A brigade of around 30 young people from nine Latin American countries was received in Caracas (Venezuela) this Monday (17) for a visit of more than ten days to the country. The activity is organized by Alba Movimentos.
Between August 15th and 26th, 2026, activists from Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Chile and Panama will carry out experiences in socialist communes and in transitional shelters for victims of the double earthquake on June 24th, in addition to visiting the places affected by the US bombing on January 3rd. The group will also carry out volunteer work, cultural activities and tree planting actions.
“Fidel [Castro] e [Hugo] Chávez, more than 20 years ago, thought of ALBA as an alternative to the neoliberal project that wanted to impose imperialism on us. Today, the project that imperialism wants to impose on us goes beyond neoliberalism. It is the project of death, it is the destruction of all resources. The sexist project, the capitalist project, the project of racism, of supremacism, is the project of less than 1% who are white, who are elite and who control the entire planet. It is a project that goes against the lives of our people. Therefore, it is essential that ALBA then raises these flags”, said Hernán Vargas, activist in the housing movement and representative of the Venezuelan section of ALBA Movimentos.
According to internationalists, the fundamental task is to build unity against external pressure and in defense of sovereignty.
Solidarity brigades have remained active, especially after the United States military aggression and the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, national deputy Cília Flores. Work intensified after the double earthquake that killed more than 6,000 people and left around 23,000 homeless. In addition to material support, the brigade focuses on the political training of participants on the history of the Bolivarian revolution and the current challenges of regional geopolitics.
“Really, what I wanted most was to know here what happened to Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Then, the issue of the earthquakes, how they were able to overcome this situation and even today, on the second day, we already have a lot of context of what actually happened and how they overcame it, because the international media tells us other things or speaks in a derogatory way about the reality in Venezuela”, he tells the Brazil in fact the young Honduran Sinia Esperanza Rápalo Rivera, member of the Lorenzo Zelaya Revolutionary Student Movement.
“We are here to acquire knowledge from study, sharing with other colleagues from other countries. But we really came in a humanitarian brigade, to show solidarity with the people of Venezuela, with those affected who are currently affected and to make the greatest effort to provide solidarity with the Venezuelan people”, says Panamanian trade unionist Marco Moreno, leader of the Single National Union of Construction Industry Workers of Panama.
MST present
Among the Latin American social movements present, the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST) represents Brazil. Vittória Paz explains that, for more than 20 years, the MST has accompanied the Venezuelan people in their revolutionary process. For her, it is time to deepen actions to defend the self-determination and sovereignty of the South American country.
“We have been here for 20 years with the Bolivarian revolution. In all moments of difficulty, ours and theirs, we have had a very beautiful relationship of solidarity, of brotherhood between the revolution and our movement. And now that the situation asks us once again for concrete actions of solidarity, which asks us once again to show very strong support, I think our role is to continue supporting, to continue listening to the people of Venezuela, to continue listening to what they want, what they ask for and defending it abroad that the revolution is still standing to combat the harmful narrative that exists from the extreme right that there is no more revolution, that the revolution was defeated, because it was not”, contests the activist.
“They kidnapped the president, the first lady, and we are here to say that we want them back. They continue to stand, the people continue in the communes, the people continue to fight and we will continue, we from the MST will continue alongside them”, he adds.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
