An anti-capitalist voice from youth, women and the working class

Together with dozens of young people, workers, family and friends, the launch of pre-candidacies for the municipal elections from the Revolutionary Workers Party in Antofagasta took place this Saturday the 22nd at the Socialist Cultural House “Desierto Rojo”.

The night began with music by Danicheloca, the musical artistic work of school teacher Patricio Cariola, an activist in defense of public education a decade ago and leader of the Union of Teachers and Education Professionals. With songs such as “Cry for freedom”, “Rieles” or “Eyes”, Daniela Avilés together with Benjamìn Avilés, also a basic education teacher, highlighted different struggles, such as against police impunity for the more than 400 mutilated eyes and freedom of the political prisoners of the revolt; as well as the history kept by the railway that crosses the city, the history of the working class.

Then the Puerto Seco tribute band – made up of workers and students – stood out once again for their impeccable interpretation of well-known boleros such as “La Nave del Olvido”, “Procuro Olvidarte” or “El Gran Tirano”, and offered their support to raise a alternative for workers.

The words announcing this political alternative began with Dauno Totoro, national leader of the PTR and panelist of the debate program Sin Filtros, who accompanied this activity directly from Santiago. Who highlighted that in an uncertain international scenario marked by phenomena such as War and the genocide of the Palestinian people, the ultra-right has advanced in the last elections, as in the last votes of the European Parliament.

Totoro emphasized “but the extreme right does not advance alone. There are those responsible. The right-wing policies applied by both progressives and conservatives pave the way for it. Imperialism seeks to increase looting… and basically, what explains this unstable situation is that “harmonious growth” is over and the capitalist powers are more brutally fighting over the distribution of the economy.”

Furthermore, in this international political scenario, where the real right cannot be confronted with a false left, he highlighted the example of the comrades from other groups of the Fourth International Trotskyist Fraction, to which the PTR belongs, which also They have been using the electoral platforms to wage political battles for a consistent left-wing alternative.

As a Permanent Revolution in France with the nomination of Anasse Kazib, a railway worker, the candidacies of the Revolutionary Current of Workers in Spain to the European Parliament, or the exemplary performance that the PTS parliamentarians have given for years in the service of the workers’ struggles and popular in Argentina, with Myriam Bregman, Nico del Caño, Ale Vilca and Christian Castillo.

For her part, the current councilor Natalia Sanchez, highlighted that “we have advanced with our mandate of struggle” showing the different examples where this tool has been used in the service of strengthening and organizing the struggles of the working class and the popular sectors in the commune for the last three years. Highlighting the examples of organization that rise up against all resignation and that must be cared for and protected, in the face of a right that has nothing to offer and an officialdom that barely aspires for crumbs.

Sanchez ended with the invitation to the attendees, announcing that “it will not be a simple campaign, because we are fighting great enemies and adversaries. We will need the support of each and every one of you in this fight. “We invite you to raise these ideas together, to form agitation commands in these elections, so that revolutionary ideas reach tens of thousands.”

In that same sense, Mia Valdivia, president of the SigloXXI Health Union, highlighted the recent fight that the cleaning workers have been waging, denouncing the anti-union, arbitrary and discriminatory practices of the company, after the recent announcements of dismissals of 20 workers who expressed their discontent with the recent water leak that left the Regional Hospital laboratory without service and which is part of continuous failures that worsen care conditions and a constant work overload. The attendees joined a photo campaign in solidarity and against layoffs.

During the day there was also a relaxed atmosphere of conversation and exchange between workers, young people and women. With a stand of photos and information from the groups Pan y Rosas and Vencer, the fight of youth at an international level in support of the Palestinian cause was also raised, within the framework of pride month. There was also an exhibition of books from the IPS publishing house, at a Socialist Ideas stand, with interesting titles such as “Bread and Roses”, “Women, Revolution and Socialism”, “The Theory of Permanent Revolution” or “The Communist Manifesto”. .

The night ended with the participation of cumbia, celebration, salsa and pachanga from “Mosaico”, leaving a festive mood in the face of the exciting challenge to raise an anti-capitalist voice in the face of the elections, to reach tens of thousands with this alternative.