US HOV delegation to Venezuelan elections

As part of the international campaign that Hands Off Venezuela is organising around the Venezuelan presidential elections in December, the US HOV is sending a delegation of electoral observers.
Dear Friends,

The December 3rd Presidential elections in Venezuela are already the target of a mass campaign of lies and deception sponsored by the U.S. State Department and its allies.  They simply cannot allow the Venezuelan people to make their own decision as to the kind of society they want to live in. This campaign of sabotage will only rise in intensity as we get closer to election day.  We therefore call on all those who oppose U.S. meddling in Venezuela to present the truth about the Bolivarian Revolution to the American people.  To this end, the U.S. Hands Off Venezuela (HOV) campaign has organized dozens of public events around the country over the last 3 years, including last spring's successful West Coast tour of prominent Venezuelan trade unionist (UNT) Luis Primo.


We are now pleased to announce our first delegation to Venezuela to coincide with the Presidential elections in Venezuela. We will be in Venezuela for a total of 12 days, including travel days, arriving on November 27 and returning on December 8.


We will be part of an international HOV delegation, working with HOV in Venezuela, and bringing our message of opposition to U.S. intervention, while building stronger ties between U.S. and Venezuelan working people and activists.

We will focus our delegation on meeting with state and community media representatives, labor activists, and workers in the occupied factories, as well as planned visits to Barlovento, the heart of Afro-Venezuelan culture, and the Calle y Media colletive, whose films "Venezuela Bolivariana" and "The Old Man and Jesus" have helped educate tens of thousands around the world as to the grassroots character of the Bolivarian Revolution.

There are sure to be mass rallies with President Hugo Chavez speaking before and after the December 3 elections, as well as many other opportunities to see the Bolivarian Revolution up close.

However, we will not be visiting Venezuela as "revolutionary tourists" – we will be building solidarity with Venezuela before and after the delegation itself, through a series of educational events, fundraisers, and report-backs across the United States.  All those joining this delegation must be dedicated defenders of Venezuela, committed to building solidarity.

Following on the successful tour of Luis Primo, we will also be making connections for a Spring 2007 tour of another prominent Bolivarian Revolutionary activist.


We ask our supporters to help make this delegation a success.  Keep an eye out for local events and activities, or consider hosting a local educational event or fundraiser for the campaign yourself.  We have several films available which make it easy to organize even a small gathering to discuss events in Venezuela.

Please consider making a donation to Hands Off Venezuela in order to make this delegation possible.  Donations of any amount are greatly appreciated. If you would like to arrange for a member of HOV to speak at your local event, please contact us. And if you are interested in joining us in Venezuela, please contact us ASAP, as space in the delegation is limited.

In solidarity,

The U.S. Hands Off Venezuela Campaign
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www.ushov.org


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 Hands Off Venezuela is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization through our fiscal sponsor Alliance for Global Justice. All donations to HOV are tax-deductible. Donations can be made online through PayPal or sent to:

 
HOV
PO Box 4244
St. Paul, MN  55104