To the people and government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela:
Please accept our profound and sincere condolences for the loss of Comrade Hugo Chavez.
Comrade Chavez was beloved by millions of oppressed people throughout the world who, like the poor, workers and patriots of Venezuela, valued his bold leadership in the struggle against U.S. and world imperialism.
Compañeros and Compañeras, this message is to confirm the solidarity of the African Socialist International with the people of Venezuela during this difficult time in the struggle against U.S. and world imperialism.
The African Socialist International is a revolutionary Party of African socialists that is committed to the struggle for a liberated, unified and socialist Africa and African people throughout the world. Our unity with the people of Venezuela and the Bolivarian Project remains unflinching.
We recognize that the imperialist vultures will look upon Comrade Chavez’s death as an opportunity to sow mischief. They will escalate their attempts to disrupt the Bolivarian Project that he initiated and that has already changed the character of South American politics and the relationship between the U.S. and those it has historically oppressed in the region.
Compañeras and Compañeros, our commitment to the liberation and unification of Africa and African people does not blind us to the fact that we are also a part of the revolution of the Americas and that the Bolivarian Project is also our project.
We realize that all the efforts of the enemies of the people and government of Venezuela are doomed to fail, that the U.S. and others are attempting to defend a social system whose future is being determined by efforts of the oppressed of the world to retrieve our resources and birthrights from the clutches of a decrepit and dying social system that was born at our expense.
It has been efforts like the Bolivarian Project initiated by President Chavez that is responsible for the crisis that the imperialist system is experiencing worldwide. The U.S. imperialists and the counterrevolutionary traitors in Venezuela are mistaken in their belief that the revolutionary trajectory of the oppressed can be reversed by the death of Commandante Chavez.
The African Socialist International understands Comrade Chavez to have been an instrument of the same historical process that is propelling to victory the peoples of Afghanistan, Palestine, Iraq and Iran, along with those of us in Africa, South America, the Caribbean and within the very bowels of Europe and North America.
Although we also mourn the death of Commandante Chavez we, like you, exult in the certainty that his presence with us on this Earth is but a prediction of the forthcoming victory of socialism and the emancipation of the struggling oppressed masses of the world.
We are reminded of the words of another revolutionary who like Comrade Chavez dared to join the struggle for the emancipation of humanity from the death grip of imperialism:
“Whenever death may surprise us, let it be welcome if our battle cry has reached even one receptive ear and another hand reaches out to take up our arms.”
As Commadante Chavez answered this call after the death of Che Guevara, we too do so upon the death of Commandante Chavez.
Hasta La Victoria Siempre!
We will win!