Fight Back News Service is circulating the Final Declaration of the Workers’ Summit of the Americas which took place in opposition to the Biden administration’s failed summit in Los Angeles.

Final Declaration of the Workers’ Summit of the Americas

Tijuana, June 10-12, 2022

We, representatives of Trade Union, Peasant, Political and Social organizations, gathered in Tijuana – Mexico, June 10-12, 2022, on the occasion of the realization of the Summit of the Americas of the Working Men and Women Workers, in immediate response to the exclusion of Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua imposed by the Government of the United States.

There is a systemic and structural crisis of capitalism in its imperialist phase. It is in itself a civilizational crisis. The capitalist economic model and its political arm neoliberalism, as well as its modern cultural foundation, have put the planet’s life in crisis. If not eliminated, imperialism’s necropolitics leads us to the planetary collective suicide, which is more lacerating in the sectors less favored by the current world system. Our position is a bet for life, and the empire offers us death: it is either life or death!

We are witnessing a process of recolonization over the people. This is expressed in the excessive growth of racism, poverty, unemployment, job insecurity, environmental deterioration of territories, criminalization of migration, and gender and cultural violence. For this reason, we call upon the programmatic unity of the American continent’s workers, peasants, and progressive and popular forces to reflect, debate, and take concrete action to combat the labor and social violence applied to our peoples by the U.S. and Canadian governments.

We consider that the working class of the 21st century will only be able to play an independent and central role if – in addition to fighting for the most heartfelt demands of the labor movement – it assumes the struggle against patriarchy together with the feminist movement, the struggle of the native peoples against climate change and the defense of the biosphere together with the youth and the broad spectrum of professionals and scientists.

We must build articulations and alliances in which we structure our common forces for a unique and global struggle. Globalize the struggles. Build new organic forms of the working class from the political-cultural to the socio-productive to overcome capitalism and build socialism.

A robust internationalism is needed to pay adequate and immediate attention to the dangers of extinction: extinction by nuclear war, climate catastrophe, and social collapse. In this regard, we agree:

To promote active solidarity with the peoples and sovereign nations (Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela) and the other peoples of the world “sanctioned” and attacked by economic blockades and unilateral coercive measures imposed by the U.S. and its allies.

To hold an annual meeting in Tijuana, Mexico, with the workers and social movements of the Americas to express solidarity with the peoples of Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua and their revolutions to repudiate unilateral coercive measures against sovereign governments.

To constitute a Committee for the organization of the Meetings to be held annually in the North and South of Mexico, integrated by: Unión del Barrio of the USA, Movimiento Social Por la Tierra de México (MST), Sindicato Mexicano Electricista (SME), Alianza por la Justicia Global of the USA, Central Bolivariana Socialista de Trabajadores de Venezuela, Central de Trabajadores de Cuba, Asociación de Trabajadores del Campo de Nicaragua (ATC), Movimiento Magisterial Popular de Veracruz Mexico, Fire This Time of Canada, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) of the USA, International Action Center (IAC) of the USA, Task Force on the Americas of the USA and the Plataforma de la Clase Obrera Antimperialista (PCOA).

Demand the immediate release of Alex Saab. He is a Venezuelan diplomat kidnapped by the U.S. and illegally detained in its territory since October 16, 2021. Saab’s arrest is an action that attacks diplomatic immunity, a right guaranteed by international law to any diplomatic official in the exercise of his duties.

Reaffirm the resolutions agreed upon at the Meeting of the Peoples of the Americas, held June 7-8, 2022, in Chiapas, Mexico.

To ratify our unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian and Saharawi peoples.

Demand that the U.S. Congress immediately cut off military aid funds to El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, and Haiti.

Promote a campaign to hold an international day of action in solidarity with Cuba to be held when the U.N. General Assembly meets to condemn the blockade against the Caribbean island.

Expand the “Bridges of Love” program to other countries and international coordinate days on the last Sunday of each month in the form of caravans or other activities.

Demand the immediate release of comrades Mumia Abu Jamal, Leonard Peltier, Iman Jamil Abdullah al-Amin and Julian Assange.

Demand the immediate release of the social fighter Simón Trinidad from Colombia, who is deprived of liberty in prison in the USA.

To promote the regional integration of the anti-imperialist working class of Our America and the participation in the strengthening of ALBA TCP, CELAC, and UNASUR. In this sense, the Bolivarian Socialist Workers Central of Venezuela will call a meeting for the 3rd quarter of 2022.

To promote a campaign against the U.S., NATO, and Colombia’s policies of interference and expansionism and to ratify the declaration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace promoted by CELAC.

We reaffirm the Mexican Electricians Union workers’ demands for their reinstatement in the Federal Electricity Commission.

We stand in solidarity with the Puerto Rican people and their dignified struggle for independence and sovereignty.

ONLY THE WORKERS’ STRUGGLE WILL SAVE HUMANITY, NATURE, AND THE PLANET!!!!

Co-sponsors include:

Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ)

Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación de Baja California (CNTE – BC)

International Action Center

Plataforma de la Clase Obrera Antiimperialista (PCOA)

Freedom Road Socialist Organization

Union del Barrio

Central de Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC)

Centro Community Service Organization (CSO)

CODEPINK

Central Bolivariana Socialista de Trabajadores (CBST) Venezuela

Boston School Bus Drivers Union – Local 8751

Fire This Time

University of Tijuana

Movimiento Magisterial Popular Veracruzano

Federación Bolivariana de Trabajadores del Transporte – Sectores Afines y Conexos (FBTTT)

The Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA)

1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East

FUNDALATIN

The Task Force on the Americas

#TijuanaMexico #Tijuana #WorkersSummitOfTheAmericas

Fight Back!: Why are you here at the Workers Summit of the Americas?

Jacobo Torres de Leon: We are here as a general response to the exclusion of Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua from the USA’s Summit of the Americas, on the part of the U.S. administration. They don’t have the right to exclude any country. We question this and how they treat the countries of the Americas. They try to divide us. All of Latin America needs to be included. We are here with the movement of workers and unions, in Canada, USA, Venezuela, other countries in Latin America, Cuba and Nicaragua. We are the alternative, and we are inclusive. We are here to discuss our movements and our people as the answer. We are not only discussing the exclusion, but also about the solidarity with Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, who are victims of imperialism and the blockades. This unity is our power, unity of the people. We respond to the crisis and how the biggest capitalist nation, the USA, has negatively impacted the world.

Fight Back!: What message do you have for the USA?

Torres de Leon: We never compare the people of the USA and the government. The people are generous with us. We want to unite with the people of the USA and we want to make a world that is free. We want to make a world that is free from capitalism and imperialism. We want a world that is socialist. We work with the people of the USA and join them in the struggle. We can save the humanity from capitalism.

Fight Back!: What is the goal of this conference?

Torres de Leon: Our first goal is to meet the leaders of movements. Second, we want to have a response to the position that Biden has in the USA, and establish against the aggression, against the blockade, against the economic wars – and also to have unity and integration of all of our people. These movements we can build with more people and mobilize the people and all of our countries. We have solidarity with Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba to resist the aggression of the USA and the blockade.

Fight Back!: Why do you think other countries, like Guatemala, El Salvador, Cuba, etc. pulled out of the USA summit of the Americas?

Torres de Leon: I think around 25 countries are not sending their president or representatives to the U.S. conference. This is a response to the oppression of the USA and the movement building during this time. Over the past ten years, the countries of the Americas have been organizing diligently against the USA. USA is more isolated from Latin America. They see that the countries in Latin America are in agreement that this is the moment to organize against the oppression. This is the answer for countries to remove their support of the USA and Biden and to have an alternative in Latin America.

#TijuanaMexico #Tijuana #Venezuela #WorkersSummitOfTheAmericas

Fight Back! interviewed William Camacaro, one of the coordinators of the important Workers’ Summit of the Americas which takes place on June 10-12 in Tijuana, Mexico. Fight Back!: How was this Workers’ Summit of Las Americas started?

William Camacaro: I was in Venezuela last year with comrades and we said, “We have a possibility to organize a conference in Mexico.” We used to organize an event in Tijuana in solidarity with Cuba against the blockade. That has not happened for six or seven years. Now is more important than ever because Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela are under U.S. sanctions. So, we need to make connections with people from the movements and the unions in the USA.

In January, when President Biden announced the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, we knew we had to have a “Workers Summit of the Americas” in Tijuana. Now it is even more important because Biden will not invite Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela to the U.S. conference. We can get people from our movements across the Americas to talk with each other including Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

Fight Back!: What is the purpose of this summit?

Camacaro: In beginning, the Workers Summit was to express our opposition to the U.S. sanctions and to denounce U.S. interventions. Then we added lots of issues like immigration and NATO. NATO is trying to have more of a presence in the continent like in the Caribbean. Some already belong to NATO. Colombia is a partner of NATO and the U.S. is very interested to get Mexico and Brazil into NATO. We don’t want NATO in this continent. We can see what is happening in Europe with war and repression.

The most important thing about the Workers Summit is to see if we can raise the consciousness about the sanctions and U.S. interventions in the region. I just came from Venezuela, and you can meet people that don’t see the relation between the U.S. sanctions and the situation they are living because the propaganda by the media is so huge.

Two weeks ago, European countries agreed to start buying oil from Venezuela. The U.S. said they will “allow” them to buy from Venezuela. At the same time, the Biden administration is still recognizing Guaido as president. The U.S. is still trying to overthrow the Venezuelan government, but Guaido has no support. The right-wing people don’t even like him. He cannot have a rally with more than 500 people in Caracas, our capitol.

If you do research, every few months, there is some kind of sabotage or attack on the oil refineries in Venezuela. Ten days ago, they were trying to destroy the biggest refinery. They frequently send drones to attack the refineries. Venezuelan security caught a former U.S. Marine close to the refineries with explosives. There are extreme right elements like Senator Marco Rubio of Florida that is very upset because Biden is supposedly establishing “relations with Venezuela.” Rubio says that U.S. sanctions have to get stronger.

Fight Back!: What message do you want to send to people in the USA?

Camacaro: The most important thing is for people in the USA to fight U.S. intervention in the region and see and learn that every time the U.S. intervenes, those countries get worse. The U.S. is spending money from the taxpayers to destroy other countries. After the U.S. destroys the economy and overthrows the government of a country, like in Honduras, they impose a government that was connected to the narcotraffickers. Then, hundreds of thousands of people try to move to the USA. The Honduran government, the U.S. overthrew in a coup, was trying to help the poor. Hillary Clinton said that people from Honduras were not allowed to come to the U.S., but she supported the coup.

The U.S. government needs to invest in the economy at home and have healthy partners. Strong economies for its neighbors, and no more U.S. interventions or sanctions. I think the people of the USA need to see that U.S. intervention is always negative and always done in the name of democracy and freedom. In reality, it is always in the name of U.S. corporations getting richer.

I want to make a stop at the border during our Workers Summit in Tijuana. There are 3000 Ukrainians around here that got brought here to cross over to the USA. It only takes like five days, and then the U.S. allows them to cross the border. Meanwhile, they block people from Mexico and other Latin American countries from entering into the USA.

#TijuanaMexico #Tijuana #AntiwarMovement #PeoplesStruggles #WilliamCamarco #WorkersSummitOfTheAmericas