Venezuela Solidarity Network

Declaration of the Venezuela Solidarity Conference

Washington , DC , March 5, 2006

(as amended and adopted by the Interim Steering Committee April 9, 2006 )

With recognition that US government hostility toward Venezuela, and intervention in Venezuela's sovereign affairs is increasing in direct proportion to the Bolivarian Revolution's steps to build a more democratic, equitable, and just society for all Venezuelans; and

With recognition and appreciation for the Venezuela solidarity organizing already well established by the Bolivarian Circles, Hands Off Venezuela, faith-based groups including the Maryknolls, and other national and local organizations,

Therefore, the organizations and individuals meeting in conference March 4-6, 2006 in Washington, DC express our desire to build a broad multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-gendered, and multi-generational grassroots solidarity network in the United States to oppose US intervention in Venezuela and to support the Venezuelan people's aspirations and the Bolivarian Revolution's program for a free, just, fair, and democratic society.

We hereby declare the formation of the Venezuela Solidarity Network based on the following mission and goals:

1. To respect the inalienable rights of the Venezuelan people to sovereignty and self government, and to oppose and resist those who would violate those rights. It is especially incumbent upon us, as a US-based organization, to take responsibility for the violations of these rights by our own government, and by US-based businesses, organizations, and private citizens. Our support will employ multiple tactics including education, petition for redress of grievances, non-violent direct action, influencing policy makers and elected officials, and exposure of international and national law violations through the press and other mediums of communication.

2. To build people-to-people ties between the United States and Venezuela by organizing speaking tours of Venezuelans in the US and by organizing delegations, work, and study trips by US residents to Venezuela.

We declare that the Venezuela Solidarity Network will operate under the solidarity model in which we respond to the needs and priorities of those on the frontline of struggle in Venezuela rather than to impose our own perceptions of what those needs and priorities are.

We declare that the Venezuela Solidarity Network will be based on the principles of local autonomy and independence from any government body. The network will be non-sectarian, non-hierarchical, and actively opposed to racism, sexism, classism, and Euro-American cultural domination.

We declare that the Venezuela Solidarity Network will be broadly and democratically governed with an Interim Steering Committee composed of those organizations which planned this conference augmented by any organizations which share the above mission, goals, and principles that would like to join in building the broadest possible grassroots solidarity network. We recognize that the Bolivarian Circles and organizations of Venezuelans will play an important role on the Interim Steering Committee.

And finally, we pledge to work together across ideologies and methods of work to change US government behavior at home and abroad and to support the aspirations of the Venezuelan people to build their own society free of foreign intervention.