Declaración de MSJ (Trindad y Tobago) contra Ataques Imperialistas | The MSJ joins with others in denouncing Imperialist Attacks

August 19, 2015
Today, as social movements, political parties and other popular groups come together to denounce imperialist attacks in Latin America, the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) of Trinidad and Tobago also adds its voice in calling for the end to such attacks. In the past fifteen years, significant gains have been secured by progressive movements across Latin America. This is manifest by the fact that today many countries across Latin America are led by progressive governments.
It must be remembered that throughout most of the 60s and 70s the majority of states in Latin America were under the rule of military dictatorships and the most basic of human and democratic rights were trampled underfoot with the open support of the United States. For the U.S., “democracy” was not an issue nor was corruption as the rule by the military and the powerful oligarchies was in the interest of the imperialist agenda: the economic interests of transnational corporations and big local capital; and the geo-political interests of the United States intent on keeping in power governments that were U.S. allies, regardless of how undemocratic and corrupt. It was this policy that also saw the U.S. and other Western European powers supporting the apartheid regime in South Africa.
From the election victory of Hugo Chavez in December 1998 and his assumption to the Presidency in Venezuela in February 1999 to the present, progressive political parties and movements; supported by social movements of indigenous people, workers, farmers, youth and students, women, environmentalists; which had fought for and won democracy in their respective countries, then engaged in the electoral processes that these democratic spaces opened up. This
resulted in progressive parties and movements contesting and winning election after election in Venezuela itself, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Chile, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and Paraguay.
These significant advances represented major setbacks for the local right-wing forces – the economic elites and oligarchies that traditionally comprised the ruling class – as well as for transnational capital and the centres of imperialist power, particularly the U.S., that represent it politically. In light of this, such forces now seem to be making every effort to roll-back these progressive victories and to restore their own hegemonic power. As a result we have seen in the
recent past, constitutional coups in Honduras and Paraguay; persistent actions by opposition forces in Venezuela; and most recently attempts to have President Dilma Rousseff impeached in Brazil.
If the imperialists are successful in these attacks, the result would not simply be a change in government. The removal of the current progressive regimes and their subsequent replacement with governments that are pro-elite and pro-U.S. would see the wholesale implementation of neo-liberal policies such as mass privatization; attacks on workers and trade unions; and a cut back on social programmes in areas such as health care, education, literacy and poverty
reduction. Therefore, it is the working people and poor in these countries who would pay the ultimate price.
Such a situation must be averted. The victories secured by the progressive movements must be defended and preserved in the interest of the majority who have for so long been marginalized and impoverished. For this reason, the MSJ unreservedly joins with progressive movements and parties throughout the hemisphere to denounce the attacks by local forces of reaction supported by imperialism. In particular, we stand in solidarity with the Workers’ Party of Brazil and its leaders Dilma and Lula as they struggle in complex circumstances to continue the social transformation of Brazil.
Hasta la Victoria Siempre!
David Abdulah
Political Leader