2008-01. Welcome to Guatemala Comrade Hugo Chavez

January 15, 2008May 12, 2012

Guatemala City, Guatemala.
January 14, 2008.
Issue: Society

Text: Communiqué by the Anti-Imperialist Block
Photography, Captions and Span-Eng translation: MiMundo.org

On January 14, Alvaro Colom took charge as Guatemala’s fourth president since the signing of the Peace Accords in 1996. A number of regional leaders attended the ceremony, from which the presence of Hugo Chavez definitely stood out. The arrival of the Venezuelan head of state to Guatemala caused fervor among the local social movement, as Chavez’ socialist policies are widely admired not only in Guatemala but throughout Latin America. The following text is a communiqué distributed by the Anti-Imperialist Block accompanied by images from the welcome given to President Chavez by members of several social organizations.

Welcome to Guatemala Comrade Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

For the working people of Guatemala, such visit by our comrade Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, represents an honor, ray of hope, and a motivation to continue our struggles to transform a number of structures within our society.

This visit by comrade Hugo Chavez comes at a moment in time when the different peoples of the world are witnesses to the transcendental work and efforts which he has carried out in our Latin American continent so that peace will prevail over the invasions and genocidal wars which have been sponsored by U. S. imperialism with the only purpose of submerging even further humanity in a deeper misery and subject it to total domination.

In addition, the visit to our country by comrade Hugo Chavez comes at a historic and transcendental time for the people of Colombia. Due to his ethic and unconditional mediation, the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) have turned over senator Piedad Cordoba to his government, as well as Clara Rojas and Consuelo Gonzalez de Perdomo to the international community.

The aforementioned accomplishments are complementary to the work and efforts which comrade Hugo Chavez has carried out in the Latin American continent, from which it is important to mention, among others, the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA). Such proposal of solidarity amongst the different nations of Latin America attempts to counterweigh the neo-liberal imperialist project deemed the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA, or ALCA in Spanish). In addition, the creation of TeleSur, the first authentic mass media network at the service of popular interests, also deserves a special mention.

His visit to Guatemala also represents a heroic triumph over the mafias of the extreme right who, perceiving the danger of losing a hold on their interests based on pillaging and exploitation, have plotted to assassinate him here in our country, as comrade Chavez has valiantly denounced at national and international levels.

As a result, we the people will remain in high alert and are willing to defend the life of our friend and colleague Hugo Chavez, no matter the consequences.

The socialist governments of Hugo Chavez, as well as those of Fidel Castro in Cuba, of Evo Morales in Bolivia, and of Rafael Correa in Ecuador, are proof that it is possible to have representative governments whose true interests are for the people of Latin America.

Such Governments truly focus on recovering the dignity of hundreds of thousands of men and women who day in and day out are subjected to exploitation and domination in countries, like Guatemala, which are controlled by right-winged factions which unconditionally apply without hesitation the imperialist policies of the United States.

Therefore, our people once again declare: Welcome friend and colleague Hugo Chavez, symbol of dignity and struggle for the benefit of all Latin-Americans!