Red Banner over Caracas 2005

Red Banner over Caracas
The 16th World Festival of Youth and Students was taking place in Caracas from August, 7 till August, 15, 2005. The slogan of the festival was “For peace and solidarity, we fight against war and imperialism”. In spite of essential difficulties, including financial ones, we succeeded to form the delegation of the “Labour Russia” and the Vanguard of Red Youth and to send it to Caracas.
The festival movement has almost 60-year-history. The first festival of youth and students took place in Prague in 1947. Moscow was the festival capital twice – in 1957 and 1985. As soon as the Soviet Union had been destroyed and counter-revolution had won its victory in the majority of socialist countries the geography of world festivals was reduced – not many states were willing to gather thousands of young people from all over the world acting openly against imperialism aspiring to world supremacy. One of such countries is Venezuela which is building socialism of the 21st century under leading of the President Hugo Chavez.
Representatives of communist and progressive youth from more than 100 countries all over the world came to the festival, in total more than 25,000. The most numerous delegations (several hundreds each) represented Venezuela, Cuba and Colombia. The festival program included political discussions on current questions of the present time such as aggressive essence of NATO alliance, militarization of the EU, situation in the countries of Latin America, war and occupation in Iraq, international solidarity with Palestinian struggle, the right of youth for education. More special problems were discussed, too, such as situation in West Sahara and role of British imperialism in modern world. Of course, a seminar dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Victory over fascism took place where inestimable contribution of Soviet people to the defeat of fascism was noticed. A special topic was devoted to building “the socialism of the 21st century” in Venezuela. Not casually Venezuela is one of the countries whose existence on the Earth does not give rest to the American imperialism. Under the dome of Poliedro de Caracas tribunes of which contain thousands of people an improvised court over imperialism took place. During two days dozens of people spoke there exposing the crimes of the imperialism all over the world. The speech of the President Hugo Chavez became the culmination. The solemn closing of the festival took place on August, 15 where the delegation of the “Labour Russia” and the VRY raised the Red banner of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Of course, an international festival means not only official discussions but first of all communication with comrades from different countries, establishing contacts with friendly organizations, opinions and experience exchange. I can say without any exaggeration that this part of our plan was fulfilled. We established contacts with comrades from Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Chile, Argentina, Great Britain, Germany, Canada, USA – it’s impossible to list everybody. Communists from Czech and Spain with whom we have strong contacts for years arrived to the festival, too. From the Soviet republics there were representatives from Ukraine, Byelorussia, Moldavia, Latvia. I’d like to mention the delegation of socialist Korea which represented a very developed and informative stand telling about achievements of that country and refutation of streams of lie poured on North Korea by bourgeois mass media.
I wished to finish my story about the festival on this joyful note but unfortunately it was not done without a fly in the ointment. This “fly” was the organization of Russian delegation and the structure of the delegation itself. Formed under CPRF aegis delegation by 70 per cent consisted of frank bourgeois and children of rich parents having no attitude to communist movement but able to pay for a journey to an exotic country. Every morning all this public left the hostel directly to the beach. One day when the organizers ordered to use allocated for delegates buses to destination because the beach hadn’t been included into the festival program those intending to go to the beach kicked up a row. But they not only visited the beach, they also prevented the others to live and work. A characteristic case took place at the festival closing when they started to demand that the bus should take them to the hostel at 19 p.m. although the action was over at 21 p.m., and later they refused to take part in it at all and left for the disco, as always, by the festival bus. Moreover, this company tried to prevent to hang the red flag above the hostel and to raise it at the festival closing.
Moreover, due to the organizers we and some more comrades arrived to Caracas only on August, 10 (all fans of beaches and discos had arrived in time) and left only on August, 24, and all those days we had to live almost on our own expenses. I didn’t want to sadden the impression by the story about unfriendly behaviour of the delegation leaders but I couldn’t miss it.
I’d like to share some impressions about the life in Venezuela. As I have already written, the President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez had declared constructing of the socialism of the 21st century. And it’s not an empty phrase.
Before Chavez the oil fields of Venezuela belonged to American companies whp exploited as predators natural resources of the country and didn’t even pay taxes. Now any foreign company which wants to work at Venezuelan territory has to pay high taxes to the budget, all profits of mineral resources (Venezuela is rich not only in oil, but also bauxites, iron and even gold) are controll by the state and directed to the needs of the population. A special program exists on resettling poor buildings. In Miranda state where we lived new houses are been constructed for inhabitants of those buildings and those who had suffered from mud flows. Small dilapidated houses, as sticked on each other and on the mountains, are becoming the past. One liter of gazolines in Venezuela costs 70 bolivars (near 0,033$) – citizens of the country that possesses oil have the right for cheap gazoline (compare with Russia where oil and other resources are in private property!). All museums, parks and places of interests are free for visitors. And one more detail – a law exists in Venezuela according to which if there is a schoolchild in a family it cannot be cut off electric power irresistible of the size of the debt (Note: average winter temperature in Caracas is +19;C). I think the readers can draw parallels themselves.
So nobody is surprised that Chavez is sincerely beloved by venezuelans and ferociously hated by imperialists of all kinds. While this article was being prepared mass media informed that American preacher Pat Robertson called to the USA administration for physical liquidation of Hugo Chavez. On the other side, Veenezuela refused to take part in economic blockade of Cuba and has close connections with it. On the other side, Venezuela declared its airspace closed for airplanes flying to bomb Yugoslavia and Iraque. Chavez’ popularity among the people is enormous. Finally, I’d like to wish this friendly and hospitable people great success on the chosen way.
Maria Donchenko