As part of their bi-monthly meeting, the Greater London Labour Representation Committee (LRC) invited the Hands Off Venezuela campaign to lead a discussion on the recent events that have taken place in Venezuela. The LRC, originally formed in 1900 to fight for political representation for the Labour Movement, was re-formed in 2004 to secure a voice for socialists within the trade unions, the Labour Party and Parliament. Will Roche from the HOV campaign gave a summary of events dating from the re-election of President Chavez in 2006, in particular, the development of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). The Party, with over 6 million members, including 285,000 housewives, 1.4 million laborers, and 745,000 professionals, held its founding congress earlier this year. 1,676 congress delegates debated a draft program which included subjects like; defence of the revolution, building socialism, building popular power, socialising power, planned economy, communal state, defence of nature, a state based on popular power, and internationalism.

The speaker also described the extensive campaign of sabotage the right-wing opposition have been carrying out; in discrediting the constitutional reforms, in creating food shortages by refusing to supply produce, especially milk, the attempt to freeze millions of dollars of oil assets abroad by ExxonMobile, and the murderous activity of the Colombian government in assassinating members of the FARC whilst Chavez was negotiating the release of hostages.

These are all parts of an overall concerted effort to de-stabilise and destroy the Venezuelan revolution. The Venezuelan government has responded in the best of ways by carrying out several nationalisations, of the electricity industry, of telecommunications, of the beef and milk industries, of the cement industry, and of steel production, bringing these key industries into public ownership and control.

A vibrant discussion took place after Will’s update, with a variety of questions and contributions, especially on the subject of workers’ control. Gary Heather, the chair of the meeting and long standing member of the HOV campaign, expressed his support and congratulated the London HOV group on managing to meet weekly since the campaign was established over 4 years ago.

The tasks facing the members of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, the struggle against bureaucracy, the struggle for a democratically elected and recallable leadership, and of the carrying out genuine socialist policies, is a struggle that is shared by workers world wide, none more so than by a great many members of the Labour Party here in Britain.