The article was originally published on the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) website. It has been translated by Fight Back! staff.

They are fighting against a socialism that does not exist. They are fighting against an anti-utopia that does not relate to anyone. They imagine a world without families, without order, without markets, without freedom. The right-wing liberals of the world invented a ghost, they draped on the label of socialism and now they find it everywhere, among all, and every time they look at Venezuela. Enough with this.

Because this socialism against which they struggle is not the one that our inclusive democracy exists in, full of people that live in the 21st century. Our socialism is particular, popular and profoundly Latin American. As we clearly said during the UN General Assembly last September: Ours is an autonomous project of democratic revolution, of social assertion, it is a model and a path of our own, based in our own history and culture.

And clearly, our democracy is distinct because it was neither founded by nor for the elite, as the liberal democracies of Europe and the United States were. We rebelled against this model and that is why, 20 years ago, we proposed our own democracy, founded in the sovereign heart of the Venezuelan people.

What happened is that, at the end of the 20th century – when Latin America exited the period of dictatorship imposed by the United States – they tried, with their idea of liberal democracy, to wrap us in a gift package, some Trojan Horse, with all of the values of their own concept of modernity. But we want to say to them that here in Latin America we also have an identity and values, and we want to involve our own values before all others in our democracy. Not just those values of capital and the individual. But also those of solidarity and community. For us, the homeland is the latter.

We learned our lesson – well, it happened to us for centuries. Over time, by adding to our own culture with that from afar, the Latin American elite and their liberal modes tried to permanently re-found Europe in the heart of América. Destroying step-by-step everything that seemed different. Elites for whom the “other” – the native and the black – were more monkey than human.

We fervently believe in our own Latin American democracy, because in Venezuela we believe in and adhere to three fundamentals as essential and necessary: First, we hold elections systematically, regularly and peacefully. Over the past 20 years we have held 25 elections, each one observed by national and international institutions and political figures. Some we have won overwhelmingly, others we have lost. Second, in Venezuela the citizens – by mechanisms of direct democracy, fundamentally the neighborhood organizations and political parties – have access and control over public resources. And third, in Venezuela the people rule, not the elite. Before me Chávez governed, a soldier descended from blacks and natives who became the father of the homeland. For six years now, Venezuela has been governed by a modest trade unionist and bus driver. In Venezuela it is the people who govern, because it was their Constituent Assembly that conceived and wrote their constitution.

We are not nor do we want to become a model of democracy. We are, instead, a democracy defined and defended by its people, who gather in a daily effort against lies and false claims – an imperfect democracy, working every day for everyone and to be more just.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks at a public event in Caracas Feb. 12, 2015. A coup plot against the Venezuelan president was thwarted that day. | Photo: AVN

AFGE

https://www.afge.org/

https://www.thenation.com/article/los-angeles-teachers-strike-utla-organizing-solidarity/

In 2014, a progressive Union Power caucus took over UTLA—and that has made all the difference.

Jimenez organizes with Students Deserve, a grassroots group that has been inspired by Black Lives Matter’s divest/invest framework and is part of what she says is a different way of thinking about a labor-community alliance. It’s an approach, she says, that gives parents and students a real voice rather than treating them as junior partners.

More Info: UTLA

Thousands of teachers marched and rallied in downtown Los Angeles, December 15, 2018. (AP Photo / Damian Dovarganes)

Hosted by Milwaukee Area Labor Council

Are you a Federal Employee being impacted by the Government Shutdown? ALL Federal Employees can join us for a free lunch on Saturday, January 26th from 11am-1pm.

Spread the word to any Federal Employees you know!

We are also delivering a hot meal to workers at the airport on Saturday and looking for volunteers to help! We have volunteer shifts and tasks from 9am-2pm on Saturday.

Contact Jay Reinke- jay@milwaukeelabor.org or Emily Mueller-emily@milwaukeelabor.org if you or your local is willing to donate or volunteer.

More info and how you can help the worker’s struggle from the American Federation of Government Employees: AFGE

Denver Classroom Teachers Association – DCTA

https://incarceratedworkers.org/phone-zaps/hungerstrike-corcoran-3c-against-indefinite-lockdown-and-group-punishment

Since January 9, 2019 an estimated 250 prisoners are on hungerstrike within California State Prison – Corcoran’s 3C facility in response to an indefinite lockdown. They have asked that this info be made public and that their demands be heard.

BACKGROUND: They and another unit within 3C have been on “modified program” for a three and a half months. Here this essentially means a “lockdown” in all meaningful aspects – no visitation, no canteen, no packages, no educational, rehab or vocational programming, and no yard time. The pretext for this indefinite lockdown by CDCr of hundreds of prisoners for months on end is an altercation on Sept 28th which saw three prisoners from their unit attacked and put into the infirmary. Group punishments and indefinite isolation are standard practices by CDCr and must stop. These practices only escalate trauma and conflict, and ultimately only promote violence and destabilization within facilities. This effects are not an accident or “regrettable by-products”. This is how CDCr interprets its mission: control by brutalization and division.

Representatives of the unit have composed and relayed their demands to the outside as follows:

“Corcoran State Prison (3C YRD)

6 Core Demands Are As Follows:

1. Lift Lock-Down.
2. Allow Visits.
3. Allow Us To Attend Educational Vocational & Rehabilitation Programs That We’re Enrolled In
4. Allow us to Receive Commissary & Packages
5. That We Be Given Our Weekly 10 hrs Mandated Of Outdoor Exercise Yard
6. That We Are Treated Fairly

***WE’VE BEEN ON THIS PEACEFUL HUNGER STRIKE SINCE JANUARY 9TH, 2019 AND HAVE YET TO SEE CHANGE…
WE WILL CONTINUE THIS HUNGER STRIKE UNTIL OUR VOICES ARE HEARD.”

PHONEZAP THIS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, 1/23-24

The hungerstrike representatives have requested phonecalls be made to both the warden and headquarters in Sacramento to amplify the demands. Put aside some time this Wednesday and Thursday, 1/23-24, to make some calls!

SAMPLE SCRIPT and PHONE NUMBERS

“Hello, my name is ***_________. I’m calling to insist that you meet the demands of hunger strikers in Facility 3C at Corcoran State Prison. I understand that this strike is the result of at least three months of an effective lockdown which must end. I demand that you lift the lock-down, and reinstate visits, educational, vocational, and rehabilitative programs, as well as yard time. Reinstate access to commissary, packages, and their allotted 10 hrs of yard time. This is the MINIMUM level of fairness that you are required to provide to people in your care. Thank you.”

PHONE NUMBERS

1) Corcoran State Prison (COR) Warden Ken Clark (559) 992-8800 ext.5000

2) CDCr Division of Adult Institutions – (916) 445-7688

Don’t worry about staff or representatives giving you the runaround or denying that anything is happening at Corcoran. Denial and obstruction are standard operating procedure for them.

Please reportback in comments right here!

*** You aren’t obligated to give your name if you don’t wish.

Breaking News! 1/22/19

UTLA and LAUSD have just reached an agreement. Members will vote on a contract today that reduces class size, increases nurses, psychologists, and counselors, and gives a wage increase to educators.

#UTLAstrong

Free Marzieh Hashemi Rally

333 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington D.C., 10 A.M. – 12 NOON

We, at the request of the Hashemi Family will be gathered outside of the Couthouse where Marzeih and her children will be testifying before the grand jury.

UPDATE ON MARZIEH HASHEMI
We want to provide the following update on our mother Marzieh Hashemi:
Sarah, Marzieh’s daughter, received a second phone call from her on the evening of Friday 18th January.
Marzieh said that a grand jury session took place Friday 18th January and that a subsequent session is scheduled on Wednesday 23rd January.
Reza, Marzieh’s youngest son, who had been subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury Friday 18th January, has had his appearance postponed until Wednesday 23rd January.
Marzieh’s two other children; Hossein and Sarah are also scheduled to appear on Wednesday 23rd January.
Marzieh’s children have been very concerned for their mother since her first phone call to them on Tuesday 15th January in which she described that her hijab was removed against her will and she was forced to take a mug shot without her hijab on. She was given short-sleeved clothing that does not comply with her religious dress code and she was forced to wrap a t-shirt on her hair as a temporary head-covering. The police had refused to give her halal or vegetarian meals, effectively denying her food and meaning she has only been able to eat a little bread since being detained.
Marzieh has informed her daughter, that she has now been given a hijab and “food to get by”.
The children had transferred money to Marzieh but she had not been made aware of this.
A partially unsealed federal court document released Friday confirmed that Marzieh has not been accused of any crime and is being detained as a material witness.

The document states that Marzieh is “expected” to be released after her testimony is complete, but it is not clear when that will be. Nor is it clear what is being investigated. Her children have still been given no indication as to what the investigation is about.
Marzieh’s sons and daughter are still very concerned.
Sarah Hashemi says “Nothing is for sure at the moment, we are hoping she will be free soon, but we have no concrete information and don’t know when that will be. We still do not know what this is about, which concerns us greatly. This is a very difficult time for the whole family. My mother is a well-known journalist and has not committed any crime but this whole process has felt as if she is being treated like a criminal. It was very distressing to hear that her hijab was taken off and mug shot taken without it and I was relieved to hear she now has her hijab. We just want mom home.”
BACKGROUND:
Marzieh Hashemi, 59, is an African-American Muslim journalist who has been in the United States, visiting family including her ailing brother and her grandchildren.
On Sunday 13th January she was taking an internal flight from St Louis airport to Denver when she was detained and transferred to a Washington DC facility by the FBI.
Marzieh was born in the United States and is an American citizen. She is a Journalism graduate from Louisiana State University. She has been a journalist for several decades. In recent years she has been living in Iran for work as a journalist and often travels home to the United States to visit family and friends. She has also, sometimes, filmed about issues concerning the treatment of African Americans on these trips.

For any questions or concerns please email at:
marziehenquiries@gmail.com