International Marxist Tendency

To find out more about the history of the IMT, visit the section on our history.

The World Congress of the International Marxist Tendency met in Barcelona at the end of July. The 350 delegates and visitors could feel that after decades of preparation, of defending the ideas of Marxism against the attacks of the bourgeois, the reformists and revisionists, these are now being vindicated by events. The affiliation of four new sections from Brazil, Iran, El Salvador and Switzerland added to this feeling.

Last Sunday, during his weekly TV programme "Alo Presidente", Hugo Chavez made some sharp criticisms of various government officials, calling on them to fight against bureaucracy and corruption. He then brought to the attention of the audience Alan Woods' latest book, "Reformism or Revolution".

On Sunday, July 7, a meeting was held between members of the national leadership of the PSUV and the Revolutionary Marxist Current (CMR) together with Alan Woods. The Marxists outlined their perspectives and explained the measures that need to be taken to complete the revolution and warned against the danger signals that emerge from the situation in the country.

On Sunday, July 6, a very successful Kashmir regional congress of "The Struggle" ‑ the International Marxist Tendency in Pakistan ‑ was held at Rawalakot, in the Poonch district of "Azad Kashmir". Over a thousand delegates, members and close contacts attended the congress.

Delayed by Chavez's earlier invitation, Alan Woods visited the State of Barinas on Friday, where he spoke at several meetings with more than 800 people attending, among them the local leadership of the PSUV and many rank and file activists. In all the meetings there was huge interest in the ideas of revolutionary Marxism.

Alan Woods’ successful speaking tour to launch Reformism or Revolution arrived in Caracas. More than 100 people, workers, students and political leaders of the Bolivarian movement filled the Rouge convention hall of the Hotel Alba. We had the honour to have as a presenter Adán Chávez, candidate for the governorship of Barinas, who is the former minister of Education and former ambassador to Cuba.

Around 400 people turned up at Alan Woods' meeting in Merida, among them a large number of activists and revolutionaries of the city. As one of them said at the end, "the reformists want to demoralize and confuse people. I have listened to others who criticize them but they are downbeat. Alan is different, he charges your batteries, encourages you to fight."

We have just received the sad news of the death of Terry Fields, a Militant supporter and Labour MP for Liverpool Broadgreen (1983 -92). He died over the weekend after a long struggle with cancer. Terry is remembered by all the comrades who knew him as a true class fighter and a man who stuck to his socialist principles throughout.

The Venezuelan speaking tour of Alan Woods has now moved to the West of the country, kicking off at PDVSA in Zulia. Around 200 workers and revolutionary activists from Cabimas, Maracaibo and Ciudad Ojeda turned up and gave Alan a very warm and enthusiastic welcome. And again, all books, pamphlets and books were sold out.

There was a very successful presentation of Alan Woods' book in the Sidor plant, which has been nationalized by Chávez, with 550 Sidor workers attending the launch of Reformism or Revolution and many workers showing a keen interest in the ideas of Marxism and the Marxist Tendency.

On June 23 Alan Woods was in one of the heartlands of the Venezuelan industrial proletariat, Ciudad Guyana, where the country's heavy industry is based. More than 350 workers from several key industries attended the meeting and really connected with the ideas of revolutionary Marxism that were outlined by Alan.