IV420 - January 2010

One of the most vexing issues in Latin America’s relations with Haiti, is the grievous lack of understanding on the part of anti-imperialist forces about the nature of the repeated imperialist occupations of the former French colony, and of the crushing of the Lavalas movement, including the ouster of the country’s democratically-elected President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

”We welcome the proposals from a number of political parties for an investigation into the ridiculous allegations put forward by the Police Intelligence Service (in Danish:PET) and by the PET Commission”, says Michael Voss, member of the Executive Committee of the SAP.

Common Left Candidate Vickramabahu Karunaratne called the declared result of the presidential election in Sri Lanka as the biggest ever betrayal of the country.

On 29th January an historic gathering took place at Faisalabad, the third largest city in Pakistan. The event was jointly organized by the Labour Qaumi (National) Movement and the Anjuman Mozareen Punjab (Punjab Tenants Association), two movements of workers and peasants that, by their defiant activities in several Punjabi districts, have caught the imagination of thousands.

Since the World Social Forum was launched in June 2000, at the Alternative Social Summit in Geneva, coinciding with the United Nations Assembly on Social Development, ten years have passed. In this decade, the world has changed and the context in which the World Social Forum (WSF) emerged is different to that of today.

Thousands of people gathered at La Mutualité in Paris on Sunday, January 24, 2010 to render homage to Daniel Bensaïd. Hosted by Fred Borras and Myriam Martin, both from the leadership of the NPA and from Toulouse, like Daniel, this was an emotional and militant act of remembrance to his memory.

The political perspectives of the LPP have been put to the test several times in a rapidly changing political situation. From day one we opposed General Musharaf military dictatorship. We oppose both American imperialism and religious fanaticism while some feel they must support one side or the other.

On Tuesday January 12, 2010 our friend Daniel Bensaïd, “Bensa” died. Those familiar with Daniel knew he was incurably ill, and had regretfully expected for some weeks news which, though we knew it to be inevitable, we always fought to believe would not come.

The French radical philosopher and political leader, Daniel Bensaïd, died Tuesday morning after fighting a painful cancer for several months at the end of close to 15 years of living with AIDS.

Daniel left us today, Tuesday the 12th of January 2010. Born in 1946 he gave his life to the cause of defending revolutionary Marxist ideas right to the end.