Chavez Calls For Strengthening of “People’s Power” in Venezuela
March 17th 2008, by Chris Carlson - Venezuelanalysis.com
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez during his talk show on Sunday (ABN) March 17, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)— Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called on the country to strengthen so-called "people’s power" on his Sunday talk show Aló Presidente yesterday. The president focused on government efforts to promote popular participation in community organizations, and announced a new program for the formation of "socialist communes" around the country.
"We are dedicating today’s show to people’s power," said Chavez upon opening the show. "This year, 2008, is the year to strengthen people’s power."
Broadcasting from a poor community in the western state of Lara, President Chavez announced that his government will focus on the consolidation of organized communities in 2008. He urged communities around the country to get organized and form "socialist" enterprises to help build a socialist economy.
President Chavez toured the small community and spoke with community leaders about the projects being carried out there, including the construction of housing and a medical clinic. Upon speaking to workers at a community brick factory, Chavez insisted that more of this type of community-owned factory be established in order to put the means of production into the hands of the people.
"We have to aim at the base of the economy, from the bottom up," he said. "We have to multiply this, and put the means of production into the hands of the people."
With this goal in mind, Chavez announced the creation of "Mission April 13th," a new government program for the formation of "socialist communes." The so-called communes, a fundamental part of last December’s failed constitutional reform, are organized communities that collectively manage and operate productive enterprises.
The new program, to be launched in April, will focus on the formation of several model socialist communes around the country to later be reproduced in other communities. Chavez insisted that in this way a socialist model would be progressively implanted in the country.
"The idea is that once a commune is set up, it should later be multiplied so that the model of communes keeps growing. This is the way to the formation of socialism," he said.
Starting this week, nearly two thousand community projects will be granted nearly BsF. (strong bolivars, as the new currency is known) 400 million (US$ 186 million), to carry out activities in their communities, a government minister reported. Most of the community projects involve repairing and building new infrastructure, water systems, irrigation systems, and the formation of new communal economic enterprises.
Chavez insisted that all the money granted to the communities be carefully followed and directed toward the formation of a socialist economy.
"Every penny, every credit that we give out has to go towards the construction of a socialist model. But we have to plan it, and it should be accompanied with socialist ideology," he said.
The president also insisted that the newly formed political party, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), would play a fundamental role in the strengthening of "people’s power." Chavez explained that the candidates for the city and state elections at the end of 2008 must come from the bottom up, and not be designated from the top down. He called on all PSUV party members to help strengthen the power of the communities.
"Anyone who wants to be a candidate has to publicly commit to the government program for promoting people’s power, community participation, and the transfer of power to the people," he said.
Chavez called on the recently elected PSUV party leadership to organize a method for all the PSUV candidates in the 2008 elections to be democratically selected by the party rank-and-file. Elections will be held across the country at the end of this year for state governors and city mayors.
The Venezuelan president also commented briefly on the recent threat from Washington to include Venezuela on a list of state-sponsors of terrorism. Chavez emphasized that the strengthening of "people’s power" and the consolidation of a socialist model is the best way to respond to the attack.
"Now they are trying to include Venezuela in a list of terrorist countries, and they want to try me in the International Criminal Court," he said.
"We should respond by strengthening the Bolivarian Revolution, by strengthening people’s power, and by strengthening the unity among us."
Chavez insisted that the real terrorist is US President George W. Bush and accused Washington of trying to create conflict and divisions between the countries of Latin America.
"There are only two paths here. Theirs is the path of war, and ours is the path of peace," he said.
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