The event will commemorate his life and work, what this
means for Venezuela now and in the future, what the world can learn from this, and what Australia can do to make a positive contribution.
Hugo Chavez, who was elected president of Venezuela in 1998, carried out policies that benefited the Venezuelan people, particularly the poor.
He used Venezuela’s oil wealth to bring health care, education and other services to poor areas.
He encouraged the self-organisation of the people in democratic local organisations known as communes, supporting giving the people a voice.
Chavez survived attempts by the United States, backing the oligarchy to overthrow him, including a military coup, and other means.
Up to one million people took to the streets of Spanish capital Madrid on 12 February their time). More did the same across regional cities and towns. They are demanding a stop to the privatisation of the health system and for government investment in better health services. Continue reading Spain sees massive fightback against privatisation of health system→
Daniel Duggan is an Australian citizen who migrated here from the United States years ago. He made a home here with his wife Saffrine and their six children, aged from 5 to 18. On 21 October last year, where he had gone after dropping his children at school in Orange (NSW) and then going to a local supermarket, he was grabbed by federal police inside and subsequently taken to Sydney and locked in a cell at Silverwater prison. Continue reading An Australian is being held to be illegally extradited from Australia to the United States→
Half a million French workers hit the streets of Paris in the second day of protests over the plan by a government to lift the retirement age. The first day of action was on 19 January, when the number involved around the country was at least 2 million. This time there were more. It was the biggest turnout France has seen in decades.
The video below reports on 19 January gives some background to the dispute.
Millions join national strike in France against Macron’s pension reform.
Video from The Real News Network
Transport, schools, hospitals, and other industries were heavily disrupted by strikes on the second day of action. The oil industry is at a standstill, and Many government departments have been affected. High school and university students have joined in. students at the prestigious Sciences-Po university occupyed its main building overnight.
Thousands take to the streets in Paris
Video from FRANCE 24 English
The first marches had started in the morning in other parts of the country, with several prominent opposition politicians taking part.
“Mr Macron is certain to lose,” said Jean-Luc Melenchon, a former presidential candidate and leader of La France Insoumise, as he marched in the southern portcity of Marseille.
The Macron government is in trouble. Opinion polls say that a growing majority of the French population is behind the strikes and protests. This is not a good political position to be in. The support of the conservative opposition was there only weeks ago. But now , there are widening divisions in the Marcon camp, with several parliamentarians making a public stand. There are even those within the conservative camp having second thoughts about continuing to give their support.
Strikes and protests are set to continue if Macron does not retreat.
France’s early retirement age is not something that was handed on a platter. It was fought for in epic battles against employers and government and written into the French consciousness. The gains will not be easily surrendered.
Previous government attempts to do this have failed. Macron is not likely to be more successful, and failure will be a political disaster for him.
The Belmarsh Tribunal begun a hearing on 20 January 2023, at the National Press Club at Washington DC. Testimony was heard from to hear expert testimony from journalists, whistleblowers, lawyers, publishers and parliamentarians, on assaults to press freedom and the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, with special attention paid to the case faced by Julian Assange
Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman and Srecko Horvat, the co-founder of DiEM25, chair the event, organized by Progressive International and the Wau Holland Foundation.
Members of the tribunal include Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers whistleblower Noam Chomsky, linguist and activist Jeremy Corbyn, member of U.K. Parliament and founder of the Peace and Justice Project, and many more.
The woman who once publicly declared herself a great fan of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini is to become the new Prime Minister of Italy. Giorgia Meloni heads a political party called the Brothers of Italy. Don’t be misled by media portrayal, especially form the Murdoch stable, as something other than fascist. Continue reading Italy finds it now has a fascist led government→
This is a statement just released (27 September 2022) by Joe Montero the Victorian President of Fair Go For Pensioners. It has been published on the organisation’s website. The statement calls out the inadequacy of the Age Pension and calls for it to be lifted from, poverty level to where it can provide for an adequate life and dignity. and announces that Fair Go For Pensioners is launching a campaign to unite forces to bring this about.
