SYDNEY — On March 7, 33 people met at the Gaelic Club to hear two left-wing activists — Tim Anderson and Rachel Evans — recount what they had seen in Venezuela. Both participated in the sixth World Social Forum (WSF) held in Caracas in January. The meeting was organised by the Socialist Alliance.
Evans, a member of the alliance and the National Union of Students' female queer officer, described the political context for the WSF, using a power-point presentation to describe the programs that the government and supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez are implementing to fight poverty and inequality. She noted: "There are so many young women leading this anti-imperialist process in Venezuela. The queer movement is also riding strong, thanks to Chavez."
Civil liberties activist Tim Anderson showed an inspiring, self-produced 10-minute documentary on the main WSF rally, at which Chavez proclaimed "Socialism or death!". Anderson enthralled the audience with an explanation of ALBA, the Bolivarian Alternative for Latin America, a project to promote trade cooperation between six Latin American countries, with Venezuela and Cuba at the forefront, in opposition to the US-sponsored Free Trade Area of the Americas.
Sibylle Kaczorek
From 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, March 15, 2006.
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