Worker Takeovers Recover Venezuelan Sovereignty from the US, Says Chavez

Caracas, October 28, 2005 – At the opening rally for the First Meeting of Latin American Worker Occupied Factories last night, President Hugo Chavez said that the state is expropriating two more Venezuelan factories on behalf of their workers. Chavez told hundreds of activists that Latin America is freeing itself from US dominance and that, "we are not just recovering these factories, we are recovering our true sovereignty."

Chavez made these comments while giving the opening speech of the conference in the Teresa Carreño Theatre in Caracas. Representatives from 21 trade unions and 235 worker-occupied factories from 13 Latin American countries are participating. Ministers, parliamentarians, and senior government functionaries from Venezuela and other Latin American countries also attended.

Chavez praised those taking part in the workers' struggles across the continent, comparing them to those who fought for independence from Spain in the 19th century. Chavez said that the new struggle for independence was from the US and that, "We are in the presence of a new opportunity… to really set people free in these lands." Chavez suggested that there should be an international organization for worker occupied factories to help activists from across Latin America share and compare, "concrete strategies and tactics".