Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt

The South American resolution was presented to the delegates and warmly received in the final sessions of the assembly. A delegation from the Red Venezolana Contra las Deudas (Venezuelan Network against Debts), the Venezuelan chapter of CADTM, was present at the global event, along with delegations from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia and Haiti, and participants from other parts of the world. The event was also attended by delegates from North Africa (Tunisia and Morocco), Senegal, Niger, Congo, the Central African Republic, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Benin and Togo. Groups from India, Pakistan and Japan also participated. Europe was represented by Belgium, France, Spain, Italy and Luxembourg.

The event dealt with the question of debt as a system of capitalist exploitation and pillaging of countries, and the interrelated subjects of gender, defending the environment against extractivism and other areas linked to the impact of economic and financial practices on the life of peoples and their rights.

The Global Assembly of the network, initially scheduled to be held in Morocco, had to be moved to Tunisia as it was banned by the government of the Moroccan monarchy.

The text of the appeal issued about Venezuela includes an offer for CADTM experts to help with the debt audits carried out in Ecuador and Greece, among other significant activities in which the international network is involved.

The text of the resolution on Venezuela is shown below:

The Committee for Abolition of Illegitimate Debts (CADTM) in South America, Latin America and the Caribbean (CADTM/AYNA), in the context of the Global Assembly of the network, held in Tunisia 26 to 30 April 2016, due to:

• - its concern with the economic, social and political situation in Venezuela, and the pressure applied by capitalist and imperialist interests on the Bolivarian revolution...
• - the weight of (external and domestic) public debt on the availability of resources in the country to meet the needs of the nation and the population amid the current crisis...
• - the statement made by Hugo Chavez at the 2006 World Social Forum (Caracas) in support of a debt audit...
• - the requests made by the Plataforma para la Auditoría Pública y Ciudadana (Platform for Public and Citizens Debt Audits) and as part of this body the Venezuelan chapter of CADTM, “to investigate, detect and carry out actions to stop embezzlement, capital flight and payment of illegitimate debts and to face up to corruption” (a request made before the Republican Moral Council, 15/10/2015 and rejected)...

Resolves:

To appeal to the government of President Nicolas Maduro and to the Venezuelan state to carry out all actions that will:

• - Guarantee maximum transparency and supply of information on public accounts...
• - Ensure a positive reception for the Public Citizens’ Audit and provision of all the facilities for this expression of people power...

CADTM supports these ideas and initiatives and requests that the government should cooperate fully. To this end, in international solidarity, we would like to offer the expertise and support of CADTM, with its experience of participation in debt audits in Ecuador and Greece, promotion of the citizens’ debt audit and popular consultation in Brazil and other countries, and setting up debt tribunals in countries, regions and continents, and various other initiatives.

We send warm regards in solidarity with the Bolivarian revolution and the Venezuelan people.

CADTM AYNA
Tunis, 30 April 2016

Translated from spanish by Joel Lopez-Ferreiro