No subject

As activists in the Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network and the DSP=2C=
 we=92ve decided to reply =

to Jorge and Roberto=92s claims specifically about the DSP and  Latin Am=
erica solidarity activity=2E We are doing this for the record  and for t=
he information of those who are not involved in the AVSN=2C but also in =

the hope that Jorge and Roberto will recognise the truth of what we say =
and not allow their differences with the DSP=92s analysis of Australian =
politics and party building drive them to undermine the tremendous solid=
arity with the Venezuelan revolution that the AVSN has been able to buil=
d over the last few years=2E
 =

Yes=2C DSP members make up a significant proportion of the active AVSN m=
embership=2E Many=2C but not all=2C of the conveners of local AVSN commi=
ttees are DSP members=2C and two of the three AVSN national coordinating=
 =

committee members are in the DSP=2E This level of DSP activity in AVSN r=
eflects the party=92s commitment to strengthening Australian solidarity =
with the Venezuelan revolution and flows=2C historically=2C from the DSP=
=92s early (compared to other Australian parties=92) recognition of the =
significance of the Bolivarian revolution for world politics=2E  =

But the AVSN also includes members of the Greens=2C two other communist =
parties and the Australian Labor =

Party=2C as well as members of the Australian committees of left parties=
 from other countries (such as the FMLN and the Chilean CP) and a growin=
g number of non-party members=2E
 =

The AVSN is a thoroughly open and inclusive organisation - an approach s=
trongly promoted by the DSP =

members in AVSN - and actively encourages the participation in its decis=
ion-making meetings=2C public forums=2C =

solidarity brigades and other activities of everyone who supports the Ve=
nezuelan revolution=2E The AVSN=2C with DSP members=92 full support=2C h=
as gone out of its way since Jorge=2C Roberto and others formed Direct A=
ction and the Bolivarian Circles (later renamed CLASS) to ensure that th=
e Jorqueras and other members of their =

organisations are encouraged to play as active a role in the AVSN as the=
y want to=2E  =

 =

Soon after leaving the DSP=2C Jorge and Roberto=2C along with a handful =
of other Latin America solidarity activists in Melbourne=2C established =
the =93Bolivarian Circle=94=2E This was done without any discussion in t=
he local AVSN committee=2C in which Jorge and Roberto were very active a=
t the time=2E Jorge and Roberto argued that their Bolivarian Circle had =
a broader scope than simply solidarity with Venezuela and therefore did =
not divide the solidarity campaign=2C and it was clear that they had dec=
ided to move some of their time and energy away from Venezuela solidarit=
y specifically=2C in order to campaign around other struggles in Latin A=
merica=2E

After refocusing their efforts onto establishing the Bolivarian Circles=2C=
 both Jorge and Roberto =

were elected (with the full support of all the DSP members involved) ont=
o the AVSN national coordinating committee=2E Also elected onto that fiv=
e-person committee were a CPA member active in Adelaide AVSN and two DSP=
 members involved in the AVSN in Sydney and Canberra=2E Despite having a=
 significant number if not a majority of active members in AVSN at that =
time=2C the DSP willingly supported a national coordinating committee on=
 which it was a minority =96 hardly the actions of a party wanting absol=
ute =93control=94=2E =

 =

The efforts by the DSP and AVSN to ensure that the Jorqueras=92 formatio=
n of the Bolivarian Circles/CLASS did =

not become in effect a =93split=94 in the solidarity movement=2C and to =
safeguard the AVSN=92s breadth and inclusivity=2C was only partially suc=
cessful=2E Jorge decided soon after being elected to the AVSN national c=
oordinating committee that he did not want to participate in it (Roberto=
 stayed on as DA=92s representative in AVSN) =

and instead focused on building Direct Action/Bolivarian Circles/CLASS=2C=
 and Bolivarian Circles began to be formed in other cities=2E

Of course=2C Jorge has every right to make his own choices about how to =
spend his activist time and =

energy=2C  but blaming the DSP for denigrating his work is completely di=
singenuous given the lengths the AVSN and the DSP went to to prevent dis=
unity=2E Jorge has made no such claims of being undermined to the DSP or=
 AVSN before now (because there=92s been no reason to) and we are a bit =
stunned that they are being made now=2C after a couple of years of what =
we (and the rest of the AVSN) thought was a reasonable ongoing =

collaboration with CLASS - including Roberto=92s position as one of two =
AVSN =

National Coordinators and the close collaboration with him in the AVSN n=
ational =

coordinating committee=2E

The DSP (and the AVSN) took as good coin the Jorqueras=92 explanation fo=
r why they established the =

Bolivarian Circles/CLASS - that they would continue to carry out their V=
enezuela solidarity work specifically through AVSN so as to not divide t=
hat solidarity campaign=2C and use CLASS to build solidarity =

with struggles in other countries Latin America=2E On that basis=2C we h=
ave encouraged CLASS to become an =

affiliate of AVSN=2C included CLASS members in all invitations to AVSN m=
eetings and events=2C and encouraged CLASS to participate as fully as th=
ey wish to in the AVSN=92s decision-making=2E =


How this is denigrating or undermining CLASS we have no idea=2E =

 =

Jorge and Roberto accuse that =93Any work done outside their =5BDSP=92s=5D=
 framework and sphere of influence is =

simply labelled =60trying to destroy the movement=92=94=2E This is compl=
etely baseless=2C the result of either wilful misinformation fed to them=
 from =93inside=94 the DSP or paranoia=2E Certainly=2C the DSP (and non-=
DSP) members in AVSN openly argued with Roberto and Jorge that a broad=2C=
 united Venezuela solidarity organisation would =

produce a stronger and more effective solidarity movement in Australia=2C=
 but the DSP (nor AVSN) has never argued =96 publicly or internally - th=
at CLASS is trying to destroy the movement nor acted to undermine CLASS=92=
s work=2E =


 On the contrary=2C DSP members (and other AVSN members) have been paten=
tly constructive and =

collaborative in relation to CLASS =96 something that Jorge=2C Roberto a=
nd other members of CLASS know to be true=2E This includes=3A consistent=
ly publicising CLASS=92s Venezuela-related activities on the AVSN websit=
e=2C national newsletter and elists=3B organising joint public events wi=
th CLASS=3B attending and supporting =

CLASS=92s own forums=3B working very closely with a range of CLASS membe=
rs to organise the successful Latin America =26 Asia Pacific Internation=
al Solidarity Forum last October=3B actively supporting CLASS initiative=
s in =

solidarity with Colombia=3B and providing assistance with finances and a=
rticles for CLASS=92s new theoretical journal on Latin American politics=
=2E

Finally=2C in response to Jorge and Roberto=92s bizarre assertion that =93=
Apparently you can only support the =

Venezuelan revolution if you support the leadership clique of the DSP=94=
=2C all we can do is suggest that Jorge and Roberto actually talk to som=
e of the extremely committed  non-DSP Venezuela solidarity activists who=
 work alongside DSP members in AVSN committees every week and ask them i=
f they think they are supporting the Venezuelan revolution=2E They most =
certainly are - despite not even knowing about=2C let alone =93supportin=
g=94=2C this mythical =93DSP leadership clique=94=2E Jorge and Roberto=92=
s dismissal of those activists=92 solidarity activity in AVSN is arrogan=
t and does nothing to help build a broader and stronger solidarity movem=
ent=2E

Over the last four years=2C the AVSN - with a lot of support from the DS=
P - has organised more than 150 people in eight solidarity brigades to V=
enezuela=2C established local AVSN committees in six cities=2C hosted na=
tional speaking tours of Venezuelan revolutionaries=2C produced radio an=
d TV programs about Venezuela=2C spoken at =

numerous campuses=2C workplaces=2C public forums and community organisat=
ions=92 meetings=2C etc=2E These activities have won many supporters for=
 the Venezuelan people=92s struggles=2C and they can win many more as th=
e Bolivarian revolution continues to develop and show that another world=
 is possible=2E We urge Jorge and =

Roberto to engage in this debate responsibly and honestly=2C if only to =
preserve and strengthen the vital solidarity with Venezuela that we have=
 all contributed to building over the last few years=2E