Hands Off Venezuela

Banja Luka
22 July 2009

Members of the Initiative assembly

1. Duško Malešević
2. Maja Jovičić
3. Pavle Čarkić
4. Jelena Đurić
5. Goran Pauković
6. Dajana Šinik

About us:

The BiH-Venezuelan Solidarity Association was established at the time of the coup in Honduras supported by imperialist powers, when the USA is negotiating with Colombia on the takeover of military bases.

All these events are an attack on the Bolivarian revolution, the democratic regime of Venezuela, the people of Venezuela and on social equality by foreign imperialist powers and local oligarchs, with the intention of re-establishing the regime of exploitation against the Venezuelan people, resources and in order to capture markets.

Many lies are published via the media about the Venezuelan government, which is characterised as a dictatorship. Many untruths are published, and people have no a real idea of the events taking place in Venezuela.

We are determined to campaign in defence of the Bolivarian revolution against the attacks of the imperialist powers in order to defend the democratic government of Hugo Chavez and to fight for the truth.

In Venezuela there are youth, aided by money from the imperialist countries, who are campaigning against the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, and such is the situation in many European countries.

The imperialist powers, primarily the USA, have trained and paid youth to lead demonstrations and attempt to bring down governments that harm the foreign policy of the USA.

We had just such a situation not so long ago in our neighbouring country, the consequences of which they can now see: the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has disintegrated, Montenegro has become a satellite of foreign oligarchs and Serbia has lost a part of its territory that belongs to neither the Albanians nor Serbs, but to NATO!

BiH is a country, arisen from SFRY, which was a democratic socialist state, where there was no exploitation of people, where there was no class stratification, where there was no social insecurity. Our state was destroyed by the imperialist powers and domestic traitors who are against social equality and democratic socialism.

This is the situation - but hear: The imperialist powers are pressing from all sides, through various blocks and with the help of domestic traitors, managers, oligarchs etc., destroyed our economy in order to prove that socialism is a bad system and in order to get support from the people. It will take a long time to recover from this, but if we learn the lessons, such experiences can contribute to strengthening the campaign to defend the Bolivarian revolution against imperialist attack.

For these reasons, comrade Dusko Malešević, General Secretary of the League of Communists of Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with his friends and comrades, convened a Steering Committee where it was decided to establish a BiH-Venezuelan Solidarity Association in this area and help the campaign.

I/ WHAT WE STAND FOR

The basic principles of the Campaign are:

• solidarity with the Bolivarian revolution;
• opposition to imperialist intervention in Venezuela;
• building direct links with the revolutionary and trade union movement in Venezuela;

Aim:

a) presenting Venezuelan policy to the citizens of BiH,

b) Answering the lies of the imperialist media and the attacks on the Venezuelan revolution

c) opposition to imperialist intervention in Venezuela

d) Giving full support to the Venezuelan Revolution, which has repeatedly proved its democratic credentials in its struggle to liberate the oppressed of Venezuela.

e) Supporting the right of the Venezuela people to self-determination

f) Counter-acting the media distortions and lies about Venezuela and mobilising maximum support for the above aims.

g) Comparing Socialism of the 21st Century with the political system in BiH and SFRY

h) For social equality

i) Implementing of democracy in BiH

j) BiH-Venezuelan solidarity will organise a campaign

II/        MEMBERSHIP:

In BiH, membership will be open to all individuals (over 18 years of age) members, groups and affiliated organisations the activities or programme of which are not opposed to this campaign.

A member of HoV cannot be a member of another organisation which is opposed to HoV.

Membership is formed by signing the contract and legalised when it is accepted by the Board.

III/       STRUCTURE:

HoV is made up of individual members, groups and affiliated organisations, which will be represented at the annual conference.

Voting at conference will take place on the basis of one member - one vote.

IV/       RELATIONS INSIDE HOV BIH

Relations in HoV BiH are based on:

• Accepting all basic aims and directions of the programme according to the status of HoV BiH;
• Freedom of initiative and creativity of the members, organisations and forums;
• Democratic socialism is the main form of relations between organisations, non-governmental organs and members;
• Full equality and responsibility in the creation and acceptance of positions and decisions;
• The minority's right to a personal opinion, demands for the re-questioning of the decisions of the majority within a set time-limit, as well as the necessity of carrying out the decisions accepted by vote of the majority.

In terms of interpersonal relations between members there is a rule of comradeship and tolerance. HoV protects its members from non-democratic actions, repression, violence and pressure against their freedom, using all legal tools and giving all possible help.