Mexico solidarity outreach tour continues
This series of presentations began on the East Coast in October 2023 and continued in the West Coast in February 2024 (see story in the last California Red). Mexican journalist Jose Luis Ceja traveled through Salem, Oregon, the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego and Los Angeles. The issues he has been discussing are of urgent concern to all who wish to understand the the historical relationship between Mexico and the United States, and the fight against the hegemony of US monopoly capital.
Interest in Mexico among American socialists has increased with the successes of the Moreno Party and President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO). His platform of anti-corruption and governance for the people has drawn attacks from the far right in both the US and Mexico. As people are forced to flee from their homelands, we in the belly of the beast are starting to more closely examine the role of the US in so-called immigration issues. The wide-ranging questions addressed by Jose touched on immigration and the border, labor unions, industry and business, the role of cartels, the army, national sovereignty and upcoming elections.
The sponsors and contributors to the tour grew from an initial group of the Mexican Solidarity Project, Liberation Road and DSA Inland Empire to include the CPUSA and other left organizations, local English and Spanish-speaking community groups, newspapers, unions, high school and college students, and university teachers.
In the SF Bay area we had two zoom presentations due the heavy rainstorm during Celas‘ visit. In Los Angeles there was a presentation at Casa Rojas, with three student groups at Garden High School and a co-op, Mercado La Paloma; DSA and the Philippine Workers Center co-sponsored. In San Diego there were presentations at an employee rights group and a local school where parents have taken over the school administration.
One important benefit that emerged from the tour is that in several cities the groups that worked together over a period of six or eight weeks to pull together the events are planning to stay together. They are going to do follow up work: webinars, other speakers etc. Working together and organizing, promoting, sponsoring, moderating and providing translation helps us achieve deeper left unity.