ON January 9-11 2025, the World International Anti-Fascist Festival: For a New World was held in Caracas, in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

These dates included the momentous day of January 10, when President Nicolas Maduro Moros was sworn in for his third term as president and leader of the Chavista people’s movement. The festival consisted of speeches, seminars, stalls and networking events for the more than 2,000 delegates, from over 125 countries which attended.

On the opening day, vice-president Dr Delcy Rodriguez Gomez described the necessity of the event: recognising and countering the resurgence of a fascist international, particularly visible in the rise of far-right parties across “liberal democracies.”

These rabidly capitalist, neocolonialist movements have already erupted into violence clearly obvious to all: in regions such as Palestine and Ukraine, and in the ongoing attempts at destabilisation in South America, in sovereign nations such as Cuba, Nicaragua and, of course, Venezuela.

Describing how these movements use new forms of technology such as social media, alongside more traditional economic and military coercion, Gomez stressed “there’s no time to lose,” and encouraged all delegates to build anti-fascist resistance, both in their own countries and in their international organising.

One particular way in which anti-fascists globally can support this movement is by learning and sharing the truth of the Bolivarian revolution in Venezuela, which is almost universally misrepresented in Western media reporting.

Seminars and educational events were opportunities for the democratic sharing of ideas and perspectives on how best to combat the rise of reactionary fascist trends, with topics such as “Women in the anti-fascist struggle: building an emancipatory feminism,” “Indigenous peoples and the fight against colonialism and fascist extractivism” and “Intellectuals, artists and social movements in defence of humanity.”

On the final day, the closing speech was delivered by newly inaugurated President Maduro. Discussing a wide range of topics, from the recent provocations of the US (which has raised the bounty for his arrest to $25 million) to footballing legends such as Maradona, Maduro congratulated the delegates on their work at the event.

Another recent international attack against Venezuela, this time by Britain and the EU, took the form of sanctioning various individuals in the political and military administration. Those sanctioned were all present at the closing speech and received the Order of Ayacucho award from the president.

Maduro closed the event with a global call to arms and reminded delegates of the auspicious anniversary of 2025 — the 80th anniversary of the victory against fascism, which he stressed was primarily a result of the efforts of the anti-fascist Red Army of the USSR against Nazi Germany and the Chinese victory over Imperial Japan.

He also reminded delegates of the longer history of resistance of Venezuela, “the cradle of freedom for South America,” where Francisco Pizzaro’s standard (Pendon de Pizarro) had been seized from the Spanish by the people of Cuzco, and had been sent to the liberator, Simon Bolivar from whom Venezuela takes its full name, and the relic is now displayed in the Municipal Palace in Caracas.

Indigenous resistance of the various nations of the region, such as the Ayacucho, were also recalled and Maduro pointed out that, given that the history books were written by the colonialists, the fact that these indigenous warriors, men and women, were remembered highlights the significance of their bravery — and likely obscures the true extent of it.

The president raised the point that through exploiting divisions in the various peoples of South America, the colonialists were able to succeed in their invasions, enslavements and massacres — colonialists today will replicate these methods so unity in the progressive movements, and the avoidance of petty divisions is to be avoided at all costs.

In this anniversary year, Maduro also stated that, following the success of the anti-fascist festival — and its preceding youth anti-fascist festival held in November 2024 — the following measures would be implemented to enhance and consolidate this network against fascism, including through:

• The creation of a think tank based on developing anti-fascist theory and practice.

• A youth anti-fascist training camp to take place in March 2025.

• World anti-fascist conferences and meetings recognising the specific focus on building resistance in and support for groups such as women, indigenous peoples and religious organisations.

• A creation of an organisation of anti-fascist jurists, to build legal defence and offence against fascist weaponisation of lawfare.

• The convening of a large international event in Caracas in August 2025.

All of these efforts should be replicated internationally, Maduro stressed, in the global fight against “fascism, neocolonialism, Nazism … everything that negates life.”

The need for vigilance is essential, and the option of violent resistance to fascism is always necessary, but Maduro, recalling a phrase by Mao Zedong, stressed: “We must unite all forces that can be united,” and gave an example of the reconciliation that had taken place in recent days between Chavistas and supporters of the opposition in the streets of Caracas, that had been captured on social media. “Peace, peace, peace … That is what we want for Venezuela.”

David Peat was in Venezuela as part of a delegation from Britain.