Venezuela, Neither Chavez nor Carmona

NEITHER CHÁVEZ NOR CARMONA: Self-management is the way

Due to the political crisis in Venezuela shown in the events of

before, during and after April 11, the anarchists feel a need to show

our position. To this end:

1) The contradictory politics of Hugo Chávez have not benefited

the poorest sectors of the country, in three years of management

the indices of poverty, unemployment and social insecurity have

increased. What's more, the Chávez government is repeating the

mistakes and vices of previous governments. The alternative

proposed by the different sectors of the current opposition that is

trying to politically make use of the events of April 11 is, by no

means, different or satisfactory.

2) We energetically condemn any coup d'etât, no matter where it

comes from. We oppose the preponderant position the armed

forces currently have to solve problems which should, [instead] be

solved by the direct and active participation of the society itself.

3) We declare ourselves opponents of both Left and Right

authoritarians, as can be seen in the form of thinking and the acts

carried out so much by the "officialist" representatives as of the

opposition. They are all based on the simplifying the problems of

the country, speeches based on social and political exclusion,

closed door agreements, manipulating the media within its reach

and using anti-democratic methods at its pleasure.

4) We reject the violations of Human Rights that took place during

the Coup government lead by the businessman Pedro Carmona

Estanga. The repression of grassroots protests, the taking over of

community media, the arbitrary detentions and the witch-hunt

undertaken, certify the dictatorial nature of the regime that tried to

take over the country. Likewise, we cannot forget the accomplices

and opportunists that recognised and welcomed the installation of

this de facto government.

5) We demand that the responsibility of the deaths occurred on

April 11 in the centre of the city be cleared up, as well as of the

those of victims in the following days in the west of Caracas. We

support an impartial and non-governmental investigation, in order

to clear the facts, indicate the murderers and make them

responsible for their acts against society.

6) The demonstrations of citizens that took place during those

days are proof that active, conscious and responsible participation

by the people influence the decisions of those in the power and

are the seed of direct and self-managed democracy. To this end,

anarchists once again show our commitment with the cooperative,

autonomous, and horizontal processes that lead towards the

self-management of society that can solve its own problems and

which also opposes the inequality that caused by current

globalised capitalism.

Commission of Anarchist Relations

El Libertario (newspaper)

Ellibertario@hotmail.com

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Original version on

http://www.red-

libertaria.org/sinfronteras/apr02/nichavezni.html

Translation by Red Libertaria Apoyo Mutuo

www.red-libertaria.org

internacional@red-libertaria.org

Apdo 51575, 28080 Madrid, Spain