Hands Off Venezuela
Encyclopedia
Hands Off Venezuela is a political lobby group based in the United Kingdom
and with branches in many other countries. The campaign was established in December 2002, following the Venezuelan coup attempt of 2002
, with the aim of increasing public and political awareness in the UK and elsewhere of the Chávez
government's social
and political reforms
and to counter what Hands Off Venezuela sees as a "US-funded propaganda campaign
" in the west to paint Chávez as a dictator and a threat to democracy.
's Alan Woods, a Welsh
Trotskyist and political writer, who wrote an appeal, calling for "defense of the revolutionary process in Venezuela" and to defend the Bolivarian Revolution
, to oppose US intervention in Venezuela
, and to ensure that information about what was happening in Venezuela would reach the international labour movement.
The organisation's most visible work has been in issuing press releases which counter unfavourable western media reports on the Chávez government, organising protests and participating in national anti-war demonstrations, and work in the British Trade Union Movement
. The organisation also has a strong presence on UK university campi
, where they hold regular lecture sessions on developments in Venezuela, organise visits by Venezuelan Trade Unionists, and screen documentaries.
Their most notable successes to date have included the visit by Hugo Chávez to Vienna, where he spoke at a Hands Off Venezuela rally attended by 5,000 youth, and the participation in the organisation of the visit by Hugo Chávez to London as a guest of Venezuela supporter Mayor Ken Livingstone
(During this trip Chávez refused to meet UK Prime Minister Tony Blair
, who he described as a "pawn of [US] imperialism" ), and also the resolutions of official support passed by the British Trades Union Congress in 2005 (Motion 79 ) and 2007 (Motion 76 ), the Scottish Trades Union Congress
(Resolution 108) and an Early Day Motion
(EDM 487) raised in the House of Commons
by supporter John McDonnell, MP.
Other important supporters include Jeremy Dear
, former general secretary of the British National Union of Journalists
and George Galloway
and his RESPECT
party. President Chávez has himself officially thanked the organisation for their work.
2007 saw the campaign launch H.O.V FM, a monthly podcast available from the website www.handsoffvenezuela.org. The show features news, interviews, solidarity work, revolutionary music and features and is aimed at both activists and curios minds.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and with branches in many other countries. The campaign was established in December 2002, following the Venezuelan coup attempt of 2002
Venezuelan coup attempt of 2002
The Venezuelan coup attempt of 2002 was a failed coup d'état on 11 April 2002 that saw President Hugo Chávez ousted from office for 47 hours, being restored by a combination of military force and mass demonstration of popular support...
, with the aim of increasing public and political awareness in the UK and elsewhere of the Chávez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
government's social
Bolivarian Missions
The Bolivarian Missions are a series of social justice, social welfare, anti-poverty, educational, electoral and military recruiting programs implemented under the administration of the current Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez...
and political reforms
Fifth Republic Movement
The Fifth Republic Movement was a left-wing, Socialist political party in Venezuela. It was founded in July 1997, following a national congress of the Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement-200, to support the candidacy of Hugo Chávez, the current President of Venezuela, in the Venezuelan presidential...
and to counter what Hands Off Venezuela sees as a "US-funded propaganda campaign
Media representation of Hugo Chávez
The media representation of Hugo Chávez involves the portrayal of the current President of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, in both the Venezuelan and international media.-Overview:...
" in the west to paint Chávez as a dictator and a threat to democracy.
History
The organization was founded by the International Marxist TendencyInternational Marxist Tendency
The International Marxist Tendency is an international socialist organisation based on the ideas of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Trotsky. The late Ted Grant was its chief theoretician and the person who built the organisation since its beginning. Currently, Alan Woods and Lal Khan are its best known...
's Alan Woods, a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
Trotskyist and political writer, who wrote an appeal, calling for "defense of the revolutionary process in Venezuela" and to defend the Bolivarian Revolution
Bolivarian Revolution
The “Bolivarian Revolution” refers to a leftist social movement and political process in Venezuela led by Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, the founder of the Fifth Republic Movement...
, to oppose US intervention in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, and to ensure that information about what was happening in Venezuela would reach the international labour movement.
Activity
Trades Union Congress
The Trades Union Congress is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in the United Kingdom, representing the majority of trade unions...
. The organisation also has a strong presence on UK university campi
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
, where they hold regular lecture sessions on developments in Venezuela, organise visits by Venezuelan Trade Unionists, and screen documentaries.
Their most notable successes to date have included the visit by Hugo Chávez to Vienna, where he spoke at a Hands Off Venezuela rally attended by 5,000 youth, and the participation in the organisation of the visit by Hugo Chávez to London as a guest of Venezuela supporter Mayor Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
(During this trip Chávez refused to meet UK Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, who he described as a "pawn of [US] imperialism" ), and also the resolutions of official support passed by the British Trades Union Congress in 2005 (Motion 79 ) and 2007 (Motion 76 ), the Scottish Trades Union Congress
Scottish Trades Union Congress
The Scottish Trades Union Congress is the co-ordinating body of trade unions, and local Trades Councils, in Scotland. With 39 affiliated unions as of 2007, the STUC represents around 630,000 trade unionists....
(Resolution 108) and an Early Day Motion
Early day motion
An Early Day Motion , in the Westminster system, is a motion, expressed as a single sentence, tabled by Members of Parliament for debate "on an early day" . Controversial EDMs are not signed by Government Ministers, PPS or the Speaker of the House of Commons and very few are debated on the floor...
(EDM 487) raised in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
by supporter John McDonnell, MP.
Other important supporters include Jeremy Dear
Jeremy Dear
Jeremy Dear was the General Secretary of the National Union of Journalists in Great Britain and Ireland, from 2001 to 2011.He has a reputation as one of the Awkward Squad of left-wing trade unionists. He is married to Paula Dear who is a journalist with the BBC. Jeremy Dear is a supporter of the...
, former general secretary of the British National Union of Journalists
National Union of Journalists
The National Union of Journalists is a trade union for journalists in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1907 and has 38,000 members. It is a member of the International Federation of Journalists .-Structure:...
and George Galloway
George Galloway
George Galloway is a British politician, author, journalist and broadcaster who was a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010. He was formerly an MP for the Labour Party, first for Glasgow Hillhead and later for Glasgow Kelvin, before his expulsion from the party in October 2003, the same year...
and his RESPECT
Respect
Respect denotes both a positive feeling of esteem for a person or other entity , and also specific actions and conduct representative of that esteem. Respect can be a specific feeling of regard for the actual qualities of the one respected...
party. President Chávez has himself officially thanked the organisation for their work.
Publications
In 2006 HOV launched a 24 page glossy promotional magazine, also called "Hands Off Venezuela". It also put together an international delegation with members from around the world to observe the December 2006 Presidential Elections first hand.2007 saw the campaign launch H.O.V FM, a monthly podcast available from the website www.handsoffvenezuela.org. The show features news, interviews, solidarity work, revolutionary music and features and is aimed at both activists and curios minds.
See also
- Bolivarian RevolutionBolivarian RevolutionThe “Bolivarian Revolution” refers to a leftist social movement and political process in Venezuela led by Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, the founder of the Fifth Republic Movement...
- Hugo ChávezHugo ChávezHugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
- VenezuelaVenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
- Alan Woods
- International Marxist TendencyInternational Marxist TendencyThe International Marxist Tendency is an international socialist organisation based on the ideas of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Trotsky. The late Ted Grant was its chief theoretician and the person who built the organisation since its beginning. Currently, Alan Woods and Lal Khan are its best known...
External links
- Hands Off Venezuela Official Hands Off Venezuela website.
- Regional membership sites: (US), (Australia), (Canada), (Denmark), (Sweden),
- Images of a London Protest - (flickr)
- Articles on HOV: (PoliticalAffairs.Net)
- "Hugo Chávez thanks Hands Off Venezuela", Press Release, 19 September 2005.
- John McDonnell, MPJohn McDonnell (politician)John Martin McDonnell is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Hayes and Harlington since 1997; he serves as Chair of the Socialist Campaign Group, the Labour Representation Committee, and the "Public Services Not Private Profit Group"...
(National Steering Committee of the Hands Off Venezuela Campaign), calls on ParliamentParliament of the United KingdomThe Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
to recognise the work of HOV. (EDM 487) - "Coup threat", The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Thursday May 27, 2004 - "Chávez in London: Don’t believe the hype", Vcrisis, 18.05.06
- "Mayor of London Says Hands Off Venezuela", by Ken LivingstoneKen LivingstoneKenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
, The Morning StarThe Morning StarThe Morning Star is a left wing British daily tabloid newspaper with a focus on social and trade union issues. Articles and comment columns are contributed by writers from socialist, social democratic, green and religious perspectives....
, Feb 20, 2006