3 April 2020 by CADTM , Collective
We publish in English a Latin American and Caribbean appeal launched on 1 April 2020 by a large number of popular movements and political organizations. It calls for a radical response to the crisis linked to Covid-19. This call is supported by the CADTM of Latin America and the Caribbean (CADTM AYNA = CADTM Abya Yala Nuestra América) with members in Colombia, Haiti, Uruguay, Argentina, Venezuela, Brazil and Puerto Rico. This call should be a source of inspiration for popular movements in other continents.
The crisis that Covid-19 has provoked globally presents a crossroads to the peoples of Abya Yala - Latin America. The popular organizations are the first line of resistance against the worst expressions of the decomposing system.
We are going through a complete crisis that threatens life in all its forms. The Covid-19 has become a pandemic at a time when the capitalist crisis is intensifying and economic forces repeatedly try to make the working class bear the onus of restoring the corporate profit Profit The positive gain yielded from a company’s activity. Net profit is profit after tax. Distributable profit is the part of the net profit which can be distributed to the shareholders. rate. This coincides with the weakening of health systems, the deterioration of living conditions and the destruction of the public sector as a result of the neoliberal shift. Asphyxiated by foreign debt, international organisations and the permanent oppression of imperialism against our sovereignty, we are heading for a scenario with very serious consequences.
In an America where we refuse to accept structural adjustment
Structural Adjustment
Economic policies imposed by the IMF in exchange of new loans or the rescheduling of old loans.
Structural Adjustments policies were enforced in the early 1980 to qualify countries for new loans or for debt rescheduling by the IMF and the World Bank. The requested kind of adjustment aims at ensuring that the country can again service its external debt. Structural adjustment usually combines the following elements : devaluation of the national currency (in order to bring down the prices of exported goods and attract strong currencies), rise in interest rates (in order to attract international capital), reduction of public expenditure (’streamlining’ of public services staff, reduction of budgets devoted to education and the health sector, etc.), massive privatisations, reduction of public subsidies to some companies or products, freezing of salaries (to avoid inflation as a consequence of deflation). These SAPs have not only substantially contributed to higher and higher levels of indebtedness in the affected countries ; they have simultaneously led to higher prices (because of a high VAT rate and of the free market prices) and to a dramatic fall in the income of local populations (as a consequence of rising unemployment and of the dismantling of public services, among other factors).
IMF : http://www.worldbank.org/
and the imposition of new imperialist policies, and where our peoples have had first hand experience of major popular uprisings in recent months, the pandemic has become a pretext to legitimize the presence of the armed forces on our territories and to implement adjustment measures along with the deterioration of living conditions for the working class. Likewise, this crisis has once again revealed the brutality of patriarchal violence against women and sexual dissidents, as well as the historical exclusion of indigenous peoples and people of African descent, who are forced to face the pandemic in conditions of extreme vulnerability.
In the best tradition of our people, we are organizations representing the people, workers, peasants, indigenous peoples, feminists, Afro-descendants, piqueteras/ros and neighbours. All are putting their bodies, heads and hearts to work out immediate responses, but also to project a way out of this crisis through a path towards a better society instead of returning to capitalist normalcy. This will be possible if we give of our best as peoples. The community ties and the popular, territorial and regional unity that we maintain during this battle will be part of the fabric that will build the horizons of transformation of our Abya Yala America.
Faced with housing shortages, we occupy territories and build houses; faced with a lack of work, we organize cooperatives, recover factories and tackle closures and layoffs; faced with the bosses’ attacks, we fight for better working conditions; faced with the lack of education, we create schools; faced with the oppression of women and dissidents, we build popular feminism; faced with exploitation, we build grassroots trade union organisations and fight against job insecurity and for decent wages; faced with the climate crisis, we develop agro-ecology; faced with monoculture Monoculture When one crop alone is cultivated. Many countries of the South have been induced to specialize in the production of a commodity for export (cotton, coffee, cocoa, groundnuts, tobacco, etc.) to procure hard currency for debt repayments. and food monopolies, we build peasant agro-food territories to guarantee food sovereignty and autonomy; faced with militarisation, paramilitarism and drug trafficking, we substitute cultures and fight for peace. Our alternative is life against those who offer us death.
In the face of the policy of closing borders and fragmentation, and in the face of xenophobia and neo-fascism proposed from above, we return to the horizon of continental solidarity and the unity of peoples.
Faced with the policies of capitalists aiming to use the crisis as a cover for adjustment, let us intensify and rethink our historical struggles for the defence of territories, life and the socialisation of wealth, let us build popular and community power.
Therefore, we demand from the governments and we call on the people to:
Against the wealth of a few, for the sovereignty of the people!For life! No to the IMF!
While the peoples of Latin America struggle on:
Internationalist solidarity!
List of signatory organisations :
CONAIE Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador-Ecuador
Congreso de los Pueblos-Colombia
MTST Movimiento de Trabajadores Sin Techo-Brasil
CONFENIAE Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas de la Amazonía Ecuatoriana-Ecuador
FPDS Frente Popular Darío Santillán-Argentina
ONIC Organización Nacional Indígena de Colombia-Colombia
FOL Frente de Organizaciones en Lucha- Argentina
Ukamau-Chile
Comité por la Abolición de las deuda ilegítimas CADTM Abya Yala Nuestra América (Colombia, Haití, Uruguay, Argentina, Venezuela, Brasil y Puerto Rico)
CRBZ Corriente Revolucionaria Bolívar y Zamora-Venezuela
CNTE-SNTE Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación-México
AUTE sindicato electricista-Uruguay
Coordinación y Convergencia Nacional Maya Waqib’Kej- Guatemala
CNA Coordinador Nacional Agrario-Colombia
Movimiento de los Pueblos/por un socialismo feminista desde abajo.(Frente Popular Darío Santillán Corriente Nacional-Movimiento por la Unidad Latinoamericana y el Cambio Social -Izquierda Latinoamericana Socialista-Movimiento 8 de Abril)-Argentina
CLOC (ANAMURI, Ranquil, Conaproch, Red Apícola Nacional, ANMI)-Chile
FENASIBANCOL Federación Nacional de Sindicatos Bancarios Colombianos-Colombia
MPA Movimiento de Pequeños Agricultores -Brasil
CRIC Consejo Regional Indígena del Cauca-Colombia
UTT Union de Trabajadores de la Tierra-Argentina
PCN Proceso de Comunidades Negras-Colombia
CONAMURI Organización de Mujeres Campesinas e Indígenas - Paraguay
União Nacional de Trabaladoras(es) Camelôs, Feirantes e Ambulantes do Brasil-Brasil
MICC Movimiento Indigena y Campesino de Cotopaxi - Ecuador
PAPDA Plate-forme haïtienne de Plaidoyer pour un Développement Alternatif-Haiti
Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz-Colombia
Feminismo Comunitario Antipatriarcal - Bolivia
Movimiento Insurgente - Bolivia.
MNCI Movimiento Nacional Campesino Indígena “Somos Tierra”- Argentina
CENPAZ Coordinación Nacional de Paz-Colombia
MBL Movimiento de Barrios en Lucha-Ecuador
Brigadas Populares-Brasil
Zona humanitaria de San pedro del Ingara Chocó Territorio de paz-Colombia
UNORCAC - Unión de Organizaciones Campesinas de Cotacachi - Ecuador
MTD Aníbal Verón-Argentina
FOB Autónoma-Argentina
FOB La Libertaria-Argentina
MTR por la democracia directa-Argentina
FAR Frente Arde Rojo/COPA-Argentina
Frente Popular - Ecuador
Coordinadora Simón Bolívar-Venezuela
Radio al Son del 23-Venezuela
Plataforma de Lucha Campesina- Venezuela
Colectivo Caminos Verdes-Venezuela
FNL Frente Nacional de Lutas -Brasil
Movimiento de Mujeres por la Vida de Cajibio y Popayán-Colombia
Red Emancipa de Educación Popular-Brasil
Feministas del Abya Yala
MPLT Movimiento Pueblo Lucha y Trabajo-Argentina
Pañuelos en Rebeldía-Argentina
Red de la Diversidad-Bolivia
Escuela Popular Permanente-Chile
Juntos! - Juventud en Lucha-Brasil
Fabrika Zurda - Ecuador
FECAOL Movimiento Nacional Campesino - Ecuador
Asociación de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras del Transporte (ASOTRASET) - Ecuador
Corriente Sindical Carlos Chile-Argentina
Colectivo Whipala-Bolivia
Plataforma por la Auditoría Ciudadana de la Deuda de Colombia
OLP Resistir y Luchar-Argentina
Colectivo Alexis Vive-Venezuela
Venceremos Partido de Trabajadores-Argentina
Corriente Social y Política Marabunta-Argentina
Convergencia 2 de Abril-Chile
Democracia Socialista-Argentina
ASL Accion Socialista Libertaria-Argentina
La Junta-Peru.
Venceremos Abriendo Caminos-Argentina
ORG Organización Revolucionaria Guevaristas-Argentina
Organización Política Presentes por el Socialismo «PPS» - Colombia
CPI Corriente Política de Izquierda -Argentina
Secretaria Migrantes y Refugiados UTEP-Argentina
Asamblea Pachamama-Uruguay
Comunidad Mapuche Los Toldos-Argentina
Federación de Estudiantes Universitarios del Ecuador-Ecuador
Movimiento Mujeres Por la Vida-Venezuela
Unión Comunera-Venezuela
Voces Urgentes-Venezuela
Espacio Pedagógico Cultural Fenix-Argentina
Movimiento de Jóvenes por la Patria (JPP-PPT)-Venezuela
Amigos da Terra-Brasil
Centro de Derechos Económicos y Sociales CDES-Ecuador
Red Feminista Ecosocialista de Ecuador-Ecuador
Coordinadora de Pueblos y Organizaciones del Oriente del Estado de México en Defensa de la Tierra, el Agua y su Cultura (CPOOEM)-México
Red de Medios Digitales de comunicación comunitaria y alternativa del Ecuador Infórmate Pueblo-Ecuador
FURIA TRAVA colectiva de travestis feministas abolicionistas-Argentina
Sindicato Mexicano de Electricistas (SME)-Mexico
Nueva Central de Trabajadores (NCT)-Mexico
ANUEE (Asamblea Nacional de Usuarios de Energía Eléctrica)-Mexico
Confederación de Jubilados, Pensionados y Adultos Mayores-Mexico
Partido Revolucionario de los Trabajadores (PRT)-Mexico
Organización Política del Pueblo y los Trabajadores (OPT)-Mexico
Frente Socialista-Mexico
Confederación Unitaria de Comerciantes Minoristas y Trabajadores Autónomos del Ecuador CUCOMITAE-Ecuador
Fórum da Amazônia Oriental FAOR-Brasil
ICA Iglesia Cristiana Ágape-Honduras
Comité de Solidaridad Latinoamericana de Mendoza-Argentina
Asamblea Vecinal ( vecinos en lucha)-Argentina
Fuera la subestación Rigolleau ( contra la contaminación de los campos CEM)-Argentina
Red de barrios irradiados de la R. A.-Argentina
FUNDACIÓN AUDIOVISUAL INDÍGENA WAYAAKUA-Venezuela
MUESTRA INTERNACIONAL DE CINE INDÍGENA DE VENEZUELA MICIV-Venezuela
FUNDACIÓN PUEBLO INDIO DEL ECUADOR-Ecuador
Amigos da Terra America Latina e Caribe-ATALC
Conselho indigenista Milionário-CIMI-Brasil
UNIDAD POPULAR DE ECUADOR-Ecuador
Grupo Carta de Belém-Brasil
Jubileo Sur/Américas
Jubileu Sul Brasil
Asociación Colombiana de Educación al Consumidor-Colombia
Tatagua Colectiva Feminista Conurbano sur Bs.As- Argentina
Comité Oscar Romero de Cádiz-España
Espacio cultural, político y social La Casita en Marabunta-Argentina
Comité Oscar Romero-SICSAL-Chile.
Fundación Helmut Frenz de Educación en Derechos Humanos-Chile.
Observatorio por el Cierre de la Escuela de las Américas-Chile.
Colectivo de Geografía Crítica del Ecuador-Ecuador
TALLER DE “J”ORMACIÓN ESTUDIANTIL RAÍCES - TJER-Colombia
Coordinadora indígena Popular Autónoma (CINPA) Oaxaca -Mexico
Colectivo de mujeres en Resistencia “Sinchi Warmi” - Ecuador
SOA Watch - Observatorio de la Escuela de las Américas
Propuesta TATU
VÓRTICE ESTUDIANTIL ALTERNATIVO
Red Intercontinental de Promoción de la Economía Social Solidaria para Latinoamérica (RIPESS LAC)
Instituto de Desarrollo de la Economía Asociativa (IDEAC)-Republica Dominicana
La Red Nacional de Organizaciones de Economía Solidaria (REDESOL)-Republica Dominicana.
Movimiento Rebelión o Extinción-Argentina
Observatorio Minero Ambiental y Social del Norte del Ecuador OMASNE-Ecuador
Fuerza de Bases-Chile
MPL (Movimiento Popular Liberación)-Argentina
CCRS (Corriente Clasista René Salamanca)-Argentina
Translated by Sushovan Dhar (CADTM India) with the assistance of Vicki Briault Manus
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