Venezuela: Creating socialism in this century

[IndianaGreen]

Long-time Venezuelan activist and deputy to the Latin American Parliament Carolus Wimmer will be touring Australia in late February-early March, hosted by the Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network. Green Left Weekly’s Jim McIlroy and Coral Wynter interviewed Wimmer in Caracas about the challenges facing Venezuela’s Bolivarian revolution.

VENEZUELA: Creating socialism in this century

What is your opinion of the present stage of the revolutionary process in Venezuela?

The process has gone forward in very many important areas in the last few years. We have to remember that it is a political struggle. We still have a capitalist system — we don’t have the illusion that we are yet living in the “socialism of the 21st century”.

That’s the future. But President Hugo Chavez has demonstrated that he wants to change important parts of the system, and this may be the first step in a transition to a post-capitalist system. There is a deep, ongoing understanding that we must get rid of the capitalist system. To do that, we must be successful in implementing the social programs. There are five areas for revolutionary change: political, economic, social, territorial and international.

In the political sphere, we have gone forward with the new constitution. It is very democratic, especially in regards to the rights of working people, rather than the upper class. We have had seven different elections, including the half-term recall referendum in 2004 — a remarkable demonstration of a new, more democratic system.

Now, we have the struggle for participatory democracy. The aim is to give the people more rights and direct participation in the decision-making process. It’s not enough just to ask for the people’s opinion, and then still do whatever those in power want.

At present, too many people in political positions are still thinking in the old way. This struggle for participatory democracy is now centred in the local municipal councils, where there is a real discussion and participation by the people.

http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2006/657/657p12.htm

[Inspector77]

1. thanks

[happydreams]

2. Democratic Socialism at that.

I like the sound of it.