Twenty days after the death of the leader of the Bolivarian Revolution and amid Nicolas Maduro’s bid for the presidential elections, a hundred and fifty people from all over the world discussed about the current social movements, of counterhegemonic art and the theories based on Chavez’s influence.

“Chavez gave the sense of dignity back to the people, he gave us back our homeland and our identity. Independence, democracy, anti-imperialism and socialism became inseparable and gained regional meaning thanks to his leadership towards peoples’ unity”, reads their declaration.

Several representatives of Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean attended the meeting, including Danilo Urrea from CENSAT-Agua Viva Colombia, Marco Von Borstel of Otros Mundos-FoE Mexico and Ignacio Cirio of Real World Radio.

We share a gallery of images of the meeting taken by ALBATV, members of the Social Movements Communications Convergence (photos by Micaela Ryan).

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The participants of the 10th meeting of intellectual, artists, social activists, religious and ecumenical leaders in Defense of Humanity acknowledge and appreciate an innovative proposal for anti-imperialistic revolutionary ideas and actions included in the “Plan de la Patria Program of the Bolivarian Government 2013-2019”, as well as its struggle for peace, for the salvation of the human species, for the collective rights of human beings and nature.

The integral change promoted by Comandante Hugo Chavez is based on an ethical and political proposal of equality and diversity that we need to further encourage until patriarchy, homophobia, racism and all kinds of discrimination are eradicated.

Hugo Chavez’s thought and action represent a new ethical conception about universal rights of the present and future generations and the recovery of politics, of its raison d’etre, of its universal, human and beautiful meaning. Chavez gave new energy to the poor people in his struggle for freedom and justice.

President Chavez started another historical era for the continent. His work provided regional balance and peace. Chavez carried out a pedagogical work that turned the organic relation with his people by creating ethical and political values that transcend the Latin American and global sphere.

Chavez gave the sense of dignity back to the people, he gave us back our homeland and our identity. Independence, democracy, anti-imperialism and socialism became inseparable and gained regional meaning thanks to his leadership towards peoples’ unity.

The strong union of the revolutionary and humanitarian sectors and the socialist perspective are the main obstacle to the global imperialistic, economic, political and counter-offensive that threatens world peace.

As part of our commitment to Chavez’s legacy we need to expand our organic movement worldwide, besides resisting and countering the basis of neoliberalism, the contemporary expression of capitalism.

We should also strengthen the work in networks, the development of effective communication and media tools, the systematic contacts, the coordination of actions and the constant analysis of political, social and cultural processes. We will have to continue advocating for spiritual and moral change, for the collective certainty that our project is the right path and makes absolute sense in opposition to barbarism and war.

Fighting capitalism now is fighting for humanity and life

Chavez lives on, the struggle continues!

Caracas, 26 March 2013.