January 29, 2006

Between January 23 — 29, 2006, anarchist activists gathered in Caracas for the Alternative Social Forum, coming from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chili, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela. We consider it important to establish a specifically anarchist position that speaks to our experiences and exchanges. In such a spirit we declare the following:

1. In accord with our ideological foundations, we can do no less than confirm our deepest rejection of any and all conceivable form of domination and oppression. Therefore, in order to dispel any doubt, distortion or media manipulation we once again condemn the capitalist regime and the state organization of society, as well as militarism, imperialism, patriarchy, racism, the different forms of captivity, the destruction of the environment, the imposition of a supposedly superior culture and any discourse that implies domination.

2. On the contrary, we are passionate lovers of freedom; we point out and confirm our inspiration in anarchist egalitarianism and the values of solidarity that inform the construction of a genuinely socialist society here and now, a society defined by direct democracy, federalism and self-management that will surpass artificial state boundaries.

3. Likewise, above and beyond the habitual string of good intentions and socialist declarations, we think it appropriate to once again pinpoint that a truly libertarian society can only be the result of conscientious decisions founded in the grassroots and that there is not a single historical example that encourages hope in obscure legalism, engineering from above or strong man messiahs. All of that is nothing more than an anti-emancipatory illusion that must be exposed and discredited.

4. This affirmation is particularly timely and necessary as it seems that a new historical cycle is opening up in Latin America in which the people deposit their anguish and hopes in social-democratic and populist governments, invented to manage the crisis of the dominating system, to perpetuate a cosmeticized and sweetened manifestation of the same. Consequently we reaffirm, with the backing of rich historical experience, that there are no statist or vanguard paths towards a socialist libertarian society. To be credible, such a society must be based on the direct participation of grassroots social movements and their non-negotiable self-managed ascent.

5. We believe that freedom is not merely a destination but also a road and praxis. Therefore, we defend freedoms already won, as well as those yet to be won, during our long journey, resolutely condemning all governments, including those who call themselves revolutionary. Let’s be clear, we oppose all of those who, in Latin America or elsewhere, find their basic inspiration by cutting back on and delaying freedom. We condemn them with absolutely no regards to their “higher” justifications brewed in their delirious imaginations.

6. Lastly, as people belonging to different currents and modalities of anarchist thought and practice, and having shown in real life that it is possible to establish a climate of solidarity and respect among ourselves despite our differences, we wish to emphatically proclaim the possibility and need for our movement to take advantage of the many opportunities to build our network of organization in all ways imaginable. This is and will be our immediate commitment.

Organizations:
Biopoliticos (Colombia)
Colectivo Autonomo Magonista, CAMA (Mexico)
Federacion Libertaria Argentina (FLA)
Comision de Relaciones Anarquistas (CRA) (Venezuela)
Centro de Estudios Sociales Libertarios, CESL (Venezuela)
Ateneo de Contracultura y Estudios Acratas “La Libertaria”, Biscucuy (Venezuela)
The Alarm — Newspaper(USA)
Espacio — Review (Ecuador)
Kolectivo de Objecion por Konciencia ART (Colombia)
Movimiento Libertario Cubano (MLC)
Grupo de Estudos Libertarios Babilonia (Brazil)
Cruz Negra Anarquista (Venezuela)

Individuals:
Luís Prat, delegate IWW (USA)
Andreas Speck (Alemania)
Javier Garate (Chili)
Marina Legaz Bursuk, delegate F.L.A & I.F.A. (Argentina)
Sylvia C. Jimenez (Bolivia)
Erica Lagalisse (Canada)
Daniel Barret (Uruguay)
Santiago Cadena, Espacio Review (Ecuador)
Kristina Dunaeva (Russia/Brazil)
Eduardo Rodriguez, FAL-Valencia (Venezuela)
Luis Jimenez, CRA/CA3 (Venezuela)
Jim Ochoa, CRA/Union — Rache y CA3 (Venezuela)
Lizardo Said Lugo, CRA/CESL (Venezuela)
Salvador Mendez, CRA/CESL (Venezuela)
Ender Ynfante (Venezuela)
Humberto Decarli (Venezuela)
Karina Araujo (Brazil)
Iva Gouvea Bocchini (Brazil)
Gustavo Rodriguez (Movimiento Libertario Cubano)
Sebastian @, Kolectivo de Objecion por Konciencia Art (Colombia)
Rob Block (USA)
Sarah Coffey (USA)
Cristian Guerrero — Arizona Earth First! (USA)
Individuals of Canada, Colombia, Spain, U.K., Italy, France and Venezuela.