Minnesota to Host Conference in Solidarity with Venezuela

A conference to be held Nov, 17-19 in St. Paul, Minnesota, will feature workshops ranging from the regional and global significance of the bolivarian political process, U.S. interventionism in Venezuela, the future of the bolivarian process.
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Nov 16, 2006 (Venezuelanalysis.com).- As Venezuela’s president Hugo Chavez seeks reelection in the upcoming the presidential elections, a group of his sympathizers are meeting in the heartland of the United States for an International Conference of Solidarity with Venezuela, hoping to build support for the South American leader.

The conference is taking place as Chavez’s controversial speech at the United Nations is still fresh in the minds of his followers and detractors, and efforts by Venezuela to gain a non-permanent seat in the U.N. Security Council, were derailed by an intensive lobby by the United States.

According to William Camacaro, one of the organizers, "the conference seeks to educate US residents about the current process of participatory democracy, grassroots organizing and government social programs for the empowerment Venezuela’s poor, long disenfranchised and ignored by previous administrations which followed the neoliberal policies imposed by Washington."

Chavez, a sharp critic of the US Government policies, is expected to be reelected as he is ahead of his closest rival by an average of 29 points, according to a compendium of seven recent polls gathered by Agence France-Presse.

The organizers also seek to develop strategies to defend Venezuela’s sovereignty, which they say is being threatened by U.S. government policies. "The Bush government continues to use the National Endowment for Democracy and USAID to funnel millions of dollars to political groups in Venezuela that seek to remove Chavez from office by any means. This is unacceptable and must be opposed," said Yasmin Tovar, another conference organizer.

The conference, which will be held from Friday Nov, 17th until Sunday Nov 19 at Macalester College, in St. Paul, Minnesota, will feature workshops ranging from the regional and global significance of Venezuela’s bolivarian political process, U.S. interventionism in Venezuela, and the future of the bolivarian process.

Featured speakers include Jorge Valero, Venezuela’s Ambassador to the Organization of American States and Vice-Minister for North-American Relations; Adina Bastidas, former Venezuelan vice-president and the country’s representative at the Interamerican Development Bank; Jesus "Chucho" Garcia, Founder of the Afro-Venezuelan Network; and Heisler Vaamonde, Director of the Gay Revolutionary Movement of Venezuela, among others.

Details about the conference are available on their website www.venezuelasolidarityconference.org