Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has announced the holding, on a date yet to be determined, of a world congress “against fascism, neo-fascism and similar expressions,” with the aim of exchanging strategies to combat this ideology with which the president links the majority opposition in his country.
“We are going to do it here in Venezuelaworld epicenter of the fight against fascism, the great congress (…) to nourish ourselves with ideas, proposals and fine-tune the strategies of Venezuela, which is defending its right to live, to peace, to the future,” said the Chavista leader during a meeting with leaders of the ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV).
In this regard, he asked to invite personalities “from all continents”, including thinkers, intellectuals, artists, social leaders and political leaders, without mentioning anyone in particular.
Regarding the date of this activity, he suggested setting it before the National Congress scheduled for October 18, where Maduro hopes to receive proposals from all social movements to build a “concrete agenda of action” that will allow achieving “transformations towards 2031,” when the government period that will start next January ends.
The announcement of the holding of a “world congress” comes two days after the president asked the Parliament, controlled by Chavismo, to pass “very quickly” a law against fascism, the content of which “undermines civic and democratic space”according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk.
Maduro believes that the main opposition coalition, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), is led by fascists, an accusation he has reiterated since the July 28 elections, in which he was declared the winner, a claim that has been questioned inside and outside the country.
The PUD claims that its candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, won the elections by a wide margin, which the Government sees as aa “coup and fascist” plan against him.
In April 2022, Caracas hosted a three-day international summit against fascism, in which, according to the authorities, “around 200 guests from 52 countries” participated.
