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Featured image: (From left to right) A Vietnamese translator; head of Mass Mobilization Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Lam; El Panal 2021 Commune Spokesperson Robert Longa; and Venezuelan Minister for Communes Jorge Arreaza. Photo: Ministry for Communes.
Venezuelan Socialist Commune El Panal 2021 welcomed the Commission of Mass Mobilization of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, accompanied by Venezuelan Minister for Communes and Social Movements Jorge Arreaza. The aim of the meeting is sharing the advances made in social and communal organizing in both countries in order to resolve problems of the communities.
The Vietnamese delegation toured the productive spaces of the commune and noted the progress and experiences of Venezuela’s grassroots organizations.
“With a tour of its productive facilities, the Socialist Commune El Panal 2021 received the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Commission of Mass Mobilization, accompanied by Minister Jorge Arreaza,” the Ministry of Communes published in its official Twitter account, in reference to the tour of Thursday, July 20.
#Entérate 🗣 Con un recorrido por los espacios productivos, la Comuna Socialista El Panal 2021 recibe a la Comisión de Masas del Comité Central del Partido Comunista de Viet Nam, en compañía del ministro @jaarreaza.
🇻🇪🤝🇻🇳#ComunaONada#PoesíaLenguajeUniversal pic.twitter.com/xKDXS1XnYw— MPP para las Comunas y los Movimientos Sociales (@ComunasVE_) July 21, 2023
Shared experiences
The meeting, held in the commune that is located in the 23 de Enero locality of Caracas, the commune members shared their experiences with the Vietnamese delegation, headed by Nguyen Lam.
Lam expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome by the commune, as well as his satisfaction for the opportunity to share experiences. “I would like to express our deepest gratitude to the leaders of the El Panal 2021 commune and the people who are present here to welcome us,” he said.
#AsíLoDijo🗣️| Nguyen Lam, jefe de la delegación de la Comisión de Movilización de Masas del Partido Comunista de Viet Nam: “Quisiera expresar nuestro más profundo agradecimiento a los líderes de la Comuna El Panal 2021 y al pueblo que está presente por recibirnos”. #ComunaONada pic.twitter.com/QjMf56kRpa
— MPP para las Comunas y los Movimientos Sociales (@ComunasVE_) July 21, 2023
“We are very happy to see the results of this commune,” he added.
Organizing despite sanctions
The head of the Vietnamese delegation stated that it was a positive experience to observe the level of organization of the commune, despite illegal sanctions. “It has been very positive, it is very similar to the situation that Vietnam experienced before,” he said.
Nguyen Lam stated his conviction that with creativity and development, the commune will “have many more achievements in the future, contributing to the fruits of the Revolution.”
He acknowledged the support given to Vietnam by the people and the progressive forces of Venezuela.
#AsíLoDijo🗣️| Nguyen Lam, jefe de la delegación de la Comisión de Movilización de Masas del Partido Comunista de Viet Nam: “Sabemos que el pueblo y las fuerzas progresistas de Venezuela nos ha apoyado en la lucha contra los enemigos”. #ComunaONada#PoesíaLenguajeUniversal pic.twitter.com/WJLvymCH2r
— MPP para las Comunas y los Movimientos Sociales (@ComunasVE_) July 21, 2023
49,000 community councils
The minister for Communes and Social Movements of Venezuela, Jorge Arreaza, explained that the objective of said meeting was for the Vietnamese delegation to learn about the experience directly from a commune and not from the ministry’s office.
“We wanted them to know the experience from a commune itself and not from the ministry… In Venezuela there are about 49,000 communal councils and 3,600 communes,” Arreaza said.
#AsíLoDijo🗣️| Ministro @jaarreaza: “Quisimos que conocieran la experiencia desde una Comuna y no desde el despacho del @ComunasVE_ (…) En Venezuela hay aproximadamente 49 mil Consejos Comunales y 3.600 Comunas”. #ComunaONada#PoesíaLenguajeUniversal pic.twitter.com/uNnWZfKzhO
— MPP para las Comunas y los Movimientos Sociales (@ComunasVE_) July 21, 2023
Arreaza recalled Hugo Chávez’s motto “Only the people save the people.” “Experiences in organization are synthesized and strengthened in the communal councils,” he said.
The minister stated that since the end of 2021, the government of President Nicolás Maduro has adopted measures to strengthen grassroots organizations so that all power remains with the people.
Fight Between PSUV and PCV is Unnecessary, Untimely, and Alien
“In last year, spokespersons were elected in more than 22,000 communal councils,” said Arreaza, referring to the voting process to elect communal councils delegates.
Only the people save the people
“We are creating communal economic circuits, in which the organized communities are the owners—rom the land to the final product and its commercialization,” Arreaza explained. “This production dynamic will give power to the people in the territory.”
🗣️Ministro @jaarreaza: “Estamos creando los circuitos económicos comunales, en lo que el pueblo organizado es el propietario desde la tierra hasta el producto final y la comercialización, al final es esa dinámica de producción la que le dará el poder al pueblo en el territorio” pic.twitter.com/MfceVESan9
— MPP para las Comunas y los Movimientos Sociales (@ComunasVE_) July 21, 2023
With the motto “only the people save the people,” the communal councils are in charge of planning, identifying their problems, and forwarding proposals and solutions to bring wellbeing to the community.
“Some problems are solved with communal self-government, while other problems are resolved jointly with the municipality, the governor’s office, and the national government,” the minister added.
Seré breve… pic.twitter.com/BSvAzSW3GP
— Jorge Arreaza M (@jaarreaza) July 17, 2023
Communist Party of Venezuela
Last week, Minister Arreaza posted on his Twitter account a couple of photos with demonstrators wearing Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV) t-shirts and carring PCV flags at a political rally at Los Guasimitos, Barinas state.
The United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) has initiated a nationwide mobilization spree signaling the early stages of the 2024 presidential race, according to many analysts,. Simultaneously a confrontation between the PCV and the PSUV has reached new levels after a group of former PCV members filed a lawsuit to gain control of the PCV logo and name, claiming that the last party elections did not comply with the party rules. According to these PCV members, the Trotskyist group currently controlling the party committed irregaularities in said elections in order to maintain its grip on power.
Cerco a partidos 🇻🇪
Este martes #11Jul conversamos con Oscar Figuera (@OscarFigueraPCV), Secretario General del Partido Comunista @PCV_Venezuela.
Sobre la persecución a dirigentes políticos y líderes sindicales en Venezuela.
🎙️ Nuevo #SonDerechos
🕗 8PM https://t.co/POH6kNVmaG pic.twitter.com/caYeQegUKn— PROVEA (@_Provea) July 11, 2023
In recent years, the PCV has got very close to right-wing political parties and imperialism, such as its meetings in 2021 with the European Union electoral observers delegation, or the meeting of PCV Secretary General Óscar Figuera with USAID-funded hardcore anti-Chavista NGO PROVEA.
PCV’s move towards the far-right is advancing at a fast pace although many Venezuelan communists do not agree with the current PCV leadership’s actions.
(Últimas Noticias) by Janna Corredor, with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SC
