News and Views from the People's Struggle
Minneapolis, MN – On Aug. 20, Jesus Chucho Garcia, the Venezuelan Consul in New Orleans, spoke in Minneapolis at May Day Bookstore about the current situation and the future of Venezuela. The store was packed with activists from the peace movement, the Latin American solidarity movement and Venezuelans living in the U.S.
In honor of Fidel Castro’s 90th birthday, Fight Back! is circulating a speech he delivered on May 1, 2003. Castro was born on August 13, 1926. Enjoy.
Houston, TX – Over 20 students and community activists gathered at the Consulate of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, August 1, to celebrate the life and legacy of Hugo Chavez, the former president of Venezuela. The consul gave a presentation on Hugo Chavez, discussing how he transformed Venezuela and drastically improved the lives of the Venezuelan people.
Minneapolis, MN – El 21 de julio, la colombiana-americana Jennie Eisert, presentó un conmovido reporte sobre su participación en la delegación enviada por Alliance for Global Justice, para el proceso de paz en Colombia. Eisert estuvo en Colombia en mayo, semanas antes de que el gobierno colombiano y las Fuerzas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejercito Popular (FARC-EP) declararan oficialmente, el 23 de junio, el fin a la guerra de medio siglo.
Chicago, IL – The Venezuelan Consulate in Chicago celebrated 205 years of independence from the Spanish empire on July 6. In his remarks, Jesus Rodriguez-Espinoza, the Consul General, noted that in the year 1811, Simon Bolivar led an army that defeated Spain, not only in their country, but in several other countries in South America as well. “That is the only time our troops have been outside our border,” he commented. This was apparently to counter U.S. government claims that the Venezuelan government is a threat. The U.S. spends millions of dollars annually to support right-wing, often violent groups in Venezuela working to overthrow the democratically elected government.
Meredith Aby-Keirstead, of Fight Back! interviews James Jordan, with the Alliance For Global Justice in Tucson, Arizona. Jordan recently returned from the Accompaniment Delegation to Support Colombia’s Peace Process. Fight Back!: Want do Colombian activists say about the prospects for peace?
New York, NY – On June 22, about 150 people rallied and marched in solidarity with the teachers of Oaxaca, Mexico. Facing the Mexican Consulate, protesters gave speeches and chanted to decry the Mexican government’s response to protests in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Washington, DC – On May 14 Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared a constitutional state of emergency in that country. CNN reports indicate that there have been marches in support of the government’s push for a “state of constitutional exception and economic emergency” to last until July.
Thousands of workers from many unions marched in San Salvador, El Salvador on International Workers Day, May 1, 2016.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement on the political situation in Brazil by the Central of the Workers of Brazil (CTB), a Brazilian class-struggle union federation that is part of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU). Political Resolution of the CTB National Council
Miami, FL – Nidia Quintero, the leader of Colombia’s largest union of agricultural workers (FENSUAGRO), spoke to a crowd of 50 workers and activists at the South Florida AFL-CIO April 8. She came to speak in support of the peace process between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), taking place in Havana, Cuba. Quintero emphasized that a just and lasting peace is crucial for the Colombian labor movement to grow and flourish.
Chicago, IL – Trade unionists and solidarity activists gathered to hear Nidia Quintero, Secretary General of FENSUAGRO, speak at Chicago’s United Electrical hall on April 6. Quintero leads Colombia’s largest agricultural workers union and was in Chicago to attend the Labor Notes conference. She spoke about Colombian workers peasants and why international support for the peace process in Colombia is important.
Denver, CO – On March 24, Cindy Paola Pérez, a member of the central committee of the Young Communists of Colombia (popularly know as la Juco) was summarily deported from the Mexico City airport. Perez was invited to Mexico to attend the IV Congress of the Young Communists of Mexico as a delegate. The Mexican immigration authorities deported Perez, giving the Colombian activist no explanation other than the fact that she knew Colombian political prisoner Miguel Angel Beltran.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following open letter to President Obama.
_Statement by National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera (Simon Trinidad) _
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following February 12 statement from the National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera (Simon Trinidad). We encourage readers to call President Obama today. Love not War! Peace for Colombia! Free Simon Trinidad!
Minneapolis, MN: Around 30 people gathered here, Jan. 28, at May Day Bookstore to hear from Anti-War Committee activists about the Colombian peace negotiations in Havana, Cuba. Afterwards they discussed whether the Colombian civil war is coming to a close and what the significance of an end to the more than 50 year war would mean for the social movements in Colombia.
As the Colombian peace process enters its final months of negotiations, the Colombian government set Liliany (Lily) Obando free the week of Jan. 22. Obando is a leading and renowned human rights defender. While in prison, Lily Obando never ceased to raise her voice in protest against the ongoing and systemic violations of human rights by the INPEC (Colombian prisons administration), and turned the prison into a place of struggle.
El siguiente mensaje es una respuesta a una serie de preguntas enviadas a Huber Ballesteros por James Jordan de la Alianza por la Justicia Global. Ballesteros fue detenido cuando estaba trabajando como negociador para el paro agrario nacional de 2013 en Colombia y es acusado de “rebelión”. Él también sirvió en el comité ejecutivo de Fensuagro (Federación Nacional Sindical Unitaria Agropecuaria), la federación de trabajadores agropecuarios más grande de Colombia y la Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT), la federación laboral más grande del país. Firme la petición para la libertad de Huber Ballesteros, sindicalista colombiano y preso político Haz clic aquí para ver el video de esta entrevista con Huber Ballesteros
The following message is a response to a series of questions posed to Hubert Ballesteros by James Jordan of the Alliance for Global Justice. Ballesteros was arrested while negotiating for the National Agrarian Strike of 2013 and charged with Rebellion. He was also serving on the executive committees of Fensuagro, the country's largest federation of farm workers unions and the Unitary Workers Center (CUT), Colombia's largest general labor federation.
Fight Back! interviews Jeff Westberry, who recently traveled to Cuba to participated in Fourth International Seminar of the World Peace Council.