WASHINGTON, D.C.--More than 400 activists gathered at George Washington University March 4-5 for the first ever Venezuelan Solidarity Conference.
The goal of the weekend was to form a national solidarity network to respond to the growing threats to the administration of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez from the U.S. government. Conference participants attended more than 40 workshops on issues such as “Venezuela History: First to Fifth Republic,” “U.S. and International Labor Solidarity,” “Venezuela’s Alternative: Challenging Corporate Globalization” and more.
A theme of the weekend was arming activists with facts to debunk the many myths and distortions about Venezuela spread by the U.S. government, the mainstream press and Venezuela’s elite.
Many participants had previously visited Venezuela on delegations or for international gatherings such as the recent World Social Forum. Among the many speakers at the conference were Bill Fletcher of the Trans Africa Forum, Alberto Gonzalez of the Southwest Voter Registration Project, former Global Exchange director Deborah James, and Green Party leader Peter Miguel Camejo.
On March 5, approximately 200 conference attendees gathered to create a national Venezuelan solidarity network to oppose U.S. government intervention in Venezuela and to facilitate delegations to Venezuela of American activists, as well as speaking tours of Venezuelans in the United States.
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