A true step forward in the right direction.

Venezuela is truly moving forward, I still cannot believe it. With a young population and through the Frente Francisco de Miranda setup up in 2003. This organization empowers youth to work in poor communities and help to facilitate many of the social missions that have taken free education and health to areas where many could not read or had never visited a doctor.

Revolutionary youth in Venezuela

Maria Rosa, one of the national leaders of the FFM, explained to Resistance that “now that the issue of socialism is being discussed openly, the debate we need to have is how we make sure that the socialism we are talking about is not just a simple slogan but becomes a reality”.

Beginning with the goal of creating a new society based on humanist values, solidarity and cooperation — where people come before profits — many Venezuelans have now come to the conclusion that such a society is only possible through socialism.

According to Rosa, the FFM believes that “the revolution needs to continue to move forward, to deepen towards the construction of socialism. We believe that within this revolution there needs to be a vanguard that takes this discussion forward with that aim. We see that Commandante Chavez is playing a vanguard role, but there needs to be social actors, organisations and individuals that push this discussion forward inside the revolution. The FFM aims to be a part of that.

“We have a battle on two fronts, imperialism on the one hand and poverty and hunger, which are the consequences of that system, on the other.”

Rosa explained that the social programs — such as Mission Robinson, which has eradicated illiteracy in Venezuela by teaching 1.4 million people to read and write; Mission Barrio Adentro, which has provided free health care and medicine with the assistance of 20,000 Cuban medics; and the food houses that give free food to the most needy — are part of this struggle. Rosa herself is involved in the national coordination of Mission Ribas, the high school-level education program.

Source: http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2006/660/660p14b.htm