HANDS OFF VENEZUELA & CUBA!
NO TO PLAN COLOMBIA!
U.S. OUT OF GUANTANAMO!

A rally against US intervention in Latin America

speakers include:
Diego Escobar (Colombian trades union activist), Sue Branford (writer & broadcaster on Latin America), Jorge Martin (correspondent for Venezuelan trades union newspaper), Dave Raby (Institute of Latin American Studies, Liverpool), Steve Wilkinson (editor, CubaSí magazine), Denay Monsote (Cuban school student), plus very special guest Mark Thomas (Comedy Product)

Thursday 17th June, 7.30pm
Union Chapel, Compton Terrace, Upper St, London N1 (nearest tube: Highbury & Islington)
suggested donation £2 (£1 low-wage, no-one turned away for lack of funds)

COME TO THE RALLY:

The people of Colombia, Venezuela and Cuba are under attack and face the increasing threat of an Iraq-style war and occupation of their countries.

In Colombia there are already 1000 US troops and military contractors directly involved in counter-insurgency and combat operations. This is part of the $2-billion military assistance package, "Plan Colombia", which aims to prop up the far-right government of Alvaro Uribe by waging a brutal dirty war against its own people. Now the guns are being turned on Venezuela; last month 140 Colombian paramilitaries were arrested inside Venezuelan territory.

Venezuela was number one supplier of oil to the US before the election of leftwinger Hugo Chavez, who ended this and instead started an 'oil-for-doctors' deal with Cuba. Washington supported a traditional coup against him in 2002 which was defeated when hundreds of thousands of supporters (mainly women) rallied and the military rank-and-file rebelled. An employers' lock-out later that year to try and overthrow Chavez also fell apart after two months of popular defiance. Now Washington is preparing military intervention via Colombia.

Meanwhile, the US has taken further steps to strangle the economy of Cuba through savage cuts on travel and donations by Cuban-American families to their relatives. Both Washington and Westminster are openly supporting Cuban mercenary forces and Bush has authorised the use of military planes bordering Cuban airspace for illegal transmission of radio and TV propaganda.

At this rally you will have chance to hear more about the threat of war and US intervention in the region from people who are involved in fighting back.

• In Cuba over a million people in Havana marched in defiance of the new US threats.

• In Venezuela the 'Bolivarian revolution' has mobilised the urban and rural poor in a fight for land, education and health care.

• In Colombia peasant, social and trades union organisations continue to fight for democratic rights in the face of the regime's repression.

Join us at this rally to be part of the resistance against US intervention and war in the region.

Co-organised by Colombia Solidarity Campaign, North London Cuba Solidarity Campaign and Hands Off Venezuela!

 cvc_solidarity@yahoo.co.uk
www.thenewagenda.org/cvc_rally