Alan Woods kicked off his latest speaking tour of Venezuela at a meeting in Central Caracas where he presented his book Reformism or Revolution. The workers and youth present showed keen interest in the ideas of revolutionary socialism, as Alan answered their questions on the possibility of revolution and how to combat bureaucracy.

On his recent speaking tour of Venezuela, Alan Woods has been interviewed by major daily newspapers and national TV Channels, while the organ of the Colombian Communist Party is also to publish an interview with Alan, all confirming the widespread interest for the genuine ideas of Marxism.

On November 21 the congress of the PSUV is scheduled to begin. While the reformist bureaucracy is hoping to have a congress that passes without too much opposition, around the country the left is standing candidates for delegates, among these the Marxists. The congress offers an opportunity to take the ideas of revolutionary socialism to a wider layer of the party ranks. What the PSUV needs to do is adopt a genuinely revolutionary programme to put an end to capitalism, landlordism and imperialism in Venezuela.

The PSUV congress has now been called and the Marxists will fight shoulder to shoulder with the left-wing delegates for a genuine socialist programme in the struggle against bureaucracy and against the right-wing in the party.

Chavez has called for the setting up of PSUV branches in the workplaces, known in Venezuela as “patrullas obreras” (workers’ patrols). At the massive SIDOR steelworks in Ciudad Guayana this has been taken up and already over 500 workers have signed up, with over 20 branches formed that will soon become 50. Here we publish an interview with one of the PSUV organisers at the plant.

The harassment of the multinational Mitsubishi Motor Company (MMC) automotive workers continues. While the plant was reopened on Monday, September 21, MMC in Barcelona (Anzoategui) notified the workers of the dismissal of 11 SINGETRAM union leaders. In this interview, Félix Martínez, secretary general of the trade union SINGETRAM, explains the reasons for this unprecedented harassment against workers of Mitsubishi.