Who: The Latin American and Caribbean Solidarity Committee Comité de Solidaridad Latinoamericano y Caribeño Invites the Community to a Celebration of The Life and Legacy of Hugo Chavez.
What: It will be an Evening of Music, Poetry, and Solidarity.
When: March 7, 2015 7PM – 10PM St. Stephen’s Church, 1525 Newton Street, NW DC
It has been two years since the world lost a great hemispheric leader, the late President Hugo Chavez. Chavez dedicated his life to the Bolivarian principles of Latin American and Caribbean independence, sovereignty, and integration and to the project of building a participatory, democratic human-centered alternative to the neoliberal regime in Venezuela, according to the organizers of the celebration.
They explained that today, thanks in large part to the tireless work of Chavez and the organized expressions of popular power, the continent-wide Bolivarian movement has united in the Community of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (CELAC), and other regional associations, that are committed to peace, a multi-polar world, and international relations based on complementary trade and mutual respect for the sovereignty of nations.
They also said that over the past fifteen years, the Bolivarian revolution in Venezuela has lifted millions of Venezuelans out of poverty and dramatically increased access to health care, education, and housing. The commitment to social rights continues under the administration of President Nicolas Maduro. This basic trend away from neo-liberalism and towards a more equitable distribution of wealth now benefits two thirds of Latin America.
Since Hugo Chavez was democratically elected as President of Venezuela in 1998, the counter revolution has tried every means, including a short lived coup (April 2002), an oil strike (December 2002 to March 2003), an ongoing economic war, and episodic violence and sabotage to bring about regime change. Yet the large majority of Venezuelans prefers the use of democratic procedures to decide political contests, they said.
«We call for an end to attempts at extra-constitutional regime change by the ultra right in Venezuela and a lifting of U.S. sanctions against Caracas. We stand with our brothers and sisters in North–South solidarity. Together we are committed to building a new world based on participatory democracy and social and economic justice. Come celebrate with us,» the organizers pointed out.
