Conclusions of Second Continental Conference in Mexico City (Part 1 of 3 Parts) -- April 4-6, 2008

CONCLUSIONS

On April 4-6, 2008, the Second Continental Conference took place in Mexico City with 283 delegates in attendance. During the different phases of the conference, leaders, workers and activists from 16 countries participated: Mexico, the United States, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Costa Rica, Cuba, Martinique, Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia, Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

The conference took place at a moment when the nations and working people of the continent are facing an unprecedented offensive, particularly through the implementation of the "Free Trade" Agreements and the threats of war.

In the face of this offensive, the peoples have said "Enough!" This can be seen throughout the continent through strikes, demonstrations, elections, and more. The peoples have said: "The nation is not for sale; It must be defended!" - "The oil belongs to the peoples, not to the multinational corporations!" - "The gas is Bolivia's!" - "Defend the nationalized enterprises!" - "Defend Pemex!" - "No to war! For the unity of the nation!"

For all these reasons, the peoples are saying "no" to the "Free Trade" Agreements that destroy the material bases of national sovereignty and unity, undermining all the rights of the workers and peoples.

The peoples of the continent are resisting the policies that dismantle national sovereignty and workers' rights. This is most evident in the following examples:

- In the revolutionary process in Venezuela: We support unconditionally all the measures taken by the Venezuelan government that reclaim control over the country's natural resources -- the defense of PDVSA (oil), the renationalization of the steel and cement enterprises (particularly Cemex, the private Mexican company that controlled more than 50% of Venezuela's market in this industry), etc. We support the struggle for the defense of the unity and sovereignty of Venezuela. The central goal of the U.S. government is to crush the revolutionary process in Venezuela to ensure its domination of the continent.
- In the unfolding processes in Bolivia and Ecuador that have won gains in the direction of national sovereignty and, for that reason, are also threatened by the forces subordinated to the U.S. government. Similarly, the sovereignty and gains of the Cuban people are also threatened. That is why the demand for an end to the U.S.-imposed embargo of Cuba is more urgent than ever!

- In the movement of resistance in defense of Pemex in Mexico promoted by the National Democratic Convention (CND), the National Front in Defense of Oil, and the Legitimate Government of Mexico headed by Andrés Manuel López Obrador -- which are forming action committees in all the states across Mexico in addition to a large number of brigades in defense of the oil resources.
- In the struggle of Black people in the United States against the policies of ethnic cleansing implemented by the U.S. government at all levels, using the pretext of Hurricane Katrina. This system-made devastation points to the future that the U.S. government has in store for all the peoples of the world, including its own people.

- In the struggle of the people of the United States against war, against NAFTA, and against the criminalization of immigrants, as expressed in the May 1, 2006 protests of millions of people in many of the major cities of that country.

- In the struggle in Brazil against privatization, in defense of oil, and for the renationalization of the Vale do Rio Doce corporation.

- In the workers' movement of Peru, which has announced a general strike against the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement and against the privatizations decreed by the Alan García government, following the orders of the IMF.

Every day, resistance is growing from the North to the South of the continent.

Why Are the Peoples Mobilizing?

In the case of Mexico, the Mexican delegates responded to this question with the following information:

- The delegate of the National Union of Agricultural Workers (UNTA) explained that millions of peasants cannot cultivate their land because of the opening of the market to corn and beans from the United States.

- The same delegate added that NAFTA is the cause of the massive expulsion of Mexican peasants from their lands: In the 1960s, an estimated 29,000 people migrated each year to the United States; by 2006, this number has reached 455,000 per year.

- Other delegates reported that the Mexican people have suffered from the price hikes of basic goods, at a moment when the usurper government of Felipe Calderón aims to sell off Pemex, Mexico's national oil corporation, to the multinational corporations -- even though Pemex provides 40% of the revenues for the state budget!
- The delegates of the National Mineworkers Union of the Mexican Republic explained that the Mexican government denies the right to strike and to unionization. The teachers of Section 22 of the SNTE-CNTE (Oaxaca) explained that the counter-reform of ISSSTE, the national healthcare and social security system for all federal employees, has pushed back the retirement age of all public-sector workers and handed over the retirement funds to the multinational banks (Citigroup, BBVA, Santander, etc.) They added that this devastating counter-reform of ISSSTE marked its one-year anniversary on April 1.

The delegates of the United States explained that in the most powerful country of the world:

- Immigrants who are looking for a job to feed their families and are raising the demand of the "Right Not to Emigrate," face "militarized borders, increased repression, maquiladoras [sweatshops], and "Free Trade" treaties that are transforming all the regions of Mexico into "free trade zones" -- where Mexico's labor rights and gains are denied to the workers and where the wages are one-tenth of what they are north of the border. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants have had "guest-worker" status, with no labor rights, imposed on them in the United States.

- In New Orleans, the federal, state, and municipal governments have implemented a policy of "ethnic cleansing" in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina -- in the words of a Reconstruction Movement activist from New Orleans -- "to expel the Black majority and thus modify the relationship of forces in the city." This resulted in "the election of a majority-white City Council for the first time in 30 years, a Council whose first act was to approve the destruction of thousands of units of public housing." By denying the Right to Return to the people displaced by Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana is being transformed into "the first state with a completely privatized education system."

- Against the mandate given to the Democratic Party in the 2006 mid-term elections to end the Iraq war, the Democrats have continued to the fund the war. Cynthia McKinney -- presidential candidate for the "Power to the People" coalition, who is promoting the effort to launch a Reconstruction Party -- explained:

"Finally, after watching the Democratic Party aid and abet the Bush Administration's crimes against humanity and crimes against the peace, I left the Democratic Party."

The delegates of other countries of the continent gave other examples of the same phenomenon:

- The people of Ecuador, upon whom weighs "the threat of war after the aggression committed by the Colombian Army," are "deeply worried about their drinking water, which is being privatized. Water is a vital element, but in the hands of the corporations it will only serve to increase the profits of the transnational corporations."

- In Brazil, the workers of the public sector face the threat of the liquidation of their public services, after being subjected to the counter-reform of social security that reduced their rights. At the same time, the government continues to pay back the foreign debt at a moment when the citizens of Rio de Janeiro are experiencing a dengue epidemic because of a lack of public health services.

- The people of Haiti, occupied by military forces of the United Nations under Brazilian command, are being plunged into barbarism. The Second Continental Conference fully supports the letter to Brazilian President Ignacio "Lula" da Silva presented to the conference by Haitian delegate David Josue, which states: "President Lula da Silva, what would you say to Mr. Fredi Romelus for the terrible loss of his one-year-old son, Nelson Romelus? What was Nelson's crime? Why was he executed by soldiers under your command?"

- The conference delegates also underscored the fact that the offensive against the peoples and workers particularly affects the youth:

- In all countries unemployment is rising and living conditions have become so precarious that no future seems to exist for youth. Young people are pushed into drug-addiction and prostitution.

- Youth are the first victims of war. In the United States, "children of the working class have less and less access to universities," which are more and more expensive and are threatened with destruction due to budget cuts linked to the financing of the war. "Youth of color are especially targeted by military recruiters to be sent to kill their own oppressed brothers and sisters" and to be killed by them. This is the reality recalled at the conference's opening rally by Cindy Sheehan, whose son Casey died exactly four years ago in Iraq. Sister Sheehan continues to fight tirelessly to end the U.S. occupation of Iraq and to withdraw all U.S. troops from that war-ravaged nation.

- In Mexico, "public education is threatened by the 'Free Trade' Agreement," which is expressed through the privatization of schools, the reduction of the courses offered, the budget cuts, and the entry of the multinational corporations into this sector.

The presentations of the delegates demonstrated that workers and nations are victimized by the implementation of the "Free Trade" Agreements imposed in all forms by the U.S. government. After the failure of the FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas), the U.S. administration has decided to push forward with its policies "by any means necessary," including by bilateral and regional agreements.

At a moment when the "subprime" mortgage crisis is tending to become a generalized financial and economic crisis, the U.S. government wants the peoples of the world to pay for this crisis by allowing speculators to recover billions of dollars lost in the financial markets between the summer of 2007 and February 2008.

For that reason, the U.S. government feels it must go all the way in the dismantling of the sovereignty of nations and peoples, submitting their natural resources and peoples to full-throttle pillage and ruthless exploitation.

As one delegate stated, "The 'Free Trade' Agreements aim to eliminate all rights and privatize all public services." Indeed, with the "Free Trade" Agreements, the U.S. government wants to liquidate the sovereign rights of the peoples, their democratic rights, and the rights won by the workers through their organizations.
The Second Continental Conference understands that the policies of the U.S. government are responsible for the attacks on the peoples and workers of our continent, but we do not confuse or equate the U.S. government with the people of the United States. The workers and youth of the United States have the same interests as the workers and youth of the world. This was demonstrated by the numerous interventions of the U.S. delegates to this conference. U.S. working people and youth are also victims of the "Free Trade" Agreements and the policies of war promoted by the U.S. government.

In Mexico, 14 years of NAFTA have led to the destruction of the Mexican countryside and to the emigration of millions of Mexicans to the United States, leading to a reduction in rights, jobs, and wages of workers even in the United States. This has been deepened with Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) and the Merida Initiative. SPP, following on the heels of NAFTA, means the full privatization of Pemex and of the state-run electricity and water systems. It means the dismantling of the public social security and health-care systems. It means corporate-backed "counter-reforms" to the country's national Labor Code. It also means militarization and the criminalization of all social movements in the name of "the fight against narcotraffic and terrorism."

Through the full opening of Mexico's grain markets -- as demanded by NAFTA's latest agreement on agricultural commodities (signed into law on January 1, 2008) -- and with the proposed privatization of PEMEX, all the historic gains of the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1917 are under fire.

At a moment when the 70th anniversary of the expropriation of the foreign oil companies is being commemorated, and when "the country's oil profits are about US$20 trillion, which is more than enough to build the three oil refineries that the country needs," as Claudia Sheinbaum, national coordinator of the National Front in Defense of Oil, explained to the opening rally of the Second Continental Conference, the fraudulent Calderón government aims to open PEMEX to the U.S. and Spanish oil companies. Sheinbaum added that, "they call this strategic alliances or autonomous management, but the fundamental objective is to promote the entry of private capital, particularly foreign capital, into Mexico's oil industry."

Yes, the goal is the submission of all nations to the dictates of the U.S. government. This is the true function of the "Free Trade" Agreements.

In Iraq, in Afghanistan, in the countries of the African continent, in the Balkans, this policy is expressed through war. Now Bush is saber-rattling on our continent, as was seen in the violation of the sovereignty of Ecuador perpetrated by the Colombian government, during which more than 40 people were assassinated, including four Mexican students. This action was widely denounced by the peoples and workers of the continent, as was expressed in the Preparatory Meeting for the Second Continental Conference that took place in Quito, Ecuador, on March 6, and that issued a declaration which stated: "U.S. war machine: Hands off Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela! The workers and peoples want peace, not war!"
In the face of the offensive of the U.S. government and these "Free Trade" Agreements, it is urgently necessary that we forge together the unity of the workers and peoples in defense of peace, sovereignty, and our democratic conquests!

To resist, the workers and peoples need to ensure "the respect of their fundamental rights," particularly "the right to trade union freedoms and the right to Constitutions that includes equal rights." They also need to defend their independent organizations. (1)

The Second Continental Conference decided to forge the unity in struggle against the policies of destruction imposed on the workers and peoples of the whole continent.

We will participate in the actions on May 1 throughout the continent called by the union, social, and popular organizations on the basis of the demands put forward by the Second Continental Conference, including in the United States, where the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) has called for an 8-hour work stoppage on May 1 against the war in Iraq. In addition, a mass national march for immigrants' rights (Gran Marcha Nacional) is being organized in the United States on May 1st.

An International Struggle That Requires a United Resistance

As was explained in the opening rally of the conference, the continent of the Americas is not the only one subjected to this offensive -- and we are not the only peoples looking to organize a united resistance:

-- In Paris, France, on February 2-3, 2008, there took place the European Conference against the European Union, a war machine against labor rights, social security, and the existence of sovereign nations on this continent. A stand was taken against the Lisbon Treaty, which implements the European Constitution rejected in 2005 by the French and Dutch peoples.

-- In Caçak, Serbia, on October 27-28, 2007, worker activists from the ex-USSR, Eastern Europe, and the Balkans met and expressed their rejection of "policies of destruction, war, and privatization." These policies have led to the recent proclamation of the so-called "independence" of Kosovo, but the Caçak delegates vowed to fight for the free union of peoples of the region and for the "defense, reconquest, and renationalization of the privatized companies and resources."

-- In Mumbai, India, on January 19-20, 2008, an Asian Conference "For Peace, National Self-Determination, and the Independence of the Workers' Movement in the Face of World Governance, and For the Defense of Threatened Social Property in China" took place, with activists from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and China.

At the three conferences, the need was expressed to organize a world conference to discuss the ways and means to roll back the offensive against the peoples and nations and to fight for the unity of the processes of resistance on an international level.
For these reasons, the Second Continental Conference supports to the call for an Open World Conference "For Peace, Against War, For Democracy and Social Justice, Against Exploitation, and For the Independence of Organizations and National Sovereignty," which could take place in New York City. [See Appendix No. 1.]

This initiative is being proposed jointly "by the New York City chapter of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (NYC LCLAA), the International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples (ILC), and the National Democratic Convention (CND) of Mexico."

The first signers of this appeal, who have constituted a Conference Organizing Committee, are the following:
- Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, National Commission in Defense of Mexico's Oil Resources / Comisión Nacional en Defensa del Petróleo (Mexico)
- Daniel Gluckstein, Coordinator, International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples (ILC)
- Eduardo Rosario, Member, Executive Committee, New York City chapter of LCLAA
- Pío López Obrador, Convención Nacional Democrática, Chiapas (Mexico)
- Eduardo Alcívar, Member, National Constituent Assembly (Ecuador)
- Nivardo Rodríguez Morales, On behalf of Section 22, SNTE-CNTE, Oaxaca (Mexico)
- Cynthia McKinney, Presidential candidate of the Power to the People coalition (United States)
- Cindy Sheehan, Gold Star Mother and independent candidate for U.S. Congress (United States)
- Salomé Herber Aguilar, Secretary of Social Conflicts and Housing, National Union of Mineworkers of Mexico / Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores Mineros Metalúrgicos y Similares de la Republica Mexicana (SNTMMSRM)
- Kali Akuno, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, Peoples Hurricane Relief Fund (United States)
- Baldemar Velasquez, President, Farm Labor Organizing Committee, FLOC-AFL-CIO (United States)
- Luis Vázquez Villalobos, Organizing Committee, Second Continental Conference (Mexico)
- David Josué, Mes Freres et S¦urs (Haiti)
- Marc-Antoine Poinson, Socialist Workers Party (Haiti)
- Al Rojas, Frente de Mexicanos en el Exterior (United States)
- Tiffany Burns, Camp Casey Peace Institute (United States)
- Alan Benjamin, Co-coordinator, Open World Conference Continuations Committee (United States)
- Fernando Ferro, Federal Deputy, Workers Party (Brazil)
- Markus Sokol, Member, National Executive Board, Workers Party (Brazil)
- Antonio Carlos Spis, United Federation of Oil Workers (FUP); member of National Executive Committee of Central Única de Trabajadores / CUT) (Brazil)
- Julio Turra, Member, National Executive Committee of the CUT trade union federation (Brazil)
- Ramiro Guerrero C., President, Comité de Empresa de los trabajadores de Petrocomercial (Ecuador)
- Elie Domota, General Secretary, General Union of Workers of Guadeloupe / UGTG (Guadeloupe)
- Aarón Hernández Jarillo, Member, Frente de Trabajadores de la Energía (México)
- Luis Mesina, General Secretary, Bankworkers Union (Chile)

The Second Continental Conference invites all organizations of the cities and countryside; and all union, political, and social organizations who defend national sovereignty, peace, and workers' rights and organizations, to sign on to this declaration and to join the Organizing Committee of the Open World Conference.

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Endnote
(1) Members of the Ecuadoran delegation also raised the following demands: End the contract with Petrobras; respect the fundamental and universal rights established in the Ecuadoran Constitution, such as the right to collective bargaining, association, and labor stability; reject the proposal of the Ecuadoran Ministry of Labor concerning the proposal to divide workers and eliminate the trade union organizations; provide a solution to the pensioners of the EMELEC and PetroEcuador; defend PetroEcuador.

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CALL FOR A WORLD CONFERENCE
We -- the undersigned, leaders of union, political, and popular organizations -- on the basis of the two days of work of the Second Continental Conference Against Free Trade Agreements, In Defense of the Sovereignty of Peoples, and Against Privatizations, have reached the conclusion that the issues that are faced by the peoples and nations of the Americas are also faced by the peoples and nations of the world.

We propose the organization of a World Conference, open to all workers' organizations, political organizations, people's organizations, and social organizations, with the goal of helping the resistance that exists throughout the world as well as discussing and sharing experiences concerning the following points:
-- The defense of the sovereignty of nations, particularly their sovereignty over the control of their natural resources and the protection of the environment, against any form of foreign intervention, which presupposes the right of all nations and peoples to live freely and to question the "Free Trade" Agreements and the regional institutions that oppose the sovereignty of nations.

-- Opposition to war and military interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the entire world, which are in contradiction with the right to self-determination of these peoples and are the source of desolation, oppression, and exploitation for the peoples and nations upon whom the military interventions are inflicted, as well as for the peoples of the countries whose governments are the military aggressors, particularly the working people in the United States.

-- In defense of all democratic and social conquests, beginning with the defense of all the rights won by the workers (including the defense of the ILO conventions), for the right to collectively organize to defend their interests against all the attempts to question them or subordinate them to the international and national institutions and to the governments.

For peace, against war, for democracy, human rights and social justice, against exploitation, for the independence of organizations, and for the sovereignty of nations and peoples.

These are the conditions for building a free union of sovereign nations and free peoples of the whole world -- freed from exploitation, oppression, and misery.
These are the themes upon which we propose that an Open World Conference be organized.

We have been informed that the New York City chapter of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) has expressed a willingness to host such a world conference.

We support this initiative proposed jointly by NYC-LCLAA, the International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples, and the National Democratic Convention of Mexico.

Initial Signatories of Conference Organizing Committee:

- Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, National Commission in Defense of Mexico's Oil Resources / Comisión Nacional en Defensa del Petróleo (Mexico)
- Daniel Gluckstein, Coordinator, International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples (ILC)
- Eduardo Rosario, Member, Executive Committee, New York City chapter of LCLAA
- Pío López Obrador, Convención Nacional Democrática, Chiapas (Mexico)
- Eduardo Alcívar, Member, National Constituent Assembly (Ecuador)
- Nivardo Rodríguez Morales, On behalf of Section 22, SNTE-CNTE, Oaxaca (Mexico)
- Cynthia McKinney, Presidential candidate of the Power to the People coalition (United States)
- Cindy Sheehan, Gold Star Mother and independent candidate for U.S. Congress (United States)
- Salomé Herber Aguilar, Secretary of Social Conflicts and Housing, National Union of Mineworkers of Mexico / Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores Mineros Metalúrgicos y Similares de la Republica Mexicana (SNTMMSRM)
- Kali Akuno, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, Peoples Hurricane Relief Fund (United States)
- Baldemar Velasquez, President, Farm Labor Organizing Committee, FLOC-AFL-CIO (United States)
- Luis Vázquez Villalobos, Organizing Committee, Second Continental Conference (Mexico)
- David Josué, Mes Freres et S¦urs (Haiti)
- Marc-Antoine Poinson, Socialist Workers Party (Haiti)
- Al Rojas, Frente de Mexicanos en el Exterior (United States)
- Tiffany Burns, Camp Casey Peace Institute (United States)
- Alan Benjamin, Co-coordinator, Open World Conference Continuations Committee (United States)
- Fernando Ferro, Federal Deputy, Workers Party (Brazil)
- Markus Sokol, Member, National Executive Board, Workers Party (Brazil)
- Antonio Carlos Spis, United Federation of Oil Workers (FUP); member of National Executive Committee of Central Única de Trabajadores / CUT) (Brazil)
- Julio Turra, Member, National Executive Committee of the CUT trade union federation (Brazil)
- Ramiro Guerrero C., President, Comité de Empresa de los trabajadores de Petrocomercial (Ecuador)
- Elie Domota, General Secretary, General Union of Workers of Guadeloupe / UGTG (Guadeloupe)
- Aarón Hernández Jarillo, Member, Frente de Trabajadores de la Energía (México)
- Luis Mesina, General Secretary, Bankworkers Union (Chile)

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STILL TO COME IN REPORT-BACK PARTS 2 and 3:

- Report and Conclusions of Conference Workshops, with Action and Solidarity Campaigns proposed to the Conference

- Texts of Action / Solidarity Campaigns submitted to the Conference

- Opening Rally Keynote Presentations and Plenary Presentations to Conference

- Selected background documents submitted to the Conference

- Report on Conference Delegates' March, following the Conference, to the rally of 10,000 women Brigadistas at the Monument to the Revolution to defend Mexico's oil resources, organized by the National Democratic Convention and the Front to Defend Mexico's Oil, with copy of the greetings from the Conference to the Rally

- Press clips on the conference from the Mexican press

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Also, please note that a PDF version of the Conference's Conclusions Statement, including the Conclusions of the Workshops & Campaigns, will be available shortly in English and with photos ...