastating effect on the lives of the population.

As the International League of People’s Struggle in Latin America, we stand in solidarity with the struggle of the working class and the peoples of Chile, we demand that Sebastian Piñera’s assault against the people be stopped immediately, that the state of emergency be lifted and that the Armed Forces return to their barracks. We demand the release of all political prisoners, punishment of those responsible for the murderer of more than 18 comrades in combat, as well as the return of the disappeared, alive.

We are certain that the struggle of the Chilean people will see victory sooner rather than later. We call for people throughout the world to develop a militant movement of internationalist solidarity because we are sure that the struggle waged by the working class and the people of Chile is a battle of the entire international proletariat, and that includes the struggles of the Haitian, Lebanese, Catalan, Ecuadorian, Kurdish people.

Faced with the deepening of the general crisis of the imperialist capitalist system, these popular uprisings are showing the path that the whole international proletariat must take to bring us closer to a new wave of proletarian revolutions, as the only real way out of the world imperialist system.

#Chile #Labor #OppressedNationalities #Americas #PeoplesStruggles #ChicanoLatino #InternationalLeagueOfPeoplesStruggle #2019ChileanProtests