Message from Struggle-La Lucha to International Anti-Fascist Forum in Donetsk

The five years since the U.S.-backed coup in Ukraine have seen an explosive resurgence of fascist and white supremacist movements around the globe, from the U.S. to Germany to Brazil. The people of the Donbass republics and the internationalist volunteers have been on the front lines of this battle, and have many important lessons to teach us.

Today Washington and its allies are trying to impose their coup model on Bolivarian Venezuela. But the Chavista movement has sunk deep roots among the masses, raising millions out of desperate poverty and giving them a voice for the first time, and the people are determined to resist. It is obvious that to impose the puppet Juan Guaido or a foreign occupation on the Venezuelan people would require a fascist terror like that of Pinochet in Chile. We refuse to accept that scenario.

Today our members and allies in the Embassy Protection Collective are defending the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, D.C., from takeover by the Venezuelan ultra-right and U.S. police agencies. Since late April the embassy has been besieged by violent provocateurs much like those who massacred the anti-fascists at the Odessa House of Trade Unions five years ago. Only the fact that they are in the capital of U.S. imperialism restrains them – for the moment.

From our perspective, it is essential to pinpoint the source of the resurgent fascist movement in order to effectively fight it. That source is capitalism and its chronic crisis, which is destroying countries and peoples through war, sanctions and environmental devastation. In the years ahead, we must build a united international movement to do away with this scourge forever.

We salute the conference and especially our anti-fascist comrades of Donetsk, Lugansk and Ukraine. We stand ready to do our part in the fight. No pasarán!

Greg Butterfield, on behalf of Struggle-La Lucha for Socialism (U.S.)