 Okay, everyone, thanks for your patience. We're ready. So let's, let's start. So to our live audience on code pink YouTube and Twitter. Oh, we are going to do tonight's broadcast in Spanish and English. And so you can join us if you need want translation. I will let me put into the live chat on YouTube, the link. And then we can get started. You can join us on YouTube. If you want the want the interpretation Spanish to English English to Spanish or feel free to stay with us on code pink YouTube live and on Twitter. I want to welcome all of you to what the F is going on in Latin America and the Caribbean code pinks weekly YouTube program of hot news out of the region. In partnership with common frontiers, Council on Hemispheric Affairs, Friends of Latin America, Massachusetts Peace Action, and Task Force on the Americas we broadcast every Wednesday for 30pm Pacific, 730pm Eastern on code pink YouTube live. You can also now find us on Apple podcast Spotify telegram, and at radindymedia.com. As I mentioned before our conversation will be bilingual with Spanish English English Spanish interpretation, and that will be available via zoom and again I will post that in the YouTube chat for all of you. Today's episode is entitled social movements community organizing political formation and electoral wins. This episode was inspired by a fantastic group of women. Throughout the Americas of whom I am very privileged to have worked with over the years but specifically in the run up to Pedro, that throw and Francia Garcia's electoral win in Columbia on seven. And so this is really I'm sorry I'm kind of a little choked up talking to all of you this evening because I love all these women and we've had just such wonderful encounters working together and some wonderful success and we want to share with you the roots of that of that success because this theme for today's topic is something I think that those of you who are regular. Part of our regular audience, you will recognize this theme we've had a year plus of elections throughout the Americas and every time we have covered one of these elections beginning in Bolivia and October of 2020 all the way through Columbia of summer of this year. Every time we've covered the elections pre during and post we've come up with him talked about the importance or at least touched on the importance of movement building to organize communities organized nationally provide political political formation, eventually develop candidates and electoral platform and ultimately win office for center left and even revolutionary left government so we've had enormous success in the past 14 plus months. And so tonight we're going to talk to you about that that theme is going to be the whole evening's discussion, and we're going to do. So we're going to focus on four countries. And so I want to. Let me just tell you how we're going to structure the evening and then I want you to meet the four, the four women will be talking with us tonight. So we're going to do this in a in a chronological order we're going to start with Nicaragua. I'm going to talk about how Nicaragua was able to preserve Sandismo and the FSL and during the neoliberal years, and how they were able to hold the community together politically, electorally, motivationally, ideologically to reelect a second country that needs to government in 2006. Then we are going to talk about Honduras, and the enormous success we saw in Honduras in November of last year, and how Honduras was able again to build a movement to build a party political coming out of the 2009 coup took them, I don't know Lucy 12 years, 12 determined years but then the people of Honduras were able to overturn the coup government of 2009, and an election our Castro November of last year as well. Then we're going to move on to Columbia because Columbia just saw enormous governmental economic and political change this summer. So we're going to talk about how that all happened. And finally, we will discuss Brazil Brazil is still on the electoral horizon October 2 of this year, and we'll talk about what's happening on the ground in Brazil now to again have a cohesive political social movement and and, and hopefully change the government in Brazil in October of this year. So, what I were first going to talk about Nicaragua. So let me introduce to you, Kalalia. No, sorry that's Brazil. Oops, I'm in my I'm on the wrong part of my notes I apologize. Okay, we're going to start with Nicaragua sorry. I want you to meet Lola Esquivel. She is the founder of La Gloria Quintanilla women's cooperative, which is a member of the World Workers Association atc and some of you in the audience know a friends of the atc and remember that terrific delegation of March of 2021 that Erica to kale led for us and was enormously successful and of course we met. We met Lola on that trip and and again in January of this year. So Lola welcome. Are you with us. Good afternoon. Rita Lucy Terry Elizabeth and Claudia. For me is a gusto estar aquí compartiendo y este tema tan importante. Nosotras las mujeres como organización decirle pues que. En los años 90, verdad, dieciséis años de neoliberalismo so portamos nosotras principalmente las mujeres. Fue una vida triste, verdad, porque primero vivimos todo el tiempo es clavitud consomosa. Pero para nosotros lo más duro que ha sido en 1990 fue la parte de las mujeres en la manera de vivir de la tierra que todo lo que. Nosotras habíamos recuperado. Todo lo que hemos recuperado pues en 1990 perdimos. Estamos hablando de dos millones de tierra. El 25 por ciento está el mano a mujeres y retroceder una lucha que nos costó y retroceder para atrás. Pues para nosotros duro porque ya hay compañeras que murieron compañeras que hoy no tan. Verdad, pero gracias a nuestra organización que la asociación de trajones del campo nos mantuvo vivo. Capacitándonos reuniendo clandestinamente porque cuando ya violeta para empezar con este gobierno a pesar que era una mujer. Nosotros teníamos una ilusión que al ser una mujer presidenta todo iba a cambiar y no fue así fue peor porque se nos mandó a la calle. Y nosotras venimos aquí a Managua a la uca y allí nos tiramos en las calles haciendo protesta con nuestros hijos mujeres embarazadas. No movilizamos más como unas tres mil personas para hacer sin vergüenzar al gobierno pues que se sintiera vergonzada la presidenta. Que no era justo que nos volara las calles ya que nosotros veníamos de ser obrero agrícola. Andar volando machete a somos y al llegar a ya nuestras tierras lo sacaron. Entonces pero se mantuvo la sostenibilidad de nosotras y la fe que tuvimos y lo grande verdad trabajar 10 años de lucha. En esa parte con con doña Violeta y Arnoldo Alemán. Con Arnoldo Alemán pues fue peor porque se presentó el huracanis que nos corpió en Nicaragua muy fuerte a los productores. Nos corpió duro y también el destino plata para su riqueza pero nunca para el pueblo. Entonces siempre nosotros sosteniendo la tierra sosteniendo no teníamos ninguna casita donde reunirnos. No habían condiciones pero logramos nosotros a través de la organización luchar juntarnos en los sindicatos. Primer sindicato que formamos el de Ismelda Gonzales y eso nos dio fortaleza a las mujeres. Para que nosotros tolleramos unidad porque cuando un pueblo en una comunidad. Podemos estar organizado pero si tenemos un gobierno que no tiene políticas públicas. Jamás retrocedemos y pió un gobierno que ponía las tierras a subastarla. A quienes se las subastaba por lo menos a los pelas a a los a los a esto los carriones. A muchos empresarios que hoy verdad este ellos tienen manzanas de tierra son empresarios muy fuerte en Nicaragua. Y que a la parte de eso nos hacen daño porque se nos nos fríen el medio ambiente se nos lleva nuestras riquezas. Entonces por toda esa lucha nosotros nos juntamos y dijimos nos vamos a sostener estos dieciséis años de neoliberalismo. Sabiendo que no teníamos agua no teníamos luz no teníamos casas. La mujer era éramos invisibilizada había mucha violaciónes a nuestro derecho. Inrespeto de ellos con sus alcaldías en el poder no éramos vistas nosotros. Más que la asociación de traores del campo es una organización de izquierda muy reconocida en Nicaragua. Y nuestra base peor y yo me acuerdo que una vez ellos le dieron una lista roja en 1994. Y ahí salió mi nombre estaba en lista roja sea que ni mi familia ni mis amigos podían entrar a trabajar. Y nosotros así pues no nos da vergüenza creando sembrando chayote rajando leña para poder sobrevivir. Y nuestra comunidad donde yo estoy pues esa comunidad desde antes verdad estamos hablando de 1979 revolucionaria. Sandinita talos cachos pues peor nos tenían aislado totalmente no componían camino sea ellos nos querían determinar ahí que no existieran para qué para dejar esa 879 manzanas de tierra en mano de ellos. Y pues luchamos ahí produciendo sacando hasta que vení vino este. Bolaño otro terrateniente que ese nos decía que nos remangaron la camisa la manga para ir a sembrar. Y sembrábamos una dos manzanas. Pero si yo sacaba 20 quintales tenía que regresarle a quiénes a ellos. Y eso era común. Imagínese nosotros hoy pues en día nosotros tenemos organizada tres mil quinientas mujeres. Yo como departamento managua ya no llegamos los 17 departamentos. Entonces imagínese cuánta plata cuánto grano básico el entraba en ese gobierno. Y lo más vergonzoso que no había educación no había salud. Las mujeres se morían ahí dando a luz este una ir a la escuela no se iba todo era este privatizado. Ellos privatizaron la luz en esos gobiernos. Entonces los dieciséis años por eso nosotros le decimos los dieciséis años en el liberalismo. Juimos sufrido pero tuvimos una recompensa que hoy pues estamos viviendo en la loria. Pero tuvimos que pasar hombres mujeres viejitos en ese esclavitud. Después de una esclavitud caer con estos tres gobiernos. Y eso pues a nosotros nos permitió pasar como el asado como el asado un rojo por nosotros. Para ver si nosotros sosteníamos y decirle pues que lo que rompaleo también fue la lucha. Nunca nosotros siempre dimos vamos a marchar. Vamos a poner pancarta y no llegaban notificaciones a los jucados para que nosotros entregaramos. Y nosotros siempre nos mantuvimos unido y unida. Creo que la esencia de nosotras y nosotros y aquí en Nicaragua es que nosotros somos en esa parte. Somos fuertes al que tenemos con hambre decimos que nos tenemos hambre. Y cuando una lucha la queremos lograr pues nos montamos nos montamos todos. Pero decirle pues que muchas mujeres muchas jóvenes en ese de esa edad. Quedaron en alfabetas nunca fueron a la escuela. No llenamos de hijo verdad porque no había una píldora no había condón nada de eso pues porque no existía en esa parte. Y si a la parte de trabajar pues se trabajaba lo bruto. No había quien controlara los salarios. La calidad de agua bebía agua de las pilas de lluvia sucia. Entonces porque porque siempre el terra teniente quiere más el y explotar explotar a las personas más térviles. Y eso pues entre en medio del neoliberalismo entre en medio de nuestra organización. Nosotros mantuvimos vivo los sindicatos los sindicatos a nosotros nos viene nos vinieron a salvar la vida también. Porque ya prendimos muchos artículos que los podíamos aplicar aunque en el ministerio el trabajo ellos mandaban. Nosotros siempre le hacíamos la guerra en el campo. Y creo que esa esa esa sostenibilidad que tuvimos nosotros de no agacharnos de decir que esto es lo que nos tocaba. Pues pasamos a 16 años de lucha. Y eso también no colpió en la parte de la niñez porque los niños desnutridos los niños llenos de parásito. Los niños no iban a una escuela si no llevaba a Escoba y me acuerdo que eran 20 pesos. Y si una campesina o un obrero no tenía esos 10 pesos pues no iba el niño a la escuela. Y también se tenía que entrar de zapato de pantalón azul de camisa blanca. Entonces mucho requisito y se abrieron muchas escuelas privadas de parte de ellos. Porque sabía que ahí iban a sacar más reales. También la parte del trabajo era explotado el 50 por ciento no para nosotros las mujeres. Si ganábamos en las 15 en 87 pesos pues 40 pico eran para las mujeres y los 87 para los barones. Entonces eso fue algo que no golpeó. Como dirigente hoy no golpeó en ese momento. Pero era o la bebíamos la derramada o tirábamos los guantes y hoy no tuviéramos sin tierra. No tuviéramos produciendo no tuviéramos este con un gobierno que tenemos bueno hoy. Si nosotros no nos hubiéramos juntado y eso no pasaba solo en mi cooperativa era nivel nacional. Y entonces era lo importante que a través de la asociación de trabajadores. Tenemos una revista el machete a través de esa revista salían los testimonios por donde estamos. No contestamos en ese tiempo no existían celulares. No existía el correo. No existía ese WhatsApp. Entonces la comunicación era matura. Nuestra comunidad nunca la escribieron se llamaba la revolución. Entonces le pusieron Santa Julia porque era la mamá de Somoza. Imagínense pues como eran los que mandaron ellos nos pusieron ese nombre. Entonces de nosotras pues luchando logramos también a como entrar con los barones porque los esposos los hermanos los hombres de la comunidad también los maltrataban. Decía que no teníamos derecho a organizar que no teníamos de todavía los neoliberales maltratándonos social físico y toda la parte cultural y la parte de las familias diciendo que nosotros como mujeres no teníamos derecho ni dirigir una marcha ni defender un pedazo de tierra y desear los hijos de tener. Entonces era doble lucha interna. Entonces pues ahí al frente el movimiento de mujeres del campo Ricardo García le consultábamos siempre nosotros y es a la vez y siempre le estamos diciendo es el camino correcto y nos enseñaron las leyes. Creo que esas leyes es el trabajo más importante que la T6. Cómo enseñar cómo denunciar ante la OT. Cómo ir a poner un escrito. Creo que eso también a nosotros nos valió en la lucha de sonde neoliberalismo porque no había manera de dolarles el brazo a ellos. Ellos decían que nosotros los indios campesinos no teníamos derecho a manejar tierra. Las mujeres no teníamos derecho a hablar en un micrófono porque ellos decían son estos los que van a hablar. Entonces desde ahí pues es algo que quedó marcado en nosotros nuestra mente y por eso les digo vamos a tener revolución para rato porque cuando nosotras logramos a a a a a a a desliberar no de todo eso que pasó el tiempo nuevo liberalismo pues viene la revolución del 2007 y entonces eso fue una libertad como cuando uno lo tienen a marra en lo sueltas. No lo creíamos los peís. Cágamos y decía será cierto que viene el beneficio para las campesinas los campesinos So, today I'm going to tell you that to go through that process we had to go through a well. But I'm talking about, I'm 59 years old. Imagine now, from 2007 to here, what a revolution of new flowers. And this knowledge of the 1990s, the 16 years of government, we have been in no syndicates. Today we have cooperatives and there are testimonies, we are evangelizing. That's how our revolution was, that's how liberalism mistreated us, in what we lived in those times. Today there is a flowering of flowers, right? That's how we live, not compared to how we live. Because we didn't have beds, we didn't have water, we didn't have anything. Before, we lived, we survived with that little child. But today's advantage is that you, or what the revolution, the TC has taught us, today the seed is seeded. And this is my joy, because at my age I have, well, I'm seeing the house, the garden, how it's going to develop. And to tell you, well, that I am in position, in command. I'm in the FSNV, inside. And the politician, the mayor, I don't ask for quotes, I just call him or I write a whatsapp. And we already solve it. And with the judge, with whoever it is, then that was the revolution that we wanted. And I think that is, we are going to have government for a while, revolution for a while, and we are going to reverse it. Let's go forward, fellow. Thank you very much, Mola. I have to say to you, you are, your story is so motivating. And I think that it's so important for all of us to understand that revolutions don't have a specific expiration date. They build, they build, they build, they start and it is a continue day in, day out with no expiration date. It is a project that is continuous. And you are, you're so important to that whole, that whole philosophy and such a great example of what can be accomplished day in and day out and looking for the future and continuing to build. And I'm so thankful for you joining us today. So stay with us because we're going to have questions for you too. So next for our audience, so we're talking about revolution building, I want you to meet my great friend in revolution, Lucy Pagawada-Kesava. Some of you know her from Voices of Resistance on WBAI every Sunday out of New York City, one o'clock, 12 o'clock now, Lucy, right? You're two hours now. So let me tell you a little bit about Lucy. She is with the New York City Department of Education. She's a teacher with the New York City Education, Department of Education, excuse me. She's the official coordinator of Partido Libre, USA Canada and Costa Rica now. And as I mentioned, she's the producer and co-host of Voices of Resistance, which broadcasts on WBAI New York City every Sunday at 12 p.m. So welcome, Lucy. So happy to be to have you here with us. And so all of you in the audience, if you haven't met Lucy before, she's been with us several times on this program. Lucy's going to talk to us about the long road since the 2009 coup in Honduras and again the persistence and tenacity and big win last November, but just the beginning. True, true. What an honor it is to be here once again with my comrades, Terri Matzon from Code Pink, Mujeres por la Paz, Women for Peace. Our compañera Lola Esquivel, what an honor it is to have you from Nicaragua sharing your amazing inspiration story. And I can't wait to hear from our compañera Claudia Tansky also and Elizabeth Castañeda. And thanks to our two interpreters, our compañera Jill Clark and our compañero Johann Medina, who's the only guy, the only man among all these amazing women. What a great idea was this, Terri, to put together this program. Can I just say a shout out to Johann because he is strong enough man to be here with all of us. You know, we are so thankful to him and respect him so much. Absolutely. Thank you so much. We cannot do it without our compañeros hombres. We cannot do it. And they couldn't do it without us either. And so we want to also ask the people who are watching us to share this, to share this, this program because the more people, you know, get to it, the better it is because the idea is that we exchange what we are doing, some of our experiences and see how we can inspire each other is basically what's about. I want to talk a little bit about this concept the importance of social movement building right. To eventually, to eventually take power we heard how Nicaraguan women, especially women from the countryside have done it in Nicaragua last incredible campesinas the amazing women campesinas from Nicaragua. And so, why is it so important for us to bring this this this this concept of discussion, because it is through social movement that we are allowed to or we have the opportunity to organize to educate and to mobilize which is really to me those are like three basic elements that are are basic when we are talking about social movements when we come together. We're able to organize our ideas were able to educate around what it is that we want and obviously through mobilization is when we get to put our word out and to have those who are against us here what we have to say. So to me that's important it is it is a fundamental right for us to take into into consideration and the ruling elites they fear this they fear when people come together because I understand that it is only through coming together to through organizing educating and mobilizing that we are able to be powerful. And we don't realize how powerful we are, until we come together. That is when we realize how powerful we are, that is not them who have the power, it is us will have the power, but it is, it takes unity. It takes us coming together and building unity is a challenge is not easy. It's very hard to do but it is necessary. And we have seen how this sort of like formula has worked throughout our entire region. And I'm talking about since the 1950s I'm talking about since the Cuban Revolution, where there was no cellulars either. As Lola mentioned in Nicaragua, during the Sandinista Revolution there was no cellulars there was no WhatsApp. There was basically no technology. And the same thing happened in Cuba. And so obviously, we also want to talk about, you know how the Sandinistas did it without technology. Also, the, the, the FML Anistas, you know the revolution of El Salvador, which is so fundamental, even though El Salvador today is, is under, under a regression moment, but that's not to say that the people of El Salvador at some point, they didn't come together to strive to fight in a revolution for their freedom, their autonomy, and for their basic human rights. So we've seen this happen throughout the region, as I was saying before Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Honduras, and now Colombia. And the people have understood that it is only through coming together, organizing, educating and mobilizing that we are able to take power. And we, we've used this, we've used this tool, we've seen it happening in other places, and we have adapted to our own realities, to our own identities, to our own cultures, because no, no one, not one of the, of the movements throughout Latin America is the same. Each, each movement, each country has its own way of doing it. But we understand that there are fundamental killers that help us build, you know, that tool and turn it into a political, into a political weapon or tool, whichever word you want to use, right? I like to use tool, rather than weapon, because we are pacifists, we are not, we are not violent people. So I like to use tool. We turn it into a political tool, and then from there, that's how we take power. Because things are different. And you know, Hugo Chavez, since 1999, when he first rose to power, he showed us that there was another way of doing things. And we can ask, we cannot speak about what is going on in Latin America right now with the whole red wave covering most of our, most of our planet. I mean, most of our region, excuse me, without going back to Venezuela. And in looking at how President Hugo Chavez started to speaking about integration and the importance of us coming together as a continent. So we owe it to him. He started talking about the importance of fighting for our dignity, to fight for their summit, for our cemetery, to fight for the respect that other countries should have for us. And from there, we saw how for an entire decade, there was this beautiful flourishing of progressive governments in Latin America. And so we get to 2009 in Honduras, right, when the neoliberals as Compañera Lola was saying so that we were changing that we were transforming and that we were believing in this integration that President Hugo Chavez always talked to us and he and he supported it, right through the amazing blocks that he helped form like Alba, Petrocaribe, Unasur, and Celac. That's when, you know, we began to realize, we can do this, but those who feel that they own our continent became very fearful, right. And they started to slash out these movements and these governments. And the way we look at it is that it all started in Honduras in 2009 with the brutal and bloody U.S. backup against President Zelaya. And from there, the United States, their embassy just kept moving from a country to another. We saw Paraguay falling. We then saw how Brazil, they put another strategy there. They called impeachment. The Constitution of Brazil does not have impeachment. That was a bloody coup, a brutal coup against President Dilma Rousseff. And it was a misogynist coup because it was a coup against a female president. And then she was replaced by an old man, a cabinet headed by also a man. So we have to understand that what is happening today goes back and that we keep fighting back and forth. In the case of Honduras, we took those three pillars. We organized against the coup and we created the front against the coup. We educated the people about the importance of staying together and staying organized and we mobilized for six entire months. We mobilized, we organized, we educated ourselves in Honduras and outside of Honduras too because I didn't live in Honduras. I lived in New York and we started the resistance here as the immigrant community. For the first time, we actually created a movement that was progressive, that was revolutionary, that the immigrant community had never seen here. And we created a territorial political identity for the Honduran community. It's called the D-19, which is the 19th department. Honduras has 18 departments and we became the 19th department. This is the immigrant community that organized against the coup. Since we've been fighting consistently, after the front that we organized against the coup, then there came the national resistance front. And in 2011, that's when we decided we cannot bring this dictatorship that was established because with the coup there was also a narco dictatorship. And later we learned it was more than just a dictatorship, it was a narco dictatorship. And that's when we decided we're going to create a coup and then we created the liberty part. We created the liberty party in Honduras and we also found the liberty party here in the United States. And it's been a consistent back and forth is not easy. We understand but the consistency has to stay with organizing, educating and mobilizing. We faced two U.S.-backed frauds, electoral frauds, one in 2013, the other one in 2017, but we didn't stop organizing, educating and mobilizing. We didn't stop. We continued, right? We continued. It was a continuous thing. 24-7, never stopping, with repression, with the conditions of social and economic conditions deepening, with horrible violence. Thousands of people died, hundreds, from the resistance that were brutalized, that were murder, like Derta Cáceres, a lot of social activists, political activists, human rights defendants, you name it. We also saw how Honduras during that whole decade became a country that exported humans through the carums, thousands of people living in Honduras, because they could no longer withstand the levels of poverty, misery, violence, and exploitation, and basically inequality. People could no longer live in Honduras because of everything that was going on as a consequence of the coup. We never stopped fighting. We never stopped struggling. And in 2021, so persistence is very important too. There's going to be moments when, through the organizing process, you're going to get tired and you're going to feel like we cannot do this anymore, but in Honduras we never stop. And yes, we got tired sometimes. It's true. But what we did is that we sat down for a bit and then recharged and went back. And in 2021, that's when we saw the fruit of our 12 years of struggle. And not only did we elect a progressive government, we elected the first female president in the history of Honduras because she is the result of our struggle. And with change, we envisioned that we also wanted to see that fundamental change of doing things differently. And so our, our bet was to have the first female president elected. And we elected Presidencio Maracastro de Celay. So, with these three pillars, that's how we got to power, but I have news for you. We need these pillars and we need these fundamentals to get to power, but we also need them to stay in power. Now, we are, we are applying these pillars to continue in power because the right wing will not stop. We see what is happening with President Castillo in Peru. We see what is happening with President Cristina Fernandez de Kishner in Argentina. We see what goes on in Nicaragua. We see what goes on with Cuba and with Venezuela. If it's not the illegal and horrible, but criminal blockade against the people of Cuba is the economic illegal sanctions in Venezuela and in Nicaragua or the attempted coups. We saw what happened in Bolivia with the coup against President Evo Morales, but we saw the people too coming back because like President, Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kishner always says, the people always go back. They always taste a bit of freedom, a bit of savantry, a bit of all of that dignity, and they start getting what they deserve, right, their human rights being respected, and, and all the wonderful things that come with this process. People want to go back. They don't want to stay the same. And this is why we're very hopeful about Brazil. We have no doubt that Lula is going to go back because, as Cristina says, the people always go back. And I just want to say that we are in full solidarity with Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kishner. She is being persecuted. It's not fair. They want to take her out of combat. They're not going to be able to because the people of Argentina will defend her. They already know they won't let go. They will continue to fight. And so it is, it is important. We have to organize. We have to mobilize and we have to continually continuously educate ourselves about what we're doing so that we are able to defend our gains. Thank you for the opportunity and, and wow, it is so beautiful to be here today. Thank you. Well, Lucy, we want you for president. We always learn so much from you. And you mean you're just, you're just, you know, such a get it yet. Thank you so much. Always, every day in all forms and we love you for that. I also should just mention to the audience why because Lucy you brought up Christina Kirchner, who we are all in solidarity with today just for all of you on this panel this evening and both interpreters and for our audience. I will have a special edition episode of WTF tomorrow talking about what is happening in Argentina and, and this judicial coup against the vice president. So, I'll just throw that in while I have the opportunity I don't want it to detract, but we are in solidarity with what's happening there and it's a great example of you know, taking power is not the same as having power, having power really is determinant upon what's happening on the ground in community, you know, across the country and that's going to really be needed in Argentina. Right now, well, for all of us always but this is a perfect example of why it's so important to have a movement in place that strong and continuing to grow and can support the government that's been elected by the people. So thank you, Lucy. Always, always love, love your energy and your knowledge and thank you for sharing that with us. So, now let's move to Columbia, because boy did we have something really fabulous happen there. This summer and I think it really just needs to be said and those of in the audience I know are aware of this, how happy we are for the Colombian people, regardless of political persuasion that there is now with this new government, a chance for peace for everyone. And what it has taken to achieve this election result and this new government is profound. So, I want all of you to meet our friend, our partner in solidarity and struggle, and also from this great project that we've had working on the Columbia election. Please let's welcome Elizabeth Castaneda. She is Colombian, and she has been such a great leader on the ground and and in the airspace for Colombians and in in the nation of Columbia, as well as abroad. And so welcome Elizabeth I'm so honored that you had time to join us this evening. Gracias Teri. Buenas noches a todos a todas. Les agradezco enormemente la oportunidad de aprender también de todas estas conversaciones tan enriquecedoras que estoy escuchando acerca de las luchas de nuestros pueblos hermanos. Quería también agradecerles la solidaridad enorme que han tenido con el pueblo colombiano no solo en las elecciones, pero durante todo el estadio social que vivimos en el 2021 fue muy importante para nosotros la solidaridad de toda la comunidad internacional de todo el continente americano aprendimos mucho y finalmente lo logramos y no hubiera sido posible sin la solidaridad de nuestros hermanos. Pero también quiero hacer una mención especial a todos los colombianos que viven en el exterior. Que son muchísimos tenemos unas una de las diáforas más grandes de Latinoamérica debido al conflicto social que se ha habido en Colombia por décadas y que se unieron de una manera sorpresiva diría yo que nadie se lo esperaba y menos el gobierno uribista que teníamos que finalmente nos íbamos a reunir los que vivimos fuera de Colombia alrededor de nuestra idea de paz y nuestra idea de un proceso diferente al que estábamos viviendo bajo estos gobiernos autoritarios y definitivamente llenos de tantos crímenes que es como difícil en listarlos entonces lo que quiero traer al foro es como una descripción de diferentes momentos de la historia de Colombia durante las cuales el movimiento social colombiano ha sido el motor de muchas de las de las del futuro de ver el futuro y de pararnos allí fuerte y de trabajar para que las cosas se dieran cuando se habla del proceso de paz casi siempre se le otorga todo el beneficio al presidente Juan Manuel Santos pero realmente el movimiento social colombiano fue el que determinó que ya era el momento de firmar la paz fue el movimiento social que hizo para los campesinos para los indígenas para los de camioneros para los de todo tipo durante el gobierno de Juan Manuel Santos después de que habíamos tenido que elegirlo para que no pasara el nuevo candidato de el expresidente Uribe confirmamos a Juan Manuel Santos en el poder para que firmara la paz fue la única razón por la que volvimos a elegir al que alguna vez fue el vicepresidente de presidente Uribe entonces yo aunque reconozco que fue el quien firmó los acuerdos de paz creo que la paz en Colombia se le debe a las comunidades organizadas a las comunidades de víctimas del estado a las comunidades de diferentes movimientos todos al movimiento indígena al movimiento campesino al movimiento estudiantil a las mujeres que han cumplido un papel tan importante en estos diferentes momentos de la historia colombiana luego de que se firma el proceso de paz en los acuerdos de paz en Colombia renace una esperanza porque nosotros inocentemente veíamos que finalmente este gobierno había entendido que nosotros todos queríamos la paz y reorganizar el país de una manera diferente donde cupiéramos todos pero el contrario a eso hubo unas elecciones donde fraudulentamente el univismo regreso y go fraudulentamente porque ha sido comprobado de manera contundente de que Duque llegó al poder con el dinero de narcotraficantes y comprando votos de manera que este golpe que fue sumamente duro igual que el que se había dado antes cuando el presidente Juan Manuel de manera muy inocente produjo un plebiscito para decidir si apoyaba o no el proceso de paz y donde también se usaron armas muy bajas para desacreditar el proceso y nos vimos abocados a el gobierno de Uribe a través de Duque pero esto en lugar de, bueno, nos entristeció, sí, pero nos dio la fortaleza de entender que nos teníamos que mantener en la calle que la resistencia era nuestra única posibilidad de cambiar el país y de forzar al gobierno a implementar los acuerdos a pesar de los asesinatos de los firmantes de paz, a pesar de los asesinatos constantes de los líderes sociales, activistas que defendían el medio ambiente, mujeres, reclamantes de tierras y todo tipo de persona que se atreviera a organizarse y a pedir que se implementaran los acuerdos de paz. El gobierno de Duque con el apoyo de la comunidad internacional también extendió su mano negra al país hermano de Venezuela, llevando a Venezuela una crisis brutal Colombia en este momento tiene muchísimos hermanos venezolanos en unas condiciones absurdas, indignas y ha sido muy triste ver que desde la frontera colombiana se ha atacado de manera constante al gobierno, al hermano país de Venezuela esto ha sido parte de una situación en la que nos hemos visto nosotros los colombianos abocados a también estar envío esperando que no se produjera una invasión a través de la frontera colombiana por Venezuela y en los momentos más álgidos de esto, de esta amenaza nosotros nos mantuvimos fuertes en contra de que esto se viera pasado ese momento durante este momento crecieron muchos movimientos simbólicos que llegaron a formar un diálogo muy particular y a embalentonarnos, a darnos alas a nosotros los colombianos, entre esos quiero nombrar especialmente a la minga la guardia indígena como un movimiento muy impresionante y muy inspirador, súper organizado que ha logrado obtener el respeto de todos nosotros, de todos los jóvenes y el respeto de un movimiento simple en los calles de un lado a otro del país para lograr levantar al pueblo completamente y yo creo que en ese caso la guardia indígena y la guardia asimarrón al movimiento negro de Colombia se llevan por algún momento me desconecte también quería nombrar al movimiento estudiantil que se mantuvo en pie de lucha todos estos cuatro años del gobierno de eduque pero los primeros en entrar en paro en el 2018 y fueron también los que hicieron minga con los indígenas el movimiento campesino y nunca pararon de protestar y de mantener en hacke al gobierno de eduque resistir no es aguantar y eso lo aprendimos claramente durante todo este proceso de lucha en las calles después de ese momento vino la pandemia y como excusa de la pandemia que ya pues nosotros habíamos sufrido durante este estos robos continuos que nos hacían cuando nos mandaban unos mercados súper caros a las calles y los llenaban de productos importados para poder cobrar más le entregaron los básicamente los el patrimonio nacional se lo entregaron a los bancos durante la pandemia y no invirtieron en absolutamente ningún beneficio social para la gente más pobre y nos propusieron que nos iban a imponer más impuestos sobre productos básicos como la comida leche huevos carne vegetales sin haber tenido en cuenta que durante la pandemia los campesinos tuvieron que prácticamente votar o donar sus sembrados porque no había forma de sacarlos a las ciudades esta situación trajo como como fría anunciada trajo como resultado que el 23 de abril del 2021 salimos a las calles salimos a las calles tanto dentro como fuera del país y nos mantuvimos en la calle por varios meses en este momento lo que lo que pasó fue una desme un uso desmedido de la fuerza contra los jóvenes que estaban en la calle contra las familias que estaban en la calle porque con los jóvenes detrás de los jóvenes estaban las mujeres cocinando en las ollas comunales estaban los indígenas llegando a las ciudades y la fuerza pública impidiendo de llegar y atacándolos estaban los jóvenes en las ciudades y resistiendo en los puntos donde se podía bloquear la movilidad de la ciudad para que todo el país tuviera que parar gran ejemplo de resistencia cali y buenaventura todo Nora quien honor merece y otras ciudades como Bogotá también hicieron lo propio pereira Medellín pero definitivamente una de las cosas que aprendimos en Colombia es que teníamos que llevar la guerra a la ciudad para que finalmente estas personas que se atrevieron a votar en contra de la paz entendieran porque nosotros queríamos paz y queríamos parar la guerra esto se hizo con algo que nosotros siempre entendimos que se debía hacer y era bloquear el acceso de mercancías desde el puerto de buenaventura que es un dolor impresionante lo que pasa y gracias al TLC que se firmó hace muchos años entre Colombia y Estados Unidos la esclavitud que vive la gente en buenaventura la miseria que vive la gente en buenaventura es algo sumamente doloroso y indigno que yo creo que si todos los norteamericanos supieran lo que al pueblo colombiano le cuesta hacer negocios con Estados Unidos no volverían a intentar hacer algo como como lo que hace por el puerto de buenaventura salen el 80 por ciento y entran el 75 por ciento de todos los productos que se consumen en Colombia y de esa increíble cantidad de dinero que pasa por allí al pueblo de buenaventura no le queda absolutamente nada sino no le queda ni siquiera guapotable ni servicios básicos pero miseria y muerte buenaventura es un sitio donde pican la gente en pedazos debido a que la coca también mayormente sale por ese puerto hacia diferentes países de Europa y obviamente Estados Unidos obviamente norteamerica razón por la cual nosotros siempre le hemos pedido al pueblo norteamericano que exija que se legalice aquí ese producto que tanto consumen para que los colombianos no tengan que pagar por sus gustos por sus vicios por lo que ustedes quieran ver como un problema de salud para nosotros significa guerra constant por esa razón el pueblo de buenaventura jóvenes en especial bloquean el puente de salida y de acceso de mercancías y con esto ponen en hacke al gobierno de Duque porque en este momento ya no llegan productos a las ciudades y finalmente la gente en las ciudades entiende que esa guerra a la que ellos son tan indiferentes existe y es como empieza cali a bloquear diferentes puntos de la ciudad se crean los puertos como le dicen puerto resistencia por ejemplo y allí es donde el gobierno declara una guerra sangrienta y en vivo y en directo y sin ninguna vergüenza matan incineran torturan violan jóvenes en las calles de una forma sumamente criminal pero este momento que ha sido tan dramático y doloroso para nosotros los colombianos les puedo decir que es el nacimiento de este nuevo gobierno que tenemos sin si eso no hubiera sucedido y nosotros no estaríamos en este punto en el que estamos y somos muy conscientes de eso y por eso es que se reconoce que de la resistencia es de donde nace el poder finalmente los colombianos pudimos pasar de estos momentos donde dudábamos en que tirar piedra y dañar la puerta de un banco era tan terrible como incineraron hoy habían esos cuestionamientos y era increíble que gente pensara en eso pero había gente que lo pensaba porque la propaganda del gobierno de derecha era tan fuerte que la misma gente se cuestionaba hasta cuando vio caer a sus propios hijos hasta cuando vio llegar las tanquetas agrediendo a la gente a su propio barrio hasta cuando muchachos que salieron a tocar música a las calles fueron desaparecidos torturados y si no es porque la gente misma se da la tarea de a través de las redes sociales y a través de videos demostrar que estos muchachos no estaban haciendo nada más que tocar en la calle música pues los hubieran matado como mataron a muchos y como les quitaron los ojos a muchos de estos muchachos que salieron a protestar de manera que en este momento si creo que es justo decir que todos estos muchachos que nacieron en la guerra vivieron en la guerra no querían seguir más en esta guerra y decían ellos no tenemos nada que perder no tenemos absolutamente nada que perder así que para nosotros esto no se termina y por eso fueron meses enteros de pelea en las calles y duraron bastante tiempo en el que nosotros del exterior como podíamos enviamos cascos y gafas protectoras y comida y medicamentos pero también era la interacción con diferentes formas de resistencia porque fue una combinación entre los artistas que también empezaron a apoyar abiertamente y que se revelaron periodistas que también pues no todos son no todos están a favor de poder organizaciones sociales muchos de estos políticos alternativos se tomaron ala se dieron a la tarea de venir y golpear puertas y nosotros en el exterior tanto en Europa un caso muy espectaculares de Londres de Madrid y aquí en Estados Unidos nos dimos a la tarea de recorrer nuestros países donde vivíamos para exigir por ejemplo en el caso de nosotros los colombianos que vimos en Estados Unidos que parará el envío de dinero y el reclutamiento de policías para matar jóvenes colombianos que es lo que siempre han hecho el apoyo de los taxes que le mandan en el plan Colombia a Colombia hasta el gobierno pasado servía para matar colombianos no le proporcionaban ningún beneficio a Colombia este dinero siempre se ha usado para agredir a las comunidades y para causar desolación y muerte en Colombia de manera que nosotros no creemos que el plan Colombia sea un éxito como se ha dicho muchas veces aquí creemos por el contrario que es un plan de negocios turbio donde a las comunidades y a los países que colonizan se les vende guerra y se les obliga a comprar más guerra a través de eso es que viven estas políticos y todas las empresas y las compañías que venden artefactos como las balas que dejaron ciegos a más de 200 muchachos en Colombia durante el paro cívico que sigue en este momento después de que finalmente el pueblo colombiano logró vencer el status quo nos organizamos como testigos electorales que fue algo bastante duro de hacer porque realmente tuvimos que hacer una veruria de muchas maneras y nuevamente agradecerle a las personas que nos ayudaron desde el exterior ir a Colombia a hacer una veruria y hacer una presencia que ejerciera mucha presión sobre el gobierno colombiano para que nos dieran garantías llegamos al poder llegamos con gente que representa Colombia tenemos campesinos tenemos indígenas tenemos gente afro colombiana en el Congreso por primera vez el Congreso se ve como es Colombia en el Congreso en este momento somos una gran coalición y tenemos mucha conciencia de que no podemos nosotros como ciudadanos filmar cheques en blanco exigimos que se cumpla lo que nosotros planeamos lo que nosotros hemos esperado por tantos años y eso es inclusión eso es justicia para las mujeres eso es una reforma agraria que ha sido siempre el motivo de la guerra en Colombia el uso de la tierra exigimos también que la educación sea gratuita y sea de calidad para todos exigimos también que la guerra realmente termine y para eso el presidente Petro y la vicepresidenta Francia Marquez han instalado de nuevo las mesas de negociación con el en sabemos que el en es una movimiento guerrillero bastante antiguo y muy particular pero también sabemos que ellos entienden que llegó el momento de pasar a ser parte de la política de la vida política colombiana y no de siempre estar en la trinchera y que nosotros podemos dar esta pelea más fácilmente si como pueblo estamos resistiendo y construyendo el poder y también lo que queremos hacia el futuro es organizar un una economía que no esté basada justamente en la guerra para eso vamos a necesitar la ayuda del pueblo norteamericano y de los pueblos del primer mundo que consumen amares los productos de Colombia entonces en ese sentido hemos empezado a promover una nueva visión de esta tema que se ha llamado por muchos años la guerra contra las drogas pero que realmente ha sido la guerra contra los países productores y que va a tener un cambio grande en los próximos 10 años no esperamos que pase pronto porque sabemos que esto requiere de que las sociedades desarrolladas también entiendan del daño que causan con su indiferencia y de que el consumismo es lo que nos está matando pero si esperamos tener unas relaciones basadas en el respeto y en la dignidad por ejemplo con Estados Unidos exigir tratado de libre comercio se revise que tenga en cuenta y que se garanticen los derechos laborales de las personas en Colombia que tengan cuenta y que se revisen los derechos de los campesinos en Colombia y también que tenga en cuenta que nosotros no vamos a aceptar más violaciones de derechos humanos en Colombia y que va a haber una reforma policial que la policía no va a hacer más el arma de los ricos de Colombia en contra de los pobres de Colombia entrenar pobres para matar pobres ya no hacer negocio en Colombia y que el ejército ustedes vieron ya sufrió una una como se le puede decir una un sacudón bastante grande durante estos días y es parendez salieron del ejército y van a considerar el ejército para la guerra para defender los intereses de las multinacionales de Colombia en momento el pueblo y para el pueblo y que sea un ejército que promueva la paz y no la guerra no más reclutamiento forzado de familia de menores en o sea de hombres jóvenes o de mujeres jóvenes en porque está pasando eso pero bueno en primero en primer lugar eso garantías para los jóvenes garantías para las mujeres la reforma agraria va a ser una donde las mujeres sean las mayores beneficiadas con el tema de la de la de la tierra y otro tema es el tema de que no queremos ser un país minero no queremos ser un país donde se haga fracking no queremos ser un país donde nuestros ríos envenen con mercurio para sacar oro y esto va a ser un proceso bastante complicado de hacer porque sabemos que hay muchos intereses pero es la decisión del pueblo colombiano nosotros no queremos ser un país donde la muerte se negocio y eso es lo que decidimos en las urnas y a lo que nos atenemos y lo que le exigiremos al nuevo gobierno que cumpla y asimismo nos preparamos para educar más organizar como dice lucid que es muy necesario para mantenernos en el poder democráticamente pensamos que este proceso va a ser un proceso largo sabemos que no va a ser fácil pero estamos aquí y presentes para hacer que esto sea posible gracias bravo what an achievement Elizabeth Elizabeth can you share with us in the audience exactly what your work is so that people understand who you are and what organization you're affiliated with and how and how important that work was. yo soy una persona inmigrante normal comunico riente no tengo mayores mayores logros políticos pero soy muy bueno organizando mi comunidad y empecé a trabajar y hace muchísimos años cuando vivía en colombia y luego me fui a los estados unidos y desde que se firmaron los acuerdos de paz me propuse a ayudar a la implementación y a promover el apoyo a los procesos de paz vivo en Nueva York y pero soy parte de lo que es el pacto histórico internacional y que es el partido la coalición que llevó a este gobierno al poder especialmente me afilio antes estaba con Colombia humana y decidí apoyar a Francia Marquez Mina la actual vicepresidenta de Colombia la razón es porque yo siempre trabajado apoyando a comunidades y a líderes sociales y Francia es pues así como la máxima exponente el icono de todas de toda esta organización en Colombia y consideré que Gustavo Petro ya tenía muy adelantado la tarea sabíamos que era muy factible que ganara pero queríamos que fuera un gobierno para el pueblo y del pueblo y Francia Marquez es esa garantía es esa sello de las comunidades especialmente las comunidades afrodescendientes e indígenas de que este fuera el pueblo el que llegara al poder y no simplemente políticos elegidos por el pueblo y eso ha sido una enorme diferencia en este momento me encuentro en Colombia porque me emociona muchísimo haber sido parte de este proceso de haber apoyado pues todo el tema electoral y haber apoyado todo el tema organizativo y quiero seguir apoyando así que estamos en ese proceso de con el movimiento soy porque somos organizando varias cosas que que son de vital importancia para que este movimiento que del pueblo colombiano siga obteniendo digamos triunfos pero también se fortalezca y se prepare para los momentos difíciles porque sabemos que vienen entonces tampoco nos vamos a dejar o nubilar por este momento pero creemos firmemente que nos debemos mantener activos así como nos mantuvimos todo este tiempo activos sin parar para que llegaremos aquí vamos a sostenernos muy activos y muy vigilantes para que el gobierno sea posible y se ha respetado la voluntad del pueblo colombiano. Thank you Bravo and the battle has just begun as we have said all evening that getting into office as part of the revolution but there's no end date it does not expire as now the real work is going to start in Colombia and we're hoping for some new government and the start or the continuation of revolution in Brazil Brazil has presidential elections October 2 of this year and so I want all of you to to meet Claudia Santana. Tomsky, she is a sociologist and member of Partido dos trabajadores pete and I'm sorry I probably didn't say that correct in Portuguese but. So, all of you know we have extraordinarily important elections yet another extraordinary important election in Brazil, and so we've asked Claudia to join us and she was gracious enough to participate on this episode to talk to us about this this a long road again Claudia to see Lula back in the race and and and so let's start with what is taken to continue to remain loyal to his vision and and and to support this this important political economic and social leader to yet again run for president of your country. Welcome Claudia. Thank you, thank you. First of all, I would like to salute my sisters in the fight for democracy and social justice in Latin America and around the world. I also would like to say that this forum represents a great step towards that. I'm here today to talk a little bit about what is happening in Brazil. These countries the biggest in South America has been under the attention of the international community since fascist president allied with corrupt militaries one our general election in 2018. After three and a half years, Brazil has declined in all aspects of life, something which is reflect by a poor economy. High unemployment increased poverty, inflation, violence, deforestation, pollution. This is the result, my dear friends, of a failed government run run by a pro militia president supported by a right wing majority in the Brazilian Congress. That's the truth. Brazil is five weeks away from its presidential election. This right wing president, Jair Bolsonaro, has seen himself far behind in the polls to form a president Lula da Silva from the works party, my party. Some surveys shows some polls shows the possibility of Mr. da Silva Lula winning the election in the first round. The scenario is driving president Bolsonaro to attack the Brazilian electoral electoral system and threat to fight the result of the election. If he doesn't, if it doesn't give him a win. Similar with someone here in the United States, right. His strategy has been very similar to the one adopted by former president Trump in the U.S., who never concede that he lost the election to Joe Biden. And also, Mr. Trump articulated a frustrate coup against a legitimate electoral voting system here in the U.S. So I can safely say that Mr. Bolsonaro who is very close to the Trump family is very inspired by what the president Trump has done here. And the Bolsonaro is willing to do the same or even worse in Brazil if he doesn't get reelected. Recently, Brazilian Supreme Court gave a statement to the New York Times journalist a few weeks ago. And I want to call this Supreme Court. He said the New York Times journalists asked about the possibility of a coup or something like this, something very extreme. And he said he mentioned the 1964 coup for the military coup. And he said in 1964, which led the 21 years of brutal military dictatorship, the mirror class supported that coup. Business people supported that too. The press supported that too. And the United States supported that too in 1964. And well, he kept saying, none of these players support the coup now. To me, this is a strong message in many ways. If the New York Times asked me the same question about the possibility of a coup, I would not mention the 1964 coup, but I would mention the coup for 2016 that we've got Dilma Rousseff from Cabinet. And Mr. the Supreme Court, he was right. Because in 2016, the business people was in favor of the coup. The media, the press, and the United States. That's why Dilma was impeached. But he didn't mention that, of course, because the coup was legitimated by the Supreme Court. So this was said by Luis Roberto Barroso, Supreme Court Justice and Brazil former election chief. So he mentioned that to the New York Times reporter. So do I agree with his statement that nobody is in favor of a coup so the war is not going to happen? Yeah, I do agree in his statement. This means that a coup can be prevented. Yes, I believe so. However, like Trump, Bolsonaro will do anything, anything unconstitutional to promote chaos with the hope that he can stay in power. He will do what Trump did, or I believe, worse than Trump. He will go so far as to threaten former president Lula's life. That's a big concern for us, for the work party, for the international community, for the democracy, the safety of former president Lula da Silva. And we can't forget that Mr. Bolsonaro is a militia man. So he has groups, armed groups in the whole country, willing to do whatever he would like to say that you can do it. But so it's a very dangerous person. It's a very dangerous individual. At this moment, any attack to former president Lula, any attack to the electoral system is an attack to the democracy is an attack to all of us. We saw all the damage that the January 6 has made to the democracy in this country. And there was a bad example that some countries would like to follow to like Brazil under Bolsonaro regime. So we are very, we are looking very close to the election and all the process. And if the international community, the international community need to get together and watch very close to what's going on in Brazil to make sure it's going to happen because I believe that he would be able. But we can have a bloody, bloody attack to all the institution and to the good people of Brazil. So I would like to finish my speech with this alert that we, all of us, we need to be very attempt, very, in watch very close what's going on in Brazil and what happened in Brazil can be reproducing all the countries too. Thank you so much. Thank you, Claudia, for the biggest landmass, the biggest population and the biggest economy in Latin America. So this is huge, the potential change on October 2 is enormous for the hemisphere for all of us. Well, maybe not everybody in the US. But for Americans, all of America, North, Central and South and Caribbean America, this could be really huge. It could like be the, what do I want to say, what's the right thing, the final camp on ending the Monroe doctrine. I mean, it happened the majority of countries having moved left of center, even revolutionary left. Can you share with us on the panel and also particular with our audience. What can we do to support the Brazilian people for these elections in October, can we come, is there a way for us to come and serve as human rights and election observers or what do you need us to do, what would be the best way to help ensure fair, safe, transparent elections in Brazil? The best way is to do forums like that, is to keep talking and make everybody aware of the situation in Brazil. As you said, Brazil is a big country, a big economy. And whatever happened in Brazil is going to, if Lula, for example, would be elected in October, I'm sure that Venezuela is going to change, the situation in Venezuela is going to change for better. Because Brazil has the power with the leftist president to overcome that tragedy that's happening against the Venezuelan people promoted by the US government with the embargo and et cetera. We have to keep, make awareness of the situation in Brazil, tell the media, the people discuss about Brazil and show what's going on in Brazil right now, what President Bolsonaro is doing to destroy the Amazon rainforest, the bad economy and all the bad things that he has been destroying. Good things that the PT government has built for 12 years and that he has destroyed in three and a half years. So keep talking about Brazil and watch very close the election process in Brazil. Thank you so much. So ladies, friends, amigas, partners in crime. We've been talking for an hour and a half. I know. And beautifully, it's been a phenomenal conversation and I'm so thankful and honored to have all of you in this episode with us. Is there anything that we missed anything that we should highlight any questions, any of you have of one another, like maybe we could take five, 10 minutes to do that? Yeah, Lucy. Yes. I would like to take it on what Claudia mentioned about solidarity, the importance of solidarity. We all need to come together and be very observant of what is going on in Latin America because our region is a laboratory of revolutionary experimentation and of revolutionary actions. And the people are taking control of their present and their future. They have taken their destiny in their own hands. And we need to come together, especially we here in the United States, the immigrant communities, but also, you know, the non immigrant communities, the U.S. citizens, we all need to come together and unite in solidarity with the people of Latin America. You know, that was the sole reason why we organized the front, the international front of women for justice and peace. And it was around the election of Vice President Francia Marquez, but before that, we already were doing amazing work to make sure that Compañera President Siamara Castro was elected in Honduras. And it was like that. And our work had a big impact. And I think that our work can continue to have an amazing impact. And it is the reason why we are here today because Teddy works with us. We work with Teddy. We are together in this amazing work of solidarity. I want the soul gringa, and I'm so honored. Beautiful women from Central. In your heart, you're so Latina, you're more Latina than Latina. So I'll tell you that. I'm honored to be included with all of you. It's a great honor. And we thank you so much because you have that other vision. You bring that other perspective to the average U.S. citizen. So your voice is really important in the front. And we thank you for being part of it. I know you're very busy, but you're always there. I feel that we need to pay special attention to Cuba, to Nicaragua and Venezuela. And I want to thank you for being here. Simply because these are the three countries that hold the dignity of everything else that is happening in Latin America. We call these three countries the Troika of resistance, right? Cuba has resisted them more than 60 years of brutal, illegal and genocidal U.S. economic and diplomatic blockade. Nicaragua in Venezuela continue to suffer from the U.S. legal economic sanctions against these countries, against these people. And the sole reason is because these countries have decided to lead their own presence in their own destinies. They have decided to take things in their own hands and to do things the way they want them and to live how they want them. And so we say, let Cuba live, let Venezuela live, let Nicaragua, Argentina, Honduras, in Honduras because when we took power, we were not just transitioning from one regular government into another. We were taking power from a narco dictatorship that the United States government implemented in Honduras, imposed onto the Honduran people after the military coup. So they stole everything, they destroyed the country, there was no democracy. All of the different sectors of our state were taken by the narco dictatorship and we really don't have a state of law or we don't have a democracy, we had none of that. So right now our president from this past six months since she's been at the executive level because like President Zelaya said, we took the executive and the head of the narco dictatorship was extradited to the United States, Juan Orlando Hernandez, but the narco dictatorship continues to be in Honduras at the core level, in some levels at the Congress level in every single level of Honduran society. So our main task right now, our government is to first dismantle the narco dictatorship within Honduras and outside of Honduras. Let me tell you right now at the foreign, at the international level, we are still having the same Aguilpista councils here because we haven't been able to change anything because our state we founded in ashes, it was completely destroyed, there was no money, they stole everything. So the second level of that once we dismantle the narco dictatorship is to begin to establish the basis, the foundations of what will eventually become a real democratic government with equality and justice for the people of Honduras. So that's where we are right now and we also need to pay attention to what is going on in Honduras. A lot of amazing things are happening there. Our president is doing amazing things. And of course, we need to continue to support Colombia and every country, Bolivia, that is undergoing these amazing processes against the moral doctrine, against the dictates of Washington, against neoliberalism that has proven to be a failure for our countries. And so we are going for the alternatives. And we know what alternatives are. We are working towards that. So let's continue to build on that. Let's continue our solidarity. Let's continue our organizing, education and mobilizing for us here and for the people of Latin America as well. That's what I wanted to say. Thank you so much, Teddy. Thank you. Thank you, motivating words for all of us in all countries. Thank you, Lucy. Thank you for your friendship, that your leadership and your solidarity and all your work. Thank you all of you on our panel this evening. What an honor to be with you. And I also just want to shout out, I know, Lucy, you did this when we started, but we've had two incredible interpreters this evening. And Jill Clark-Gallup, who is Nicaraguan herself, lives in the Washington DC metropolitan area and is active with Friends of Latin America, one of our broadcast partners, Friends of the ATC and a number of other groups. And she was just so generous with her time this evening. And also to Johan, thank you for being so brave and so strong to join all of us women tonight. You are a dream. We want to meet more men like you and have you work with us. And I think, Lucy, you said this earlier too, that it takes both, it takes men and women both. It's not just women, it's not just men. It's all of us together. Men and women both having to work in community and solidarity and develop a vision and a change that is good for all of us. So thank you, ladies. Thank you, Johan. Thank you, Jill. And we will continue to work together, create more projects. Also everyone, please watch for the elections in Brazil. That is the last, that's the last piece of the puzzle. And we need and want a win there. And won't that be something? Won't that be something? And to see it, to make and see that happen. So for the audience, I just want to remind all of you, you've been watching what the F is going on in Latin America and the Caribbean called Pink's Weekly YouTube Program of Hot News out of the region. Tonight was an extended conversation. I hope all of you learned a lot, were inspired by everything that is happening in these four countries that we talked about tonight. Nicaragua, Colombia, Honduras, and Brazil. But the story is for all of America, including the United States, I would add, especially the United States, perhaps. So be sure to catch us every Wednesday, 7.30 p.m. Eastern on Code Pink YouTube Live. You can also watch us post broadcast or listen to us, excuse me, post broadcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Telegram. And we can also now be found on radindymedia.com. So, and also one last little plug. Be sure to watch, listen to Code Pink Radio Thursday mornings, 11 a.m. Eastern, WBAI, New York City, WPFW, Washington, D.C. And also tomorrow a special edition of what the F is going on in Latin America to discuss this judicial coup that is evolving in Argentina against Vice President Cristina Kirchner. So thank you everyone. I look forward to continuing to work with all of you and what a treat to be with all of you tonight.