The widely read Caracas daily newspaper Ciudad CCS, published by the Caracas Municipal Council, interviewed Alan Woods, asking what are the tasks facing the Venezuelan revolution. Alan explained that the tasks are socialist, that involve expropriating the oligarchy and completing the revolution, otherwise the whole situation could unravel and reaction could eventually get the upper hand.

We are entering a new period where an economic recovery will actually bring more attacks on workers, and this will have a transformative effect on the working class movement and their organizations, specifically the trade unions and their labour parties. The old leaderships with their old ideas who tried to reach conciliation with the bosses will need to be replaced. Workers will need to push for a new leadership that is willing to fight and get them real tangible gains in their struggles. In Ontario, we are already seeing the beginnings of this in the labour movement.

On October 25 the left-wing Frente Amplio (FA) came close to winning outright in the first round of the elections with 48.16% of the votes cast. On November 29 the country goes back to vote in the second round. The workers have rallied round the FA, but far more would be possible if the FA leaders were to turn decisively in favour of the workers.

Ultimas Noticias asked a Alan Woods a series of key questions about the Venezuelan revolution and the dangers in the situation that flow from the lack of initiative in taking the revolution forward and finally completing it with the expropriation of key sectors in the economy.

The Bolivarian News Agency, ABN, interviewed Alan Woods about the setting up of US military bases in Colombia and what he thought their purpose was.

In a previous article we pointed to the fact that the Tegucigalpa/San José Accord signed on October 30 was a farce. Events have now confirmed that we were right. To accept the agreement now would be a betrayal of the mass movement. What is required now is an active boycott, combined with mass mobilisation for the overthrow of the present illegitimate regime.