But is it enough to end capitalism?
In Venezuela the inauguration speech of Hugo Chávez detailed his plans to nationalize more of the main industries of his country putting him into direct conflict with big business. And more recently he told the US “Gringos go home”.
By Samantha Ashby, Socialist Party Newcastle

He has put forward new legislation which to seek special powers to legislate by decree which Venezuela’s legislature are expected to grant approval. This Enabling Law would grant Chavez 18 months to decree legislation and he has stated his plan is to use the expanded powers to end the autonomy of the nation’s central bank, create a national police force and boost state control over the nation’s oil industry, which provides around 11 per cent of US oil imports.

In answer to further US criticism he has stated that “I think this leftist stamp in Latin America is going to spread throughout the world because the only the left can provide the transformation we need,” However The danger in walking a line between revolution and reform means Chávez and the working class is at risk of the counter reformers – from all those in business who stand to lose money and prestige through his nationalizations.

While Chávez has benefited from the rising price of oil on the world market up until now, this cushion can be removed in the coming months and years, which will provoke a major social and political crisis. If the working class does not take the necessary steps to build its own independent organisations and establish a workers’ and peasants’ government, then the threat of counter-revolution and the overthrow of Chávez can re-emerge.

The revolt of the masses against neo-liberalism and the crisis which is now developing throughout the continent pose the need for the working class and poor peasants to begin to build their own independent political and social organisations with a programme that will overthrow capitalism and confront imperialism. The establishment of a workers’ and peasants’ government based on a revolutionary socialist programme is urgently needed.

Such a programme must be based on the nationalisation of the major companies, banks, and multinationals in each country, and a programme of real agricultural reform where necessary. Only then will it be possible to defeat capitalism and begin to plan the economy to meet the needs of the mass of the population.

Such a programme cannot be limited to one country. The establishment of a voluntary, democratic socialist federation of Latin America is the real alternative to capitalism and imperialism, and the only way to begin to tackle the poverty and exploitation which blights the continent.

A step towards this would be the establishment of a democratic socialist federation of Venezuela, Cuba and Bolivia on the basis of the formation of democratic workers’ and peasants’ governments in these countries. This is the way to begin to unify the continent and begin planning the resources and the economies as an alternative to the capitalist trade blocs and agreements which are currently being formed.