Caracas, Venezuela – Day three of the PSUV 5th Congress began on March 8, with thousands filling the large auditorium again as Afro-Venezuelan dancers took to the stage and Caribbean coast music filled the air. The Chavista delegates smiled and swayed to the steady rhythm of folkloric songs about the Bolivarian Revolution. PSUV militants came prepared to listen to speeches and consider the changing conditions and forces in motion, explanations of errors, questions about how to achieve new goals, and implementation of the Three R’s: Resistance, Rebirth, and Revolution.

Luis Brito Garcia, a professor, spoke on ethics, responding to the arrest of a mayor and others in a drug smuggling scandal. He taught theory, using the ideas of ancient and modern philosophers. He gave people the words and ability to discuss and formulate anti-corruption campaigns within the party and society. He warned against relying too much on criminal justice systems and courts to obtain good outcomes.

His entertaining style included teaching hard lessons from the U.S. He warned of the weaknesses and problems of relying on prohibition laws to deal with drugs. He explained how U.S. prohibition of alcohol caused large mafia gangs and criminal families to arise, including the Kennedys, who smuggled whiskey. He also challenged the current casino culture in Caracas and its role in society. At one point he joked that the U.S. failures to undermine Venezuelan society might lead the White House to consider, “using Amazon to make the invasion.”

Later that day, thousands rose to their feet when Venezuela Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was introduced by current Minister of Education Eduardo Pinate. Rodriguez spoke of the PSUV leaders setting an example and the role of the Units of Battle Hugo Chavez (UBCH). The UBCH is the basic party and self-defense unit, organizing as a political body of the grassroots that elected officials must be responsible to.

Rodriguez explained how the party and state needed to act together to meet the needs of the people, repairing derelict hospitals, abandoned by private owners. Rodriguez described the party organizing health brigades that sought out sick people during COVID, to both stop the spread and provide the best treatment possible. Venezuela has one of the highest vaccination rates, and lowest death rates in the world.

On an international level, Rodriguez spoke of how capitalism causes war, including the war in the Ukraine. She asked, “What is the U.S. purpose of aggression against Russia? Why not peacefully settle conflicts?”

She explained Venezuela experienced 500 years of violence and environmental destruction by foreign interests, that continues today with U.S. raids and sanctions.

Rodriguez ended her speech by saying, “This is a meeting of the working class, of women and youth. We need to use the ‘one times ten’ method to consolidate the revolutionary state. We are consolidating people’s power on the road to socialism!”

In the late afternoon, PSUV delegates attended breakout sessions where one after the other they rose and spoke to proposals according to sectors and issue. Their passionate arguments were well thought through and based on summations of local experiences. After back-and-forth debates on proposals, the outdoor gatherings of hundreds would raise their hands to vote up or down.

#CaracasVenezuela #Caracas #OppressedNationalities #Venezuela #Americas #PeoplesStruggles #Socialism #UnitedSocialistPartyPSUV #PSUV5thCongress

Caracas, Venezuela – The United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) opened their 5th Congress, March 5, with music and a cheering crowd, followed by serious speeches of the PSUV leaders. The international delegation, including the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, with ambassadors from People’s Korea, China, South Africa, Cuba, Russia, Bolivia, Palestine and Nicaragua, were welcomed by every speaker.

Diosdado Cabello, first vice-president of the PSUV, described the 1572-plus delegates representing the workers, indigenous, Afro-Venezuelan, women and youth sectors participating. Women are more than half the delegates and more of the leadership. The largest PSUV section of members are in their thirties, having grown up with the Bolivarian Revolution. For nearly half the room this is their first congress.

In the afternoon, when Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro took the stage, he led a minute of raucous clapping and cheering in memory of President Hugo Chavez. It turned to chanting by the PSUV youth, “Chavez did not die! He made us millions!”

Flanked by the former President Evo Morales of Bolivia and the former president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, and Vice President of Venezuela Delcy Rodrigues, Maduro spoke of the continuing struggle to develop and broaden the economy in Venezuela. The president spoke about the “at your door” food delivery for more than 70% of the people, the over 3 million new apartments and houses built, the necessity to start new production factories for the many goods that the U.S. embargo is trying to deny Venezuela. The U.S. policy is failing.

President Maduro hammered on the theme of the 5th Congress, “Resistance, Rebirth, Revolution.” He spoke at length about problems the PSUV needs to overcome, especially corruption in government.

“The PSUV is based on ethical principles defined by President Chavez, so mistakes get confronted and corrupt people get punished,” said Maduro. He continued, “Sometimes people wear a red shirt to obscure who they really are, but we will find out!”

President Maduro finished by reminding the cadres that they need to resist the U.S. empire and the sanctions which they can overcome through developing their own economy, currently boosted by high oil prices. Growth and improvement is apparent everywhere, despite two years of difficulty with COVID. Over 90% are vaccinated with Russian, Chinese or Cuban versions of the vaccine. There is a new sense the economy is going to grow dramatically if U.S. sanctions can be overcome.

The idea of rebirth was described as the young cadre being trained to leave the colleges and go to the workers and other sectors of the people to teach them to take power and learn from them, to then improve their lives – to build party unity with the millions of PSUV voters throughout society.

The revolution component involves new organizations in workplaces and communities to change power dynamics in a country where the vast majority of the economy is in private hands. The PSUV is planning to shift ownership to public, collective, communal, and state ownership.

#CaracasVenezuela #Caracas #OppressedNationalities #Venezuela #Americas #PeoplesStruggles #Socialism #UnitedSocialistPartyPSUV #BolivarianRepublicOfVenezuela #PSUV5thCongress

Caracas, Venezuela – The United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) opened their 5th Congress, March 5, with music and a cheering crowd, followed by serious speeches of the PSUV leaders. The international delegation, including the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, with ambassadors from People’s Korea, China, South Africa, Cuba, Russia, Bolivia, Palestine and Nicaragua, were welcomed by every speaker.

Diosdado Cabello, first vice-president of the PSUV, described the 1572-plus delegates representing the workers, indigenous, Afro-Venezuelan, women and youth sectors participating. Women are more than half the delegates and more of the leadership. The largest PSUV section of members are in their thirties, having grown up with the Bolivarian Revolution. For nearly half the room this is their first congress.

In the afternoon, when Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro took the stage, he led a minute of raucous clapping and cheering in memory of President Hugo Chavez. It turned to chanting by the PSUV youth, “Chavez did not die! He made us millions!”

Flanked by the former President Evo Morales of Bolivia and the former president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, and Vice President of Venezuela Delcy Rodrigues, Maduro spoke of the continuing struggle to develop and broaden the economy in Venezuela. The president spoke about the “at your door” food delivery for more than 70% of the people, the over 3 million new apartments and houses built, the necessity to start new production factories for the many goods that the U.S. embargo is trying to deny Venezuela. The U.S. policy is failing.

President Maduro hammered on the theme of the 5th Congress, “Resistance, Rebirth, Revolution.” He spoke at length about problems the PSUV needs to overcome, especially corruption in government.

“The PSUV is based on ethical principles defined by President Chavez, so mistakes get confronted and corrupt people get punished,” said Maduro. He continued, “Sometimes people wear a red shirt to obscure who they really are, but we will find out!”

President Maduro finished by reminding the cadres that they need to resist the U.S. empire and the sanctions which they can overcome through developing their own economy, currently boosted by high oil prices. Growth and improvement is apparent everywhere, despite two years of difficulty with COVID. Over 90% are vaccinated with Russian, Chinese or Cuban versions of the vaccine. There is a new sense the economy is going to grow dramatically if U.S. sanctions can be overcome.

The idea of rebirth was described as the young cadre being trained to leave the colleges and go to the workers and other sectors of the people to teach them to take power and learn from them, to then improve their lives – to build party unity with the millions of PSUV voters throughout society.

The revolution component involves new organizations in workplaces and communities to change power dynamics in a country where the vast majority of the economy is in private hands. The PSUV is planning to shift ownership to public, collective, communal, and state ownership.

#CaracasVenezuela #Caracas #OppressedNationalities #Venezuela #Americas #PeoplesStruggles #Socialism #UnitedSocialistPartyPSUV #BolivarianRepublicOfVenezuela #PSUV5thCongress