Venezuela Solidarity Campaign
Venezuela Solidarity Campaign w as established in 2005 in response to an attempted military coup against the then President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez. It sought to promote and strengthen links between trade unionists in Britain and Venezuela, organised solidarity tours to Venezuela, and promoted awareness of the Bolivarian Revolution through a DVD, The Revolution will not be Televised. From 2009 the group promoted another documentary DVD, Inside the Revolution: A Journey into the Heart of Venezuela, directed by Pablo Navarrete.
Following the death of Chávez in 2013, the campaign continued its work in support of his successor as President, Nicolas Maduro. The activities of the VSC and SVSC in 2015-16 included maintaining websites with extensive information about the situation in Venezuela; organising conferences, lectures and other events; publishing a magazine, Viva Venezuela!; maintaining a social media presence, and seeking to influence parliamentarians and others.
Key people
Venezuela Solidarity Campaign key people:
Honorary president
- Ken Livingstone, former Labour MP and Mayor of London (2000-2008)
Patrons
- Diane Abbott, Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington
- Kelvin Hopkins, Labour MP for Luton North
- Bruce Kent, political activist and former Priest
- Ann Pettifor, academic
Union official leaders
Circa 2015 key Venezuela Solidarity Campaign union officials included:
- Tony Burke, Assistant General Secretary, Unite the Union & Venezuela Solidarity Campaign Vice-Chair
- Doug Nicholls, General Secretary, General Federation of Trade Unions & Venezuela Solidarity Campaign Executive Committee
- Tom Jones, Thompsons Solicitors & Venezuela Solidarity Campaign Executive Committee
- Tommy Murphy, Executive Council Member, Unite the Union & Venezuela Solidarity Campaign Executive Committee
- Stephen Kennedy, NEC Member, UNISON & Venezuela Solidarity Campaign Executive Committee