Statement in support of Mexican electrical workers on hunger strike

July 1st, 2010

**** URGENT CALL FOR ACTION ****

sme-corazon

On April 25, ten Mexican electrical workers from the now extinct Luz y Fuerza del Centro, members of the now deregistered Mexican Electrical Trades Union (SME) decided to go on hunger strike. This came about as the last resource after the Mexican government refused to reverse the decision to extinguish by presidential decree the company. With the closure of the company, in violation of the Mexican constitution and labour legislation, 46 thousand workers and pensioners were left unemployed, without childcare or health benefits in an unprecedented and most violent attack on workers’ rights and move towards privatization in Mexico´s history.

At its peak, this hunger strike has had up to 93 man and women, participating by fasting including parliamentarians and the civil society. Read the rest of this entry »

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Argentinean national soccer team support Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo for the Nobel Prize

June 29th, 2010

At the end of May, before traveling to South Africa for the World Cup, the Argentinean national soccer team took this picture showing their support for Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize.

The picture did not have coverage in other than the alternative media.

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AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE FILM SCREENING: “WHO IS AFRAID?: FATHOMING THE COUP IN HONDURAS”

June 21st, 2010

SUATTERS ARMS HOTEL
1 George St. Thebarton, Adelaide SA

Sun 27th June  6 pm.  Free Entry

(Soon to be screened in Melbourne/Details to be anounced)

“Who is Afraid?” is a new documentary about the military coup in Honduras, and the Honduran resistance movement. The coup took place a year ago on June 28th 2009. Thousands of people took to the streets to defend the elected President Manuel Zelaya, uniting under the banner of the “National Front of Popular Resistance.”  This screening is part of a National Day of Action to mark the first anniversary of the coup-installed regime, in solidarity with the people of Honduras.  There will be rallies in various other capital cities.

Brief synopsis:   René is a Honduran amateur actor who appeared on television spots promoting the referendum on convening the National Constituent Assembly in Honduras. On June 28th, 2009, instead of a referendum, there was a brutal coup d’état: the army abducted President Manuel Zelaya and had him flown abroad. Along with thousands of other Hondurans, René joined the National Resistance Front against the Coup d’ État. An unprecedented Honduras arises: a people who resist despite media bias, violence and death, and take to the streets to stand up for their rights. This is their story.

Please forward this on to your networks. There is not a significant Latin American solidarity movement in Adelaide, but it would be great to see a good turnout for such a powerful documentary straight from Honduras.

Watch preview at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp_1tdE8pIM

See you there!

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Demand democracy in Honduras!

June 18th, 2010

A year ago, a coup d´état led by R. Micheleti militarily toppled the democratically elected government of president Mabuel Zelaya.

Since then, hundreds of activists, journalists, students, had been killed or jailes, and thousands had been repressed.

In different cities in Australia and around the world, people is saying NO! to the coup in Honduras, and call for democracy to come back for our brothers and sisters in Honduras.

golpe-de-estado-hondurasSpeak out for Honduras!

Friday June 25,

5pm, stairs of Flinders St. Station, Melbourne

Bring placards and banners.
Organizations are welcome to bring stalls.

Supported by the Latin American Forum-Victoria

In Sydney:

Stop the coup in Honduras

June 27, 11 am

Ibero American Plaza

Chalmers St, outside Central station

Organised by Coatition for Honduras

Honduras under dictatorship

On the 28th of June 2009 the democratically elected President of Honduras was illegally removed from office in a military coup. Since then the Military dictatorship has received military and economic aid from the US and it has consolidated itself in power using brutal state terrorism. All community and independent media has been shut down or censored. Thousands of people have been jailed, tortured or killed for speaking out against this dictatorship including 9 journalists and 3 judges.

The Australian government has yet to condemn the coup.

Please do not let this injustice go continue. Contact the Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith; to ensure it is not business as usual with Honduras.

PO Box 6022
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Tel: (02) 6277 7500
Fax: (02) 6273 4112

Email: Stephen.Smith.MP@aph.gov.au

Contact the Honduran resistance to send support to the people that are struggling for democracy:

Comisión Internacional (CI) - Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular: ci_coordinacion@resistenciahonduras.net

Betty Matamoros, Coordinadora CI: bmflores2009@yahoo.com

Dirian Pereira: dirianbeatrizpereira@yahoo.com

Gerardo Torres: unita1984@hotmail.com

Latin American Forum-Victoria

FMLN, Partido Comunista de Chile, Australia Venezuela Solidarity Network, Peace and Justice for Colombia, Socialist Alliance, Communist Party of Australia, Revolutionary Socialist Party, URNG-MAIZ, Centre for Latin American Solidarity and Studies (CLASS) Read the rest of this entry »

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Paramilitary Attack Leaves Two Dead and Three Disappeared in Oaxaca

April 29th, 2010

Armed attack on the Support and Solidarity Caravan to the Autonomous Municipality of San Juan Copala, OaxacaOaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca. April 27, 2010

To the news media
To the peoples of Mexico
To the peoples of the world
To the peoples of Oaxaca

Armed attack on the Support and Solidarity Caravan to the Autonomous Municipality of San Juan Copala, Oaxaca

CONTEXT:

Yesterday (on April 27), an announcement was sent to the news media about the Caravan headed for the Triqui Region in our state of Oaxaca. Caravan participants include members of the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO), Section 22 of the teachers’ union, Oaxacan Voices Constructing Autonomy and Freedom (VOCAL), CACTUS, members of MULT-I (Independent Triqui Movement of Unification and Struggle), as well as international observers. Read the rest of this entry »

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April CLASS book club

April 14th, 2010

Monday May 3rd, 6:30pm

New International Book Shop (Trades Hall basement)

The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism,

by Naomi Klein

Chapters to read: Part 6, Part 7 and conclusion.

Naomi Klein explodes the myth that the global free market triumphed democratically. Exposing the thinking, the money trail and the puppet strings behind the world-changing crises and wars of the last four decades, The Shock Doctrine is the gripping story of how America’s “free market” policies have come to dominate the world- through the exploitation of disaster-shocked people and countries.

* (due to the fact that the last Monday of April is ANZAC holiday, the club is postoped to May. The May gathering will be at the end of the Month)

The CLASS book club aims to offer a space for discussion on authors and ideas about different issues concerning contemporary Latin America.

The topics will range from history, political analysis and theory, cultural studies, workers and people´s struggles, poetry and fiction literature. In our monthly meetings we profile a book, a movie, or other media that represent the diversity of the contemporary Latin America. The material will be available in English.

The club is open to anyone interested in discussing, learning and sharing experiences on Latin American social, political or cultural issues. Please feel free to contact us or just show up on the day.

Contact Lulu on 0421 957 341

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Struggle for Women’s rights in Latin America

March 29th, 2010

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJSFLuuDSJU[/youtube]

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Launch of the Latin American Forum- Victoria

March 29th, 2010

Saturday, April 17, from 7pm
The Clare Castle
421 Rathdowne St, Carlton

Entry by donation ($5 suggested donation)
Drinks and meals available at pub prices

The recent and unprecedented global financial crisis that has deepened the gap between the poor masses and the millionaires, has increased unemployment and poverty. The global capitalist system has shown once again its inability to function without heavy subsidies from the governments. These gaps have however strengthened the tide of progressive and revolutionary movements and governments in Latin
America, who say BASTA! (enough!) to foreign domination, exploitation and repression.

From the progressive governments of Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, Ecuador, to the streets of Mexico, the Colombian mountains and the everyday struggle of the Central American people, Latin America is showing another world is not only possible, not only necessary, but is becoming reality.

The Latin American Forum- Victoria has brought together a number of solidarity groups and political organisations who work in support of the struggles in Latin America.

Join us in this night to celebrate the improvements in the lives of millions of Latin Americans through universal healthcare and education, and to show your support to the resistance in countries where people stand together to change their reality.

Enjoy some Latin American live music with Nicolás Jorquera and other performers.

For more information, please contact Lulu 0421 957 341, Roberto 0425 182994 or Sean 0415 122 135.

Find the event on Facebook Read the rest of this entry »

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Militarizing Latin America

March 28th, 2010

by Noam Chomsky

The United States was founded as an “infant empire,” in George Washington’s words. The conquest of the national territory was a grand imperial venture, much like the vast expansion of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. From the earliest days, control over the Western Hemisphere was a critical goal. Ambitions expanded during World War II, as the US displaced Britain and lesser imperial powers. High-level planners concluded that the US should “hold unquestioned power” in a world system including not only the Western Hemisphere, but also the former British Empire and the Far East, and later, as much of Eurasia as possible.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Mexican Electrical Trades Union calls for support on the National Day of Strike, March 16

March 15th, 2010

The Mexican Electrical Trades Union SME, the Mexican National Union of Mining Workers (Cananea, Sonora), as well as many other unions and social, political, peoples organisations, are calling for a National Day of Political Strike, on March 16, 2010, starting at 12pm. (Remember March 16 Mexico time is March 17 in Australia).

These organisations are calling for different protest actions nationally and internationally.

To support this initiative you can:

1) Protest outside the Mexican Embassy in your country.

2) Donate to the resistance against the liquidation decree of Luz y fuerza and in support of the Electrical Trade Union and their families.

Send your donations to the account: BBVA Bancomer 0168715246. To do so, please contact: C. Martin Esparza on the phone +52 55 5546 3200, or send an email to sme1014@gmail.com

3) Write a letter addressed to the Felipe Calderón, President of Mexico, demanding his government respond to the demands put forward by the National Assembly for Popular Resistance and the Social Congress.

You can send a personal latter or ask your union or organisation to write one. You can forward the following sample letter of you can write one with your own words:

Please write to:

Felipe Calderón, President of the Republic: felipe.calderon@presidencia.gob.mx

Government Offices: gobierno.digital@funcionpublica.gob.mx

Mexican Congress: administrador@congreso.gob.mx

Javier Lozano, Minister for Labour and Social Security: javierlozano@stps.gob.mx

Please copy the letter to: sinmexel@sme.org.mx to let them know you ar supporting their actions.

Please also copy info@latinamericasolidarity.org Read the rest of this entry »

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