Achievements And Progress Of The Bolivarian Revolution By Dr. Luis Acuna In the name of the People of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, I want to thank the organizers of the 8th International Conference of Che Guevara for inviting us to participate in this very important activity, whose central theme is: “Socialism yesterday, today, and tomorrow: The Cuban socialist project.
Today, I will refer to the Bolivarian Revolution, to its From 8th International Che Guevara Guevara Conference from October 26-27 in Vancouver, Canada. From short but pedagogical Left to Right: Keith Bolender, Arnold August, Dr. Luis Acuña, Miriam Meza de Acuña & Alison Bodine history and where are we today. A revolution which we call government in turn, a fact that he paid with The Magna Carta approved in 1999 is the Bolivarian because it expresses the will to dispossession of his military and prison status, first block stone for the relations between return to the conception of “La Patria Grande but a rebellion that sowed him in the soul of Venezuela and the United States. The fight de Bolívar”, to the Latin American and the great majority of the People of Venezuela begins. Caribbean integration, to the constitution Upon his release from prison, in 1994, Hugo The new constitution of 1999 came loaded of a great country, of a territory for America Chávez planned his access to political power with equality and full freedoms for everyone: that encompasses all the Caribbean and in Venezuela and began a face-to-face talk for women, indigenous and Afro-descendants. extends from the south of the Rio Grande to with the people around the country. He did It was born impregnated with humanity; with Patagonia, a united and strong America. it with a speech where he mixed his intense provisions that opened the certain possibility To honor the central theme of this event, charisma with his will to to promote a of transforming the role of the national armed I quote Commander Fidel Castro when profound change in the political structure force and consolidating the civic-military he says: "Revolution is a sense of historical of the Nation, to produce a departure of union. It allowed enacting laws with which to moment; it is to change everything that must Venezuela from its dependence on the United challenge the powerful oligarchies, those that be changed; it is full equality and freedom; States and to return to the ideas of Liberator had dominated the economy, controlled the it is to be treated and treat others as human Simón Bolívar. use and possession of the land, dominated the beings; it is to emancipate ourselves and with administration of justice for two hundred years The young military achieved popular support our own efforts; it is to challenge powerful of republican life. A Constitution open to a and won the elections in December 1998. dominant forces inside and outside the more social conception of the economy, with a Hugo Chávez began his term with important social and national sphere; it is to defend humanist and solidary vision of education and changes, the most relevant of them, a call to a the values in which one believes at the price health, politically aimed at Latin American National Constituent Assembly, to elaborate of any sacrifice; it is modesty, selflessness, integration and a multipolar world. a new Constitution, one that allows him to altruism, solidarity and heroism; is to fight The 1999 Constitution, for example, revolutionize the country’s legal architecture, with boldness, intelligence and realism; it is materialized the Moral Power proposed to modify the laws that made us dependent never to lie or violate ethical principles; it is by Simón Bolívar, Power that as a branch for so long. a deep conviction that there is no force in the joined the existing and traditional Executive, world capable of crushing the force of truth With the support of a popular referendum, Legislative and Judicial branches of the and ideas ..." in December 1999, a new Constitution government in the countries around the world. was approved and Venezuela becames the Venezuela Bolivarian Revolutionary Likewise, the constitution established full “Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela”, in honor Process recognition of Indigenous Peoples and their to Simón Bolívar, El Libertador, the greatest I formally want to begin my words by saying social and political rights, but above all, it American man, the one who freed America that the genesis of the Bolivarian Revolution introduced the transcendental article 2 which from the Spanish yoke, the one who brought could be fixed in December 1998, when Hugo defines Venezuelan as a “democratic and social independence to Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Chávez Frías, winner of the constitutional State of Law and Justice”. It is the “Rule of Ecuador, the territory that today constitutes elections of that year, came to power. Eight Justice”. Panama and the one of the Upper Peru, where years earlier, in 1992, this young military man it creates and founded Bolivia. The 1999 Constitution was the first front that had led a failed armed rebellion against the
6
FIRE THIS TIME
Vo l u m e 1 3 I s s u e 1 1
November 2019