“Another World Is Possible

Latin America is on the move!”

 

 

 At table, from left: Bill Greenshields, Felix Plasencia, Zelmys Dominguez

Due to large numbers of people attending, Derby Assembly Rooms staff had to turn latecomers away from a meeting about Cuba and Venezuela held on 20^th September under the title “Another World Is Possible"  - taken from a speech by Fidel Castro

 

Felix Plasencia of the Venezuelan embassy, and Zelmys Dominguez of the Cuban embassy, explained the priorities of their governments, and how each sought to involve their people in grass-roots movements for democracy and social improvement. Each explained how the profit based priorities of the global free market economy had been rejected by their peoples in favour of economies and politics designed first and foremost to meet the needs of the people.

 

Felix Plasencia explained that this was no easy path as it met with real opposition, including violence and attempted coup, from within Venezuela, orchestrated by the richest – and formerly the most powerful – section of society. These opposition forces – who still largely control the media – are actively supported by the multinational companies and by the US Government. “When you say that your priority is to meet the needs of the poor, to help them to organise against poverty, to give them power… there is opposition from the rich who already have the power. When you act on that priority as our government and President Hugo Chavez are doing, opposition turns to real action against you.” The meeting saw a documentary – “The Revolution Will Not be Televised”, made by an Irish TV film crew about the 2002 military coup against Chavez – immediately supported by the USA, but not, as Mr Plasencia pointed out, by the British Government. The Generals kidnapped Chavez, but two days later were forced to release him and surrender the power they had taken when a million and a half people laid siege to the coup headquarters in the Presidential Palace.

 

“President Chavez has won 11 elections in 10 years, and the referendum on our new constitution. Ours is a democratic revolution that the people will defend at all costs against those who would oppose the people’s priorities,” said Mr Plasencia, to applause from the packed room.

 

Zelmy Dominguez from Cuba asked, “What makes us, a tiny Caribbean island with just 11 million people, such a threat to the USA that they have tried to destroy us for over 40 years since our revolution?” She went on to explain that the use of the wealth from the island’s industries and agriculture had, since the 1959 revolution, been used to build the best health and education systems in the Americas, to guarantee employment and training, cheap and safe housing and extensive social provision… rather than simply providing private wealth for a small class of people. “And that is why the USA sees us as a threat, because we demonstrate every day that ‘Another World Is Possible’ – that people can control their own lives, and can build a better future, rather than just knowing their place while the rich get richer and more powerful.”

 

She went on to explain that currently there are five Cubans in jail in the USA serving long prison sentences. They had infiltrated terrorist groups in Miami who had been attacking Cuba and progressive movements elsewhere in Latin America. They took the evidence they uncovered to the FBI, and were promptly arrested and imprisoned as spies. “You can be a terrorist – a convicted criminal terrorist - and lead a free and good life in Miami,” said Ms Dominguez, “as long as you are a friend of the US administration. But if you are fighting terrorism, and are a friend of Cuba, the US Government treats you as a criminal”

 

A lively discussion followed dealing with questions on democracy, world politics, environmentalism and many other issues. In closing the meeting, Bill Greenshields of Derbyshire’s Cuba Network – the meeting organisers – pledged that there would be many more opportunities to take part in the debate about the example of Cuba and Venezuela, and finished by saying, “There are events from time to time that demand that ordinary people stand up for themselves, and for other ordinary people in other parts of the world. My Granddad was involved in 1918 against British military attempts to defeat the new Russian Revolution. My mother was involved in opposing fascism in Spain in the 1930s. Many of us were involved in the 60s and 70s in supporting the Vietnamese people against the USA – and then again supporting the South African people in their fight against Apartheid. Now we are living through a similar pivotal time in the world, and we need to come to the support of those who assert and show that ‘Another World Is Possible’ – a world of people’s priorities, not the demands of the multinationals, a world where resources are put to work to eliminate poverty and oppression, not to line the pockets of the already rich and powerful.”