U.S. solidarity actions to declare: ‘We are all Chávez’

Jesús Rodríguez-Espinoza, the consul general of Venezuela in Chicago, will be the special guest speaker at a night of solidarity with Venezuela on Jan. 31 in Detroit. The event, hosted by the Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice and other organizations, starts at 7 p.m. at the Garage Cultural Center of Art & Creativity, 3439 Livernois Ave.

The Detroit rally is part of a series of Venezuela solidarity events taking place Jan. 22-31 around the U.S.

In New York City on Jan. 23, a ‘Yo Soy Chávez’ rally will be held at the Venezuelan Consulate, at 51st Street between 5th and Madison avenues in Manhattan, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The International Action Center, in a message entitled, “We are all Chávez,” stated:

“Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets on Jan. 10 throughout Venezuela to show their support for legally elected President Hugo Chávez as well as for the Bolivarian Revolution. The right-wing oligarchy, along with Washington, is nevertheless using the excuse of President Chávez’s health situation to demonize his administration and the movement for self-determination and freedom from oppression it represents.

“In the U.S., the solidarity and progressive movement will organize National Days of Solidarity with Venezuela to send messages of good wishes to President Chávez and to let the people of Venezuela, especially the poor and working people who most benefit from the Bolivarian Revolution, know that we will not allow the Obama administration to intervene in Venezuela.”

In addition to New York and Detroit, rallies, meetings, teach-ins, film showings and protests are also being organized by an array of progressive forces in Atlanta; Boston; Buffalo, N.Y.; Chicago; Los Angeles; Milwaukee; Oakland, Calif.; Philadelphia; and Tucson, Ariz., among other cities on a growing roster.

Visit iacenter.org for details on these actions and/or information for organizing one in your area in solidarity with Venezuela, President Chávez and the Bolivarian Revolution.