The Revolutionary Communist Group participated in the first Cilia Flores International Wo-men’s Brigade in Caracas, Venezuela. Socialists, communists, and anti-imperialists came together from across Latin America and Europe to celebrate International Working Women’s Day and observe the National Popular Consultation process which both took place on 8 March. Hundreds of women came together to strengthen the international solidarity movement with Venezuela and to demand a return of President Nicolás Maduro and First Combatant Cilia Flores. Throughout the week, the brigade met with women at the forefront of the communal movement, such as Diva Guzmán, Minister of Popular Power for Women and Gender Equality and María León ‘La Leona de Chávez’ a lifelong Chavista and revolutionary, who emphasised that the struggle for women’s liberation is the struggle against capitalism.
Alongside delegates from the Progressive International, we pa-rticipated in a political address at the Escuela Nacional Robinsoniana, where we heard from Chavista leaders such as Blanca Eekhout, President of the Simón Bolívar Institute and former Vice President of the National Assembly of Venezuela and Erika Farías, Former Minister for Urban Agriculture of Venezuela, and PSUV militant. They spoke about the processes of strengthening the communal movement in Venezuela through revolutionary education pro-grammes to continue the struggle for socialism, as well as the importance of fostering international solidarity be-tween revolutionary struggles in Cuba, Venezuela and Palestine.
Cira Pasqual, who is a community leader in El Panal Commune and a professor in the Pluriversidad, and Jorge Arreaza from ALBA Mov-imientos and Movimiento Otro Beta facilitated visits and conversations with the people in the communes, who spoke with us about how the masses have mobilised to defend the Bolivarian Revolution and continue building power in the face of imperialist attacks. In a visit to Alexis Vive Commune, we got to see and learn first-hand from the commune members about how they have constructed and maintain their socialised systems of agricultural and food production.
The brigade delegates also visited the municipality of La Guaira, where we heard directly from survivors of the 3 January bombings by the US. When speaking with women and community members, their resolve in defending Venezuelan sovereignty and demanding the return of President Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores was resounding.
From the ground in Caracas, the spirit of the Bolivarian Revolution was undeniable. The Venezuelan people remain at the vanguard in the fight against imperialism.
VIVA VENEZUELA! VIVA LA REVOLUCION BOLIVARIANA!
