Support on-line petition!
Many of us signed, two years ago, a protest against the exclusion of Heloisa Helena and other members of parliament from the PT, the Brazilian Workers Party. Today, Heloisa has become the presidential candidate of the new Party of Socialism and Liberty (PSOL), founded by several bureaucratically excluded or dissident members of the PT, and of a Left Front.
While Lula’s government followed a typical social-liberal course, disappointing millions of people who voted for him in the hope of a radical social and political change, and people all over the world who expected from Brazil a new impulse for anti-imperialist struggle, Heloisa Helena and her comrades remained faithful to the original anti-imperialist and socialist programme of the PT.
She is today the only candidate in the Brazilian elections who raises the historical banners of the Brazilian labour movement, of the peasants, the poor and the oppressed:
a radical agrarian reform,
suspension of the payment of the foreign debt,
rejection of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (ALCA),
a substantial reduction of working hours without loss of pay,
a moratorium on the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (such as Monsanto’s Terminator seeds),
support for the ALBA, the Bolivarian Alliance of the Americas (Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba).
The elections in Brazil are of concern for socialists everywhere in the world. In solidarity with the poor and the exploited Brazilian masses, we support the only socialist candidate in the next Brazilian presidential elections, Heloisa Helena.
Please email your name (with your position or capacity) or the name of your organisation, to:
or sign at
www.petitiononline.com/heloisa1/
Principal signatories so far (all in a personal capacity unless otherwise indicated):
Gilbert Achcar, university professor and author
Antony Arnove, International Socialist Organisation, US
Chris Bambery, editor, Socialist Worker, Britain
José Barreto, Coordinator, Carabobo Region of the National Union of Workers (UNT), Venezuela
Emilio Bastidas, Coordinator, Aragua Region of the National Union of Workers (UNT), Venezuela
Daniel Bensaïd, LCR, France
Olivier Besancenot, presidential candidate, LCR, France
Alister Black, International Committee, Scottish Socialist Party
José Boda, Executive member, Oilworkers’ Union, Fedepetrol, Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela
Patrick Bond, political economist, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Peter Boyle, national secretary, Democratic Socialist Perspective, Australia
Sue Branford, writer on Latin America
Robert Brenner, economist, US
Andrew Burgin, Press Secretary, Stop the War Coalition, England and Wales
Alex Callinicos, Socialist Workers Party, Britain
Joan Collins, Dublin City Councillor, Campaign for an Independent Left, Ireland
Orlando Chirino, National Coordinator of the National Union of Workers (UNT) Venezuela
Frances Curran MSP, Scottish Socialist Party
Mike Davis, University of San Diego, California
Roland Denis, on behalf of Proyecto Nuestra America/M-13 de Abril, Venezuela
Colin Fox, MSP and Convenor, Scottish Socialist Party
Ana Gabarró, member of the National Council of the Catalan United Left, Spanish state
Richard Gallardo, National Coordinator of the National Union of Workers (UNT) Venezuela
Marcos García, National Coordinator of the Public Employees Union (FENTRASEP), Venezuela
Lindsey German, convenor, Stop the War Coalition
Mike Gonzalez, Professor of Latin American Studies, Glasgow University
Tony Gregory, Independent TD, Dublin Central, Ireland
George Grollios, university professor, Thessaloniki, Greece
Joe Harrington, Former Mayor of Limerick City, Ireland
Richard Hatcher, Director of Research, Faculty of Education, University of Central England, Birmingham
Ismael Hernández, Coordinator, Carabobo Region of the National Union of Workers (UNT), Venezuela
Dave Hill, Professor of Educational Policy at the University of Northampton, England
Espacio Alternativo, Spanish State
Linus Jayatilake, President, United Federation of Labour, Sri Lanka
John Percy, Democratic Socialist Perspective, Australia
Dr Vickramabahu Karunarathna, President, Left Front, Sri Lanka
Claudio Katz, economist, Argentina
Alain Krivine, LCR, France
Dharmasiri Lankapeli, General Secretary, Media Employees Federation, Sri Lanka
Paul Laverty, screenwriter
John Lister, London Health Emergency
Ken Loach, filmmaker
Francisco Louçã, MP Portugal, Left Boc
Michael Lowy, Brazilian author
Finian McGrath, Independent TD, Dublin North-Central, Ireland
Patricia McKenna, former Member of the European Parliament, Irish Green Party
José Melendez, Finance Secretary, Steelworkers’ Union (SUTISS), Venezuela
John Moloney Public and Civil Service Union NEC member, Britain
People’s Democratic Party (KPP-PRD), Indonesia (Dita Indah Sari, Chairperson; Zely Ariane, Department of International Relations)
Pedro Montes, economist, member of the Federal Presidency of Izquierda Unida/United Left, Spanish state
Jaime Pastor, member of the Federal Political Council of Izquierda Unida/United Left, Spanish state
Stalin Pérez Borges, National Coordinator of the National Union of Workers (UNT) Venezuela
James Petras, Professor Emeritus, adviser, MST in Brazil
Lluis Rabell, member of the National Council of the Catalan United Left, Spanish state
Mick Rafferty, Dublin City Councillor (Independent), Ireland
John Rees, national secretary, Respect
Andy Reid, Public and Civil Service Union NEC member, Britain
Revolta Global, Catalunya
Teresa Rodriguez, member of the Federal Presidency of Izquierda Unida/United Left, Spanish state
Edgard Sánchez, on behalf of the Revolutionary Workers’ Party (PRT), Mexico
Alfredo Saad Filho, university professor, London
Ahmed Shawki, editor, International Socialist Review, US
Oscar Sogliano, Bolivia
Alan Thornett, Respect National Executive, Britain
Diosdado Toledano Gonzalez, member of the Presidency of Izquierda Unida/United Left and member of the Permanent Council of the Catalan United Left, Spanish state
Greg Tucker, National Train Crew Secretary, Rail, Maritime and Transport Union, Britain
Marcos Tulio Díaz, General Secretary, Construction Union (UBT), Venezuela
Jesús Vargas, Coordinator, Carabobo Region of the National Union of Workers (UNT), Venezuela
Vilma Vivas, Coordinator, Táchira Region of the National Union of Workers (UNT), Venezuela
Hector Wesley, Public and Civil Service Union NEC member, Britain
Niel Wijethilake, General Secretary, Corporation Co-op & Mercantile Union, Sri Lanka
Howard Zinn, writer, US
Slavoj Zizek, Slovenian philosopher