6th CSP-Conlutas Congress: panel highlights the importance of international trade union unity against the imperialist offensive

On Saturday (18), the first day of the 6th Congress of the Labour and Social Movement Federation - CSP-Conlutas concluded with the panel “The struggle of the working class against imperialism in the world and solidarity among peoples.”

Coco Smyth from the United States, Lisbeth González from Cuba, Juan Gutiérrez from Venezuela, and Yuri Petrovich from Ukraine composed the panel to exchange accounts and perspectives on the current stage of imperialist aggressiveness and the resistance of the masses.

The debate showed that, whether under direct military intervention or under the weight of authoritarian bureaucracies, the way forward for the working class lies in independent organization and internationalist solidarity.

The crisis at the heart of the empire

The analysis began with a diagnosis of the United States, described not as a power in full strength, but as a “cornered animal” in deep decline. External aggressiveness, manifested in support for the genocide in Palestine and threats against Iran, is seen as a reflection of the internal crisis of the U.S. ruling class.

While Democrats attempt to maintain the neoliberal status quo with an institutional face and Republicans flirt with reactionary authoritarianism, the U.S. working class suffers from debt and lack of basic rights. The key task identified is the construction of a political organization that breaks with bipartisanship and leads struggles from within trade unions and social movements.

Cuba between blockade and authoritarianism

The Cuban situation was presented through the lens of “polarization.” On one hand, the criminal U.S. blockade that, since 1962, has suffocated the island’s economy. On the other, the consolidation of a centralized model of power hostile to pluralism.

The emergence of a new bureaucratic class, which uses revolutionary rhetoric to sustain economic privileges and repress popular protests (such as those of July 2021), was harshly criticized. The defense of democratic socialism in Cuba necessarily involves deep democratization, legalization of independent organizations, and restoration of sovereignty to the people, rejecting both external coercion and authoritarian continuity.

Venezuela and the new colonial character

The debate on Venezuela brought alarming data about the current government administration under direct tutelage of U.S. energy interests. According to Juan Carlos, member of the National Conflict Committee of Workers in Struggle of Venezuela (CNCTL), an organization affiliated with ILNSS, the country today lives a practically colonial relationship after years of sanctions and attacks.

“The current government of Venezuela has a practically colonial relationship with the United States. The money from oil sales is completely controlled by U.S. accounts, which decide what Venezuela needs to buy and from whom, favoring U.S. companies,” stated Gutiérrez.

He also stressed that this capitulation has not brought improvements to the masses: “The current minimum wage is 0.28 dollars. We have nearly 2,000 political prisoners, 600 of whom are workers and trade union activists.” For the activist, it is impossible to develop a real anti-imperialist struggle while maintaining unity with the Chavista government, which now acts as a “partner” of foreign capital.

Ukraine and Palestine: one single struggle for liberation

Closing the panel, Ukrainian resistance was historically linked to the struggle against Russian colonization. The Russian invasion was described as an imperialist attempt to erase Ukrainian identity, confronted not by elites, often bought by Russian oligarchic capital, but by the people who took up arms on the first day.

Yuri Petrovich, a Ukrainian miners’ leader, emphasized the need for an independent organizational force for Ukrainian workers and drew a direct parallel with the Palestinian cause.

“I see no difference between Palestinians and Ukrainians. The struggle for freedom is the same. We defend an independent Ukraine where there are no occupiers, but also where there is no our own bourgeoisie,” declared Petrovich.

The panel closed the day of discussions, reaffirming that international solidarity is not merely a rhetorical concept, but a practical necessity to confront a system that attacks peoples in a coordinated manner across the globe.

Photo: Lucas Martins