Venezuela’s Chavez Calls for International Organisation of Left Parties

[Joanne98]

Caracas, November 23rd 2009 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called for the formation of a “Fifth International” of left parties and social movements to confront the challenge posed by the global crisis of capitalism.

The president made the announcement during an international conference of more than fifty left organisations from thirty-one countries held in Caracas over November 19-21.

“I assume responsibility before the world. I think it is time to convene the Fifth International, and I dare to make the call, which I think is a necessity. I dare to request that we create my proposal,” Chavez said.

The head of state insisted that the conference of left parties should not be “just one more meeting,” and he invited participating organizations to create a truly new project. “This socialist encounter should be of the genuine left, willing to fight against imperialism and capitalism,” he said.

During his speech, Chavez briefly outlined the experiences of previous “internationals,” including the First International founded in 1864 by Karl Marx; the Second International founded in 1889, which collapsed in 1916 as various left parties and trade unions sided with their respective capitalist classes in the inter-imperialist conflict of the First World War; the Third International founded by Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin, which Chavez said “degenerated” under Stalinism and “betrayed” struggles for socialism around the world; and the Fourth International founded by Leon Trotsky in 1938, which suffered numerous splits and no longer exists, although some small groups claim to represent its political continuity.

Chavez said that a new international would have to function “without impositions” and would have to respect diversity.

Representatives from a number of major parties in Latin America voiced their support for the proposal, including the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) of Bolivia, the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) of El Salvador, the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) of Nicaragua, and Alianza Pais of Ecuador.

Smaller parties from Latin America and around the world also indicated their support for the idea, including the Proposal for an Alternative Society (PAS) of Chile, New Nation Alternative (ANN) of Guatemala, and Australia’s Socialist Alliance, among others.

Sandinista leader Miguel D´Escoto said, “Capitalism has brought the human species to the precipice of extinction… we have to take control of our own destiny.”

Continued>>>
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/4946

[winyanstaz]

1. Well I do agree there needs to be more balance...

and that capitalism has not worked.
It will be interesting to see what comes of this.

[RedCloud]

2. Woikers of the woild unite!

[cascadiance]

3. Perhaps two separate movements (labor unions and parties)...

They could work with each other globally, but perhaps have some more efforts to focus on global unionization and representing worker's rights as a focal point.

And separate political parties could be made more global, and would focus on political change to help with making better rules of governance, etc.

Might be easier to organize a local for a global trade union to help work for rights in companies here than signing up for some global left leaning party (headed up by Chavez especially, whether I like his politics or not). A global trade union would take head-on those companies trying to outsource to the cheapest labor countries, etc. and help make sure other countries are also kept from being too low paid to not give them these options.

Global parties could work together with these unions later, especially when making sure that our "free trade" agreements get "reformed" into something more meaningful.

[Jim Lane]

4. How would this differ from the existing Socialist International?

From about the Socialist International: "The Socialist International is a worldwide organisation of democratic socialist, social democratic, socialist, and labour political parties. It was formed in 1951."

Incidentally, the United States has no left party. The U.S. affiliate of the Socialist International is the , an organization of about 10,000 members that does not run its own candidates but seeks to move the Democratic Party to the left.

[Unvanguard]

5. Presumably it would appeal to a more leftist set of parties. n/t