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Chávez:
This is the start of a new era
BY
ORLANDO ORAMAS LEON —Granma daily special
correspondent—
PORTO
ALEGRE.- A new era in Latin America and the world is
about to start, affirmed Venezuelan President Hugo
Chávez, who received numerous demonstrations of
support from the authorities, participants at the
3rd World Social Forum (WSF), and the Brazilian
people in Porto Alegre.
Chávez
met with the president of Río Grande de Sul’s
legislative assembly along with the WSF organizers,
gave a press conference, and then, from a balcony,
addressed a huge crowd of people who had been
waiting since early morning.
Venezuela’s
head of state explained that the WSF had become the
most important political event of the yea,
"because the hope of humanity is condensed here
and we are building an alternative to the savage
neoliberal model that is leading us to
suicide."
He
called the international economic order, one of the
expressions of Third World debt, dreadfully unjust.
As an example he cited that his government has paid
$20 billion USD towards its debt; nevertheless the
total amount it owes to international organizations
remains at $26 billion USD.
Venezuela
has been placed in the role of precursor of changes
occurring in Latin America, he pointed out,
commenting that it is the oligarchic groups and
their instruments — the television channels and
newspapers —opposed to those changes, who are
waging a media war.
Responding
to a question from Granma he affirmed that he
hoped what has been happening in Venezuela does not
occur in other countries.
"We are making a peaceful revolution, which is
also to the benefit of groups with economic power
because they need it too. There are 224 million poor
people in Latin America, and of those 90 million are
destitute and cannot sit back and wait for a
solution."
He
explained some of the measures adopted by his
government to confront the pro-coup mob and protect
the population from its actions. In the years of the
Bolivarian process land has been given to
campesinos, educational resources have been
increased to 7% of the GDP, the infant mortality and
malnutrition rates gave gone down, as well as the
indicator for low weight in minors. Entry to all
educational levels has grown and popular
participative forums have been established through
the National Planning Councils.
Chávez
qualified those trying to defeat the legitimate
Venezuelan government as fascists applying the same
tactics as those used in Chile nearly 30 years ago.
"However, they made a mistake this time,
because the people are in the streets and the armed
forces are with the Bolivarian process," he
observed.
Later,
in the Porto Alegre legislature, the Venezuelan
leader attended an event organized by the Brazilian
Committee of Solidarity with Venezuela, where he
introduced Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez
Roque, whose presence was applauded.
"New
processes will appear in Latin America and
throughout the world, some of those will be surprise
ones, for which reason we need strong social
movements to combat neoliberalism," he
affirmed.
Outside,
hundreds of people carrying flags from various
countries and organizations gave him a their welcome
to the 3rd World Social Forum. Chávez assured them
that Venezuela would resist the fascist mob.
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