Movement Leaders Gathered for Second Edition of the World Social Alternative

Makiza Micheline Latifa, People’s Dispatch, July 26, 2024 — 

“The World Social Alternative From Bolivar To Chavez” Was Held In Caracas, Venezuela From July 23-24. To strengthen discussions between people’s movements about alternatives to the current capitalist system.

Mass movements, progressive organizations and social leaders from all sectors convened in Caracas for the second edition of the meeting of movements and social leaders for a World Social Alternative, an initiative put together by the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), in collaboration with the Simón Bolívar Institute for Peace and Solidarity amongst Peoples (ISB).

The meeting ran from July 23-24, and featured debates, plenary sessions, and panel discussions at the Simon Bolivar Hall of the Bolivar Theater of Caracas in the capital of Venezuela, with delegates from across the globe. It follows the first encounter for a World Social Alternative which was held in Caracas between April 18 to April 20.

Described by organizers as “The World Social Alternative from Bolivar to Chávez,” the meeting provides a space to promote unity and the design of an agenda that shields the Latin America and Caribbean region against imperialist attacks.

This meeting also served to celebrate the spirit of unity and ALBA, expressed by leaders such as Commander Fidel Castro and President Hugo Chavez, who vindicated an anti-colonialist tradition and renewed the ideas of Simón Bolívar. This meeting will honor the struggle for independence, unity of the Latin American nation, of social justice, and the struggles of the twentieth century against US imperialism.

The first day of the meeting touched on several thematic areas: the role of the media in geopolitics, self-determination, and rights and reparations.

Speaking as part of the panel on “Communication and resistance: the role of the media in current geopolitics” the founder and President of TeleSur, Patricia Villegas highlighted the need for a communication strategy that will be used to overcome the forces of capitalism, fascism and imperialism, while also touching on the need to replace competition with coordination, especially in the upcoming Venezuelan elections.

Villegas said, “When we gathered here in Caracas, we discussed that one of the main issues of communication not only for the alternative world and the hegemony was going to be the elections in Venezuela. There is a plan that is already being rolled out to hinder Venezuela’s objectives, and that plan includes communication. Therefore each of us must work towards disseminating the truth of Venezuela, we must understand ourselves as active members of communication because digital militancy is as important as in-person militancy.”

Deputy Minister of Anti-blockade policies of the Ministry of People’s Power for Economy and Finance, William Castillo, also spoke on the connection between communication and power. According to him, there is a deliberate attempt by the far right to use the mainstream media to discredit the results of the upcoming elections.

“Our Venezuelan democracy is not afraid of elections, we actually love elections,” he articulated. “Venezuela has undergone thirty-three elections in the last twenty-five years, so it is a democracy that is being constantly questioned by the people’s judgment. We are a democracy that has chosen the path of elections, the constitutional path and we have respected that whether we win or lose.”

The panel discussion followed a plenary session under the theme “World Social Alternative and Current Challenges,” where the panelists strongly concluded that now more than ever, a social alternative is fundamental to justice in the world.

During the second day of the event, panelists from Pakistan, Zambia, Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, and other countries continued to discuss the key questions facing the people of the world and how to overcome them. The meeting was held in the lead-up to the July 28 Venezuelan presidential elections. Over 700 people from across the world came to Venezuela to observe and learn more about the electoral process in the country, this while corporate media across the Americas continues to insist that Venezuela’s electoral system is fraudulent.