Latest Event Updates

Francisco Dominguez explains why this year’s Latin America Conference is more important than ever

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Francisco Dominguez, Middlesex University

The 2008 world economic crisis has thrown the whole world into turmoil, especially commodities-exporting economies such as those in Latin America. The crisis has in many cases led to dramatic falls in revenues thus exerting huge fiscal pressures to maintain the recent years of progressive social programmes.

The region’s conservative elites and their chief external supporter, the United States, have been quick to exacerbate many Latin American nations’ current economic difficulties. They have unleashed destabilisation plans capitalising on popular discontent against progressive governments to create the conditions for conservative restoration. Read the rest of this entry »

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Give Temer The Elbow – by Ken Livingstone

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Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff was impeached over budgetary manoeuvres that have been carried out by numerous presidents, including Barack Obama. KEN LIVINGSTONE believes coup-installed president Michel Temer represents a major threat to democracy

In Brazil, right wing neo-liberal policies are so unpopular that they have been consistently rejected at the ballot box in presidential elections for the last 13 years. Unable to achieve electoral victory, the only way to implement the neoliberal measures has been through the illegitimate impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, a move that’s seen hundreds of thousands out in protest calling for new elections in cities across the country and protesting against newly appointed President Michel Temer. Read the rest of this entry »

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Latin America Adelante! Conference 2016

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Saturday November 26th, 9.45am-5pm (registration from 9.15am)

Congress House, Great Russell St, London WC1B 3LS

Come to Latin America Conference 2016 to find out first hand about the latest developments in the region and how we can offer solidarity.

Register on the day from 9.15am

Featuring contributions from over 50 campaigners, politicians, trade unionists, journalists and academics, from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Venezuela and the UK, including:

  • Paul Oquist, Nicaraguan minister for National Policy
  • Iván Márquez, Lead negotiator in Colombian peace talks (Video link)
  • HE Carlos Abad, Ecuadorean Ambassador
  • HE Robert Calzadilla, Bolivian Ambassador
  • HE Teresita Vicente, Ambassador of Cuba
  • HE Guisell Morales-Echaverry, Nicaraguan Ambassador
  • Chris Williamson, Former Labour MP
  • Tony Burke, AGS Unite the Union
  • Diana Holland, AGS Unite the Union
  • Gabriel Rodriguez, International Transport Federation
  • Christine Blower, NUT
  • Kiri Trunks, NUT
  • Andy De La Tour, actor and writer
  • Ken Livingstone, former Mayor of London
  • Natasha Lycia Ora Bannan, President, US National Lawyers Guild
  • Keith Bolender, Canadian academic
  • George Galloway, former MP
  • Victoria Brittain, Journalist
  • Sue Branford, Latin America Bureau
  • Dr. Imti Choonara, Nottingham University
  • Dr. Francisco Dominguez, Middlesex University
  • Lindsey German, Stop the War Coalition
  • Dr. Steve Ludlam, Sheffield University

Features films, stalls, music and discussion on:

  • Still the US’ backyard? Latin America after the US Presidential election
  • Cuba: building a better world under the eye of the empire
  • After Chavez – The Empire Strikes Back
  • Europe’s crisis, Latin America and global alternatives to Neo-liberalism
  • A Zone of Peace – US bases out of Latin America!

Download the leaflet here

For the latest information follow us on twitter @LatAmerica16 and join the ‘Latin America Conference’ event page on facebook.

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500+ attend Latin America 2015

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Over 500 people attended the 2015 Latin America Conference – now in its 11th year – at a packed TUC’s Congress House in London, where attendees heard from ambassadors, academics, MPs, trade unionists, activists, campaigners, journalists and artists at the largest event of the year for Latin America solidarity in Britain.

With over 75 speakers, 24 seminars, three plenary sessions, several film showings, and many solidarity stalls, participants were once again spoilt for choice at the sold-out event.

 

The opening plenary saw Noe Ramirez of Guatemalan banana workers union SITRABI explain the dangers of being a trade unionist in Guatemala, and the continued attempts of multinational fruit firms to exploit workers.

Alongside him, Shadow Department of International Development Minister, Diane Abbott MP spoke in the opening plenary about how progressive governments across the region are meeting their UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs; Cuba is the first country in Latin America to meet all the MDGs) by putting people before profit and investing in health and education. Abbot spoke about global inequality is “out of control” and how we in Britain can “learn from the governments of Latin America, who are liberating hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty”.

“Jeremy Corbyn and I have always stood in solidarity with Latin America and we will continue to do so”, she said.

 

Seminars covered a range of issues, including:

A discussion of the film ‘Nae Pasaran’ showing Scottish T&GWU trade union activists at Rolls-Royce showing solidarity with Chile’s Socialist Allende government and refusing to repair engines of Pinochet’s planes.

The continued integration of Latin America, through the development of ALBA and other new regional bodies including CELAC:

 

The role of trade unions in Cuba in setting the economic agenda in a Cuba Solidarity Campaign seminar with Steve Cottingham, Wendy Emmett, Steve Ludlam and London UNISON’s Linda Perks:

The continued and growing threat of US destabilisation in Venezuela, with a Venezuela Solidarity Campaign seminar addressed by the Embassy’s Marcos Garcia:

Discussions on the political situation in Brazil, where the right continues to seek to destabilise Dilma Rousseff’s democratic government:

 

Elsewhere, Labour MEP Jude Kirton-Darling joined War on Want’s John Hilary, discuss the threat of TTIP and agreements such as CETA.

In another packed plenary, Alicia Castro, the retiring Argentinean Ambassador to Britain, spoke about how “Fidel and Raul Castro have been central to the progressive wave across Latin America”.

She said “In a world of chaos Latin America is now a region of peace. We stand against foreign and political interventions – and just as Jeremy Corbyn and the Pope have recently said –wars simply bring a cycle of further wars”.

Speaking just days after the left government of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner narrowly lost the Presidential elections in Argentina; the outgoing ambassador said “This is by no means a farewell. The struggle continues and international solidarity must continue and will always be needed”.

George Galloway heaped praise on the work of the Cuba Solidarity Campaign, urging people to join the CSC, “the best campaign in Britain by some way”, he said.

On the new US-Cuba relations, Galloway said: “What a fantastic achievement that the US had to come to Cuba. They tried occupation. They tried invasion. They tried attacks, sabotage, killing people, terrorist attacks; all organised by Washington, the capital of the Land of the Free and centre of the so called war-on-terror – but they got a bloody good hiding.”

“According to the normal rules of aerodynamics, a bumble bee would not be able to fly. According to the normal rules, Cuba should have collapsed. But rather than collapsing, it is probably the best loved country on earth – think about that. Cuba sends doctors all round the world; peaceful internationalism; restoring sight, treating ebola in Africa and treating people in the mountains of Kashmir following their earthquake – all of this in the face of terrorism and subversion from the United States”.

Galloway also expressed solidarity with the Stop the War Coalition rally in opposition to the bombing of Syria.

 

Ahead of the final plenary, in the final screening of Alborada’s film festival, attendees saw an excerpt of Patricio Guzman’s Battle of Chile film, about the experience of Allende’s government in Chile.

In the final plenary, Diana Holland, Assistant General Secretary of Unite and CSC Chair, spoke of the importance to “maintain vigilance as well as solidarity – we must never forget the coup in Chile” in light of continued interference and destabilisation tactics from the US.

Jeremy Corbyn MP, the Leader of the Labour Party, has spoken at the previous ten Latin America conferences but could not attend this year’s event due to “putting all his efforts into trying to stop war” Diana Holland said, as David Cameron’s call to bomb Syria is being discussed by MPs in Britain.

Chris Williamson, the former MP, spoke in place of Jeremy Corbyn, who said we should “dare to dream of a better world” and spoke of how “Cuba and Venezuela offered inspiration”.

Look out for details of Latin America 2016 next year.

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Latin America Live!

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20151128_090308Follow our conference live online:

 

Visit our Storify page

 

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Elizabeth Alves Perez and Luis Primo from Venezuela

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VenezuelaWe are pleased to announce two special guest speakers from Venezuela – Elizabeth Alves Perez and Luis Primo – will be speaking at Latin America 2015 – Adelante! conference.

 

Elizabeth Alves Pérez

Elizabeth has been a leading university professor and social researcher on issues regarding Latin America, firstly in Venezuela and now at the Complutense University of Madrid, completing a thesis on The Post Neo-liberal Agenda and De-colonisation in Latin America.

She was the General Secretary of the newly founded Bolivarian University of Venezuela in 2002-2003, which extended education to adults and working people, and was previously a local councillor and President of the Venezuelan Teachers Union UNEXPO Guiana.

Luis Primo

Luis Primo was a Metro de Caracas worker for over 30 years, and is former General Secretary of the Transport Workers Union of Metro de Caracas. He is also active in the governing United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV.)

He was a founding member of Venezuela’s progressive TUC equivalent and advised the Ministry of Labour on issues of worker participation in factories and led training programmes in this area of nationalised industries extended to more than 5000 workers. Today, he remains a national spokesperson for the national movement for workers ‘control.

Latin America 2015 – Adelante! conference
Saturday 28th November 2015
TUC Congress House
Book your tickets here

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Alborada film festival at Latin America – Adelante!

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alborada film festivalAlborada will once again be joining us at Latin America – Adelante – to bring their Latin America focused documentaries covering politics, media and culture.

Some of the documentaries they have produced include Inside the Revolution: A Journey to the Heart of Latin America, The Colombia Connection, and Chile’s Student Uprising.

They will also be screening their latest production Hip Hop Revolucion.

 

Latin America 2015 – Adelante! conference
Saturday 28th November 2015
TUC Congress House
Book your tickets here
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