[Marxism] "Leftism" in Venezuela

["Nestor Gorojovsky" <nestorgoro@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Respuesta a:"Marxism Digest, Vol 25, Issue 31"
Enviado por:marxism-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Con fecha:12 Nov 2005, a las 19:43

> Which brings me to what I actually meant to write about, which is
> Josh's very acute observation that the most conscious and militant
> layers of workers are to the *left* of Chavez. This is very good news
> indeed, and very important for the health of the revolutionary process
> and its future. 
> 

I am a member of the staff of Question Latinoamérica, the Arg edition 
of the Venezuelan magazine Question.  Our premises are boxed into two 
rooms within the Bauen Hotel of Buenos Aires.  The Bauen is a 
"recovered plant", a hotel run by its workers.  Most Venezuelan 
delegations (but -security reasons- for Chávez himself) come to the 
Bauen, so that I have had more than a single opportunity to talk with 
Venezuelans of every creed within Chavism.

I must say that IMHO the divide between "left" and "right" in Latin 
America does not run along the struggle "for" or "against" 
bourgeoisie in abstract.  The concrete divide, and this is 
particularly clear in the "Atlantic front" of South America today, is 
between "union" and "balkanization".

In this respect, it is not very soothing to discover that most 
"leftists" in Venezuela, including "leftist" workers of recovered 
plants, are far behind Chávez and the Venezuelan military.  These 
people are having a very hard task in turning the minds and eyes of 
the Venezuelans to the South.  Abstract "classism" that often passes 
for "leftism" in metropolitan countries (and which, in those 
countries, certainly _is_ a hallmark of class independence) is, 
unfortunately, providing a false "alternative" to the main task of 
the Venezuelan Revolution today, which is to force South America into 
coallescence _and_ provide a bridge for Cuba into a new Latin 
American system.

This is not a typical "Marxist" task.  But it is the precondition for 
any other struggle in the deepest sense of Permanent Revolution.  On 
this issue, the youngish Venezuelan working class has a lot to learn. 
 And, mind you, "leftism" will not teach this.

As I said on another posting, the most important Leftist in Venezuela 
today is Simón Bolívar.

Este correo lo ha enviado
Néstor Miguel Gorojovsky
nestorgoro@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[No necesariamente es su autor]
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"La patria tiene que ser la dignidad arriba y el regocijo abajo".
Aparicio Saravia
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