Below is my rough translation of an article on the recent Venezuelan regional elections by the well-known trade unionist and socialist leader Stalin Pérez Borges (who despite his name is actually a Trotskyist!). The original source can be found here.
After the regional elections: The workers propose a thorough clean out and more revolution
Stalin Pérez Borges, National Coordinator of the UNT labour federation, PSUV militant and national director of Marea Socialista (the class struggle tendency within PSUV).
25 November
I want to give a few first personal impressions, about that which many comrades are very worried, above all concerning the significance of the loss of the Mayoralty of Caracas and various important or key governorships in the country.
Right now we need to be calm and sit down to evaluate in depth with the comrades. There are various points which we must analyse in order to try to come to the conclusions closest to reality. It is necessary to open a far-reaching debate within the party in order to reflect and carry out self-criticism as president Chávez stressed on Sunday night.
Firstly I believe that it is necessary to highlight the countrywide increase in votes for Chavismo in comparison with December 2 last year. At the same time the opposition returned to demonstrate that there is a ceiling of votes that it cannot surpass even although the abstention rate may decline. However, this level suffices for it to obtain political victories in important cities.
In second place I believe that it is necessary to highlight that [despite] having in many states, as is the case in Carabobo, splits in the Chavista vote, the pro-Chávez candidates ran a good campaign although some of them have not won.
In third place I believe that the warning which we in Marea Socialista gave about some candidates, and above all the signalling by the revolutionary Venezuelan people that some of the leaders [of the PSUV] represent something that they [the people] profoundly reject as the endogenous right-wing, was borne out strongly in [the results in] key districts such as the governorship of Miranda in addition to others – Táchira, for example. The action of previous governments is that which explains the defeat in the Mayoralty of Caracas, which is one of the most serious political problems which the revolutionary process will have to confront.
But there is a problem still more grave. It is the internal dynamic of the PSUV. It is necessary to transform the party into a true revolutionary party. I do not know if it can continue with the method of electoral machines where the base only participates in an irregular manner, in limited primaries, that in general were controlled by the powerful factions of the endogenous right.
The party showed that it can be a grand party, but that it needs to be stimulated with the participation of workers, the popular sectors which are the fundamental base of the revolution. And this stimulus must be political. It is currently the case that the party pays little attention to its trade union movement. These electoral results even though there are positive, highlight the necessity of realising that it is necessary to have more democracy and more participation. Militants must feel that it is their party, not the party of leaders, on the contrary, that is how the other parties are run who represent more of the same.
However, not only is it necessary to announce that there will be self-criticism. It must take place and in it must participate the revolutionary people of the whole nation. For our part we will continue believing that the moment has arrived for a clean-out in the government and in the party. Cleanliness and more revolution is what we need in order that it may become the reality that working people govern this revolution.
Tags: Hugo Chávez, PSUV, Stalin Pérez Borges
January 6, 2009 at 5:06 pm
There is a struggle in the PSUV between some who aspire to be bureaucrats and the poor and working class. My comrades are active in that fight, and our membership has grown greatly because of it.