Radio Mundo Real

The World Meeting of Social Movements was launched today in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, with representatives of over 150 social movements from Latin America and other regions of the world. The event will last three days. Under the slogan Land, Roof and Work, the event began with an activity attended by numerous delegations which represented the liberation of different social sectors from the oppression of multinational companies and massive media.

Over 1500 people arrived to Santa Cruz de la Sierra in the past days to be part of the meeting. The variety of the participants is huge: urban workers, recovered company workers, activists for the right to housing, peasants, social organizations, among others. In an interview with Real World Radio, Hector Elias Copa, leader of the Mining Workers Union Federation of Bolivia said that such an event is key: "This is a meeting to build links among the social movements, we, as workers, have always been together at world level, but it is important to carry this on".

Meanwhile, Lourdes Huanca, member of the National Federation of Peasant, Artisanal, Indigenous, Workers and Native women of Peru (FEMUCARINAP), also shared her expectations, and considered that the meeting has the potential to start a debate about "how to articulate forces in the countryside and the city around dignified work, a roof for all and lands. We are being persecuted and treated as terrorists in our countries and we want this meeting to allow us to say "Enough!” of these attacks".

Later today there will be a panel on the issue of land, before the official opening ceremony which will be attended by Bolivian President Evo Morales in addition to different speakers.