Toronto, 26 February 2015. During the celebration of the 26th anniversary of the social unravelling that unleashed the famous "Caracazo", the Embassy of Venezuela in Canada and its Consulates General promoted the conference that claimed the struggle of the heroic Venezuelan people of that February 27, 1989, and explained how its old ghosts of capitalism and the North American empire, morally defeated that year, today 26 years after, hovers over Venezuela again, with Continued Coup attempts.
With a massive attendance of 240 people, including graduate students, teachers, media, and representation from more than 10 advocacy groups in defence of the Bolivarian Government, among which the Hugo Chavez Defense Front, Bolivarian Circle Louis Riel, Hands of Venezuela, Brothers of the Pachamama and Mapuche Solidarity Network with Latin America and the Caribbean, the Communist Youth League, among others; the Auditorium of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Toronto, heard the cry for defending Venezuela, as a stronghold for solidarity, brotherhood, peace and human rights for Latin America and the world.
The conference counted with the presentation of Ambassador Wilmer Barrientos Fernandez, Doctor Victor Ribas, professor, researcher and writer for Latin American Studies at the University of Toronto, and American Professor Donald Kingsbury, of the Faculty of Political Science of the University of Toronto. The event began with the presentation "The Truth About Venezuela" video detailing the events of February 27, 1989, when Venezuelan society was shaken by a social explosion as a result of economic measures imposed by the government of Carlos Andrés Pérez by subjecting the country to imperialist interests represented by the International Monetary Fund.
Ambassador Barrientos than gave a chronological account of the events that occurred from 1989 to the present, and as today the same capitalist and imperialist forces remain in seeking to dominate the country by undemocratic, unconstitutional and violent means. Ambassador Barrientos referring to those facts pointed"Anyone with a minimal knowledge of Latin American and world history knows that the US government has supported, encouraged and promoted coups in Latin America and around the world for over a century. Some of the most notorious and that have been openly recognized by past US presidents and senior officials include coups against Mohammed Mossadegh of Iran in 1953, Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala in 1954, Patrice Lumumba of Congo in 1960, Joao Goulart of Brazil in 1964 and Salvador Allende of Chile in 1973 ".
Professors at the University of Toronto, Ribas and Kingsbury, stated that Venezuela is again under American attack for being a country that decided to no longer receive the mandate of the US government and its imperialist allies, instead, opted for the sovereign management of the national income to spend it on socialist, humanistic and naturalistic goals. Professor Ribas pointed that "The Venezuelan government has designed excellent mechanisms for the administration of national income in favor of the leverage for a just and humane society".
The event included spaces for social movements to express their solidarity with the Venezuelan institution and as essential to maintain the revolutionary legacy of Commander Chavez; because it is global example of citizen participation and government of the people and for the people. Barry Weisleder, of the Socialist Action movement pointed, "The Venezuelan Government is a key player for global change, it is the only one in the world run through its workers and communities."
The delegation of the World Federation of Democratic Youth, through their spokesperson in Canada, expressed great concern at recent attempts to destabilize the legitimately elected government of President Nicolas Maduro. They also filed a statement of condemnation "against the actions and imperialists procedures that are supported by imperialist forces in US, because these actions and procedures are connected with the foreign interference that benefit a system that produces and reproduces impoverishment and war.”
As closing remarks, Ambassador Barrientos underlined that "The Bolivarian Revolution continues under the constant onslaught of economic destabilization plans and violent attempts to overthrow the political system that Venezuelans chose, which has been ratified in the last 15 popular elections in the past years in the country. The country will do justice against those who attempt to bring about destabilizing actions to bring down the homeland of Bolívar ".
The Ambassador ended the day remembering the legacy of Eternal Commander Hugo Chávez saying, "Chavez is here and multiplied into millions, in you sir, you madam, students present here, in the children, we are all Chávez, and we see him in president Nicolás Maduro, in his Ministers, in its indigenous people, and anyone who fight against inequality; that’s why our fight, that’s why our dream, that’s why even our own very life" Chávez lives !!!!!!!!!!
