Celebrating PSUV Victories in Municipal Elections
On the 10th of December 2017, the United Socialist Party (PSUV) won Venezuela's municipal elections. The following Tuesday, its embassy in Jamaica hosted a solidarity session to celebrate the PSUV's success. Luisa Gutierrez Picon, the Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy, led the discussion. Two members of LANDS' Foreign Policy Committee attended the session to deepen connections with Venezuela. The Jamaica Peace Council and Jamaica-Cuba Friendship Association were also represented.
Throughout the morning, organisations present learned about Venezuela's governmental structure. 24 elections at municipal, gubernatorial, and national levels in 18 years strengthen the process. Furthermore, the approval from CEELA observers of old and new electoral processes vindicate its mandate. We moved on to cover the local political situation in Venezuela and the effects of US-backed meddling.
Complementing this, the Embassy spoke to attendees about the importance of the Bolivarian Alliance of the People's of America's (ALBA). As an intergovernmental organisation promoting Latin American and Caribbean integration, ALBA plays a vital role against reaction and imperialism. We also received information about the Venezuelan Institute for Culture and Cooperation (IVCC) and its unit in Kingston. Representatives present expressed delight at the IVCC's Spanish language programme and its promotion of Venezuelan values. In all, we left the session with better knowledge of and improved ties to Venezuela.
We remain steadfast in opposition to imperialist interference in Venezuela and the Bolivarian process. In this spirit, LANDS must continue building relations with socialist and anti-imperialist movements in the Caribbean and Latin America. The Party must do what it can to support ALBA and ALBA Movimientos. This solidarity must be political and cultural. Our experience at the Venezuelan Embassy has taught us important lessons. We intend to learn and struggle until the final victory against imperialism and neoliberalism!