16 Mohawks fromTyendinaga Facing Criminal Charges Defending Their Community.

Dear Friends,

We are pleased that Shawn Brant, Mohawk spokesperson, is no longer facing a 12 year sentence for defending his community.

We must, however, continue to defend the 16 Tyendinaga Mohawks who face criminal charges for defending their reserve and other indigenous victims of police prosecution. The people remain united and continue to fight for what is theirs: land and clean water.

The statement below is from the Tyendinaga Support Committee.
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CROWN BUYS FANTINO'S SILENCE WITH BRANT'S FREEDOM

(Monday, September 29th, 2008) Today, in a Belleville court, a conviction for three counts of mischief was entered against Mohawk spokesperson Shawn Brant for his role in the CN rail line and Highway 401 blockades which took place in April and June, 2007.

Brant has been ordered to stay on the Tyendinaga reserve for three months and to be on probation for one year. Originally, the Crown had been asking for 12 years in jail for Brant. While Shawn Brant will face no more jail time for the blockades and will not go to trial, there are still 16 people from the Tyendinaga facing criminal charges for defending their community.

The critical issues which prompted the Mohawks to take action have yet to be addressed. Most of the community does not have drinkable water. Most households have been unable to drink the water from their own taps for at least the last decade. The reserve school, with 300+ students, ranging in age from 2 to 13, who attend daily, has had its water deemed unfit for human consumption for the past eighteen months. In addition, the lands which comprise the Culbertson Tract and Simcoe Deed have yet to be returned. This despite all levels of governments' admission that the lands do legitimately belong to the Mohawks of Tyendinaga.In Shawn Brant's case, the dramatic turn-around by government lawyers came after disturbing details of OPP impropriety, abuse of practice and the flaunting of policing guidelines created after the Ipperwash Inquiry were made public in July of this year, following the lifting of a publication ban on Brant's preliminary hearing.

Abuses revealed included OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino's threats to Shawn Brant that "your whole world's going to come crashing down", the orders to have snipers and armored personnel carriers on standby, and the presence of an undercover police officer posing as a media cameraman. The preliminary hearing also revealed that the OPP used an obscure section of the Criminal Code to implement an emergency wiretap of Brant and other Mohawks' telephone conversations, on June 28th, 2007, even though the National Day of Action had been publicly planned for months.

The Crown went to great lengths to try to keep this critical information from becoming known and was successful in keeping the material under a publication ban for about a year. The release of these damning details prompted calls for the firing of OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino. Pretrial motions, originally set to begin today, would have seen Commissioner Fantino subpoenaed to answer for his conduct leading up to and during the 2007 Aboriginal Day of Action.

Since the blockades of 2007, CUPE Ontario has passed a resolution in support of the Mohawks of Tyendinaga, NDP MPP Peter Kormos has called for the firing of OPP Chief Fantino and thousands of people have attended events, made donations and signed petitions in support of the Mohawks and their demands.Shawn Brant's arrest and the excessive prison sentence that the crown sought against him were part of an attempt to destabilize the community of Tyendinaga. However, the Mohawks of Tyendinaga remain united and continue to fight for what should already be theirs: land and clean water.

The Tyendinaga Support Committee is a Toronto-based organization working to support the Mohawks of Tyendinaga.

For more information, visit: www.ocap.ca/supporttmt or email at support.tmt[at]gmail.com

Political Declaration of the Founding Congress of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela Youth

Venezuela's revolutionary youth: `Socialist youth will be guarantors of the deepening of the revolution'
This is the political declaration of the founding congress of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela Youth (JPSUV), held on September 11-13, 2008. Translated by Federico Fuentes and Kiraz Janicke.

The original in Spanish can be downloaded at juventud.psuv.org.ve/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/declaracion-de-cachamay.doc]
The Cachamay Declaration -- Socialist youth will be the guarantors of the deepening of the revolution.

Following a wide reaching process within the grassroots of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, young militants have completed the process of formation of the JPSUV as an organisational structure that will promote the consolidation of the ties between the social movements and in doing so convert ourselves into the vanguard of defence of the Bolivarian revolution and the fundamental space for the transformation of the values and practices of social and political life, allowing us to lead the way in the construction of the new man, of the new women, that Socialism of the 21st Century requires.

The process of founding the JPSUV occurs at a time when the Bolivarian Revolution and the processes of transformation that have erupted in Latin America and the world demand the freshness, force and creativity of youth to resist the attacks by imperialism which, condemned to disappear, does not think twice in resorting to the most deadliest methods in order to try and regain the ground it has lost on the global scene.

In this moment, our Bolivarian Revolution requires young people to assume a protagonistic role in the ethical and moral strengthening of society so as to defeat the vices of consumerism, individualism, egoism and sectarianism with which they have violated our creativity, combativity and capacity for transformation.

To make reality the definition of revolution expressed by Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz in a speech given on the occasion of International Workers' Day in 2000: "Revolution means to have a sense of history; it is changing everything that must be changed; it is achieving emancipation by ourselves and through our own efforts; it is defending the values in which we believe in at the cost of any sacrifice; it is never lying or violating ethical principles; it is a profound conviction that there is no power in the world that can crush the power of truth and ideas. It is fighting for our dreams of justice for Cuba and for the world, which is the foundation of our patriotism, our socialism and our internationalism which requires that our youth make an effort towards the unleashing, creativity and unity of political and social action."In the national sphere, the threats that loom over our revolutionary process and especially over our fundamental leader, Commandante Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias, require that we directly involve ourselves in every site of struggle, in the communities, universities, workplace, sport, cultural etc. in order to disseminate the achievements of the Bolivarian Revolution and activate a permanent mobilisation to confront, on any terrain necessary, all attempts to kidnap our dreams of a homeland. We warn the anti-democratic sectors that plan to carry out an assassination that we are prepared to take up the guns of the people and defend through armed struggle our maximum leader of the Bolivarian Revolution, Hugo Chavez, including with the last breath of our lives if necessary.

The international conjuncture also requires of us a profound demonstration of our capacity to love and create a socialist youth. The application in Bolivia of the same coup-plotting recipe that we lived through in the years 2001, 2002 and 2003 requires us to carry out firm demonstrations of militant solidarity with our brother people of Bolivia. We must make it clear to imperialism that if it attacks Bolivia, we will react in the same way as the Liberator Simon Bolivar did when he fought to kick out the Spanish empire and found this sister republic. We will not hesitate in crossing the Andes to defend the work of the Father of the Homeland.

The consequences of the predatory and consumerist way of life that capitalism has imposed on us are being paid by our brother peoples in the Caribbean. The devastation of the hurricanes that recently destroyed a great part of the territories of Cuba and Haiti are the results of climate change generated by the indiscriminate use of our natural resources by the industrialised countries, in the face of which, we have to act with effectiveness, in order to avoid the risk that the planet will not exist for our future generations.

We commit ourselves to promoting a way of life in harmony with the environment, that promotes the integral recuperation of the habitat of our territory and strengthens solidarity as a revolutionary value that allows us to carry out, with the force and continuity that it requires, the humanitarian labour and material support necessary to solve the difficulties generated as a direct effect of climate change.
In the same way, we commit ourselves to promoting labour as a force for the transformation of reality and the consciousness of our people.

We will promote voluntary work and recognition of the contribution of all sectors to the productivity of the country in order to convert work into a collective effort, and not into a battle site where individualism and consumerism converts us into slaves of capitalism.

In the same way, we commit ourselves to tirelessly fight for the construction of a new socialist state model through the strengthening of Popular Power. Only in this way can we achieve a profound change in the structures, which have to be re-imagined with an innovative vision that allows us to overcome the capitalist model and to install a society of equals where the fundamental necessities of freedom and solidarity of citizens are met without any discrimination.

It is up to us to drive forward the process of strengthening and permanently renovating the ideological bases of the Bolivarian Revolution. All our efforts in our study, our creativity and the action of young people is placed at the service of the strategic guidelines defined by Commandante Chavez in regards to Socialism of the 21st Century in order to promote a grand national debate that allows us to consolidate the Bolivarian socialist proposal and orientates our actions in the consolidation of our definitive independence and the defeat of imperialism.

This will allow us to open the path to a just society, to the better and possible world that our fathers and mothers fought for:

A REVOLUTIONARY, BOLIVARIAN AND SOCIALIST WORLD.
HOMELAND, SOCIALISM OR DEATH, WE WILL WIN!

Venezuela Backs Morales -- Kicks Out U.S. Ambassador

Dear Friends,

Venezuela has just ordered U.S. ambassador Patrick Duddy to leave the country within 72 hours, in a show of support for Bolivian president Evo Morales.

Bolivia had just expelled its own U.S. ambassador, Philip Goldberg. Goldberg had had met with leaders of the country’s right-wing insurgency, called on the government to accept the separatist demands of the right wing, and proclaimed his duty to interfere in Bolivian politics. (See http://boliviarising.blogspot.com/2008/09/us-we-must-interfere-in-bolivian.html)

The U.S. government has also just denounced Bolivia’s government for its collaborative ties with Iran, also a close ally of Venezuela.“The U.S. is behind the plan against Bolivia, behind the terrorism,” declared Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. “We’re committed to being free. Enough crap from you Yankees.”

Meanwhile, a menacing right-wing coup plot has been exposed on Venezuelan state television. See the account below.
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Coup Plot Against Chavez Disclosed on Venezuelan TV
September 11th 2008, by Tamara Pearson -
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/3786
Mérida, September 11, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com)-- On Wednesday night Mario Silva, on the program "La Hojilla" (The Razorblade) showed a recording from an unidentified source in which various military personnel, some retired and some active, were planning a coup against Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.

The coup plan aimed to take the Miraflores Palace, the headquarters of the government and the president's office.

Among the participants in the recording were vice admiral Carlos Alberto Millan Millan, who was also inspector general of the National Armed Forces, general of the National Guard Wilfredo Barroso Herrera, brigade general of Aviation, and Eduardo Baez Torrealba, who was involved in the April 2002 coup attempt.

In what was the possibly the last episode of "La Hojilla," a clip was shown with a recording of various phone conversations where the speakers reveal a series of movements and people who are "with them" inside various organizations and available to assist with the plan.

Herrera is heard saying, "Here there is only one objective: we're going to take the Miraflores Palace, we're going to take the TV installations...that is all effort towards where the man is. If he's in Miraflores, the effort goes towards there." Then he assures that he has someone who knows all the details of Miraflores, "that is the sergeant Brito Lombardero, and he's with us."

The speakers also say it is necessary to take the "command headquarters" with "the troops inside," including "those who are in the same barracks, in the Callejon Macado, 200 meters from the command headquarters."

They discuss which units will be responsible and will control which areas and buildings. They confirm they have sympathizers in a unit called "Bolivar," located in Catia La Mar, near the Capital Caracas, which would come to Caracas to participate in the coup.

In another conversation it is indicated that they have control points in the Air Base Libertador, in Maracay, Aragua state, where the F16 and other planes of the Venezuelan Air Force are.

Baez Torrealba says, "We are divided into four zones, those that are going to be in charge of the east, the west, and two in the centre... there the most important thing, Gonzalez, is the pilots. We already have a pilot ...in F16, the other is an instructor who is going to take off the planes."

He continues, "This commander, who is an instructor, he has some guys below, some captains and some majors...who are prepared to follow him...the security man inside Libertador Base is with us...he is the commander, they're not going to check anything with him. He is the commander of the police."

Torrealba talks of the possibility of either bombing the president's plane, or capturing it with other planes in the air.

Silva, in his commentary suggested the officials involved could have a direct relation with Raul Baduel, a former defense minister who came out against Chavez in late 2007, and that Millan Millan is a "protégé" of his.

Silva is a PSUV candidate for governor of Carabobo state and his program will go off air for the time being, while he concentrates on the election campaign.

After being informed of the broadcast of the recording, Chavez rang the show, and speaking live, said that an investigation would be started immediately.

He also said that many such conspiracies have been prevented thanks to the Venezuelan Intelligence and that there have been plans to bomb the Miraflores.

"We've infiltrated the most radical and fascist movements...we've known for a long time that they are looking for land and air rockets and sophisticated equipment to blow up the presidential plane."

Chavez emphasized that if there is a coup, "the counter-coup would be overwhelming."

He also linked the plot with US plans to assassinate him, "The empire is desperate and the Yankee-sympathizers here are helping them attack me." He outlined the US strategy to use Venezuelan flags on foreign or US planes in order to make it look like a local rebellion."We are alert, I say to the country to trust your government, our intelligence organizations, our Armed Forces, in which our officials and soldiers have learnt many lessons."

Silva argued the opposition would not plan such an action if they thought they would win widely in the upcoming local and regional elections on 23 November.

Furthermore, on Wednesday Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelan Foreign Minister, also speaking on National Television, confirmed that there is strong proof of US attack strategies against the Venezuelan president.

"We have denounced these situations over and over again. In fact, we announced the coup of 2002 one year before it took place," he said.

Maduro included in such attack strategies the "criminalization" campaign around the "suitcase scandal," in reference to a trial taking place in the U.S., in which the Venezuelan government is accused of providing $800,000 to the presidential campaign of then-candidate Cristina Fernandez of Argentina.

"The North American government is using whatever weapons it can in order to attack the leaders that have been consolidated in Latin America."

A PSUV leader, Vanessa Davies, has called on the party membership and the general population to march on the Justice department this Monday, to present a document rejecting the coup plot.

"We demand that the department investigate this plan so that impunity doesn't rule again," she said.

CUBA NEEDS OUR HELP

The need for funds to recover from hurricanes Gustav and Ike is urgentWe hope that in this hour of Cuba's need, you will find it possible to respond in a spirit that reflects our respect and appreciation of the generosity and determination of the Cuban people.

Send in donations to "Mackenzie-Papineau Memorial Fund" (Registered Canadian charitable organization # 88876 9197) is working to collect donations for Cuba Hurricane Relief. You will receive a charitable tax receipt.

Write on the memo line of the cheque “For Cuba Hurricane Relief.” Also include your name, address and phone number if it is not already on the cheque so a tax receipt can be issued (or state that a tax receipt is not needed).

Envelopes should be addressed to:
Mackenzie-Papineau Memorial Fund, Att: S. Skup,Treasurer
56 Riverwood Terrace, Bolton, Ontario, L7E 1S4

If you do not want a tax or any receipt, you also can go to any TD Canada Trust branch and deposit money to the following bank account. All money received this way will go to Cuba Hurricane Relief:

TD Canada Trust - 1881 Steeles Ave West at Dufferin,Toronto
Institution # 004 Transit # 03212 Branch # 321 Acct# 5001074 Mackenzie-Papineau Memorial Fund.

We are asking for everyone to immediately sign a petition requesting our government to send hurricane aid to Cuba. As of now, not one penny of government aid has gone to Cuba from Canada. www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/hurricane-aid-for-cuba.html