Venezuela's Street Assemblies Try to Push Revolution Forward

Edited by Ivan Martínez
2015-12-10 13:05:26

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Caracas, December 10 (teleSUR-RHC)-- The new Venezuelan National Assembly might not meet until January, but another kind of parliament met in Caracas on Wednesday. Gathered around an old cattle truck decked out as a stage with booming speakers, people handed around a microphone, shouting out ideas on how to move forward, to scream and applause. Hundreds of grassroots supporters of the socialist revolution attended the Street Assembly to debate, exchange ideas, and strengthen the movement.

Meetings like this are happening around the country, as President Nicolas Maduro called on Chavistas to come together and reflect on the electoral defeat that saw the opposition gain a majority at National Assembly elections on Sunday.
      
Maduro called for debate and a rebuilding of strength of the revolution, because, “the Venezuelan right wing has just one program: to destroy the Bolivarian revolution.”

From on top of the truck, leader of the Popular Movement of Venezuela, Iraima Morocoima, told teleSUR English the meeting was putting politics back into the hands of the people.

“It is the assembly of the people’s movements, where we are the ones who guide where the ship goes, together with our president,” she shouted over the cries of the crowd.

The mood at the meeting, just down the street from the Miraflores presidential palace, was far from sober. Brightly dressed people waved flags and banners. One even brought a large painting of former President Hugo Chavez playing baseball. 

According to the activists, the rally was about reclaiming the streets, and defending their rights as socialists.

“We have 17 years of revolution in the streets. The streets belong to the people, and we are not going to leave them,” PSUV supporter Evo Mijares told teleSUR.

Others were aware of the difficult period ahead with the opposition in control of the National Assembly.

“(I’m here) In defense of our beautiful revolution,” said Luis Asevedo. “Chavez’s people are in the streets because (the opposition) can win the assembly, but they don’t win the Chavista people. The Chavista people are going to be in the streets defending their revolution, as always.”

The optimism of the crowd belies fears that when the opposition takes over the assembly it will make sweeping changes to the social gains. But for now, they are defiant, optimistic, and not going to take defeat quietly. 


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