“Julia Felmanas. PT Londres, stressed the grave danger to Brazil’s democracy, Bolsonaro’s incitement to violence and his persistent threats not to accept the election results.”
By Dr Francisco Dominguez
At the “¡Viva la solidaridad! Latin America’s Left Leads the Way” fringe event organised during Labour Party Conference, an array of speakers showed solidarity with struggles across Latin America, expressing strong support for Brazilian presidential candidate Lula’s victory in the first round at the coming election on October 2nd.
The meeting was hosted by Labour Friends of Progressive Latin America, Brazil Solidarity Initiative, Friends of Ecuador, Venezuela Solidarity Campaign, also supported by PCS, GMB, NEU and Unite and Thompsons Solicitors.
Addressing a packed room with over 150 in attendance over the session there were speakers on Brazil, Nicaragua, Mexico, Venezuela, Bolivia. The meeting also heard from representatives from Thompsons Solicitors, Unite, Young Labour, and special guest Maria Jose Pizarro newly elected Colombian Senator for the new left Pacto Historico Government. Solidarity was also shown by Labour MPs Richard Burgon and John McDonnell.
Though speakers focused on Latin America as a whole, and specific countries, every single one of them dedicated part of their contribution to discuss the situation in Brazil. They denounced Bolsonaro’s threats to Brazilian democracy and expressed strong support for Lula’s candidacy as the best guarantee to recover the rule of law and start the process of restoring social justice, so much damaged by the neoliberal policies applied since Dilma’s impeachment and vastly worsened under Jair Bolsonaro.
The meeting ended with a contribution from Julia Felmanas, coordinator of the Workers’ Party London Nucleus who stressed the grave danger to Brazil’s democracy, Bolsonaro’s incitement to violence and his persistent threats not to accept the election results with false claims of electoral fraud in the coming national elections. Julia called the British Labour Movement to remain vigilant and alert so as not to allow Bolsonaro and his supporters to rob the people of Brazil of their hard-won democracy.
The event concluded with a group photo of all participants holding a banner in support of Lula’s victory.
- Dr Francisco Dominguez is academic and a specialist on Latin America’s contemporary political economy, He also the National Secretary of the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign, and former refugee from Chile’s Pinochet.
- The fringe event was hosted by the Labour Friends of Progressive Latin America, you can follow them on Facebook and twitter.
- You can ask your MP to speak up for Brazilian democracy by signing an urgent Early Day Motion on Brazil – use this handy lobby tool from the Brazil Solidarity Initiative here.
2 thoughts on “Strong support for Brazil’s Lula shown at Labour Party Conference”