Richard Fidler

Pro-sovereignty left scores breakthrough in Quebec elections

Quebec鈥檚 October 1 general election campaign in Quebec unfolded as two distinct contests, writes Richard Fidler.

One contest was the competition between the Liberals and Coalition Avenir Qu茅bec (CAQ) for control of the government.

The other contest in the predominantly French speaking province of Canada, with a long history of struggling for national sovereignty, was between the Parti qu茅b茅cois (PQ) and Qu茅bec solidaire (QS) for hegemony within the pro-sovereignty movement.

Canada: Climate justice movement shakes the NDP

In a stunning rebuff to the party establishment, delegates to the federal convention of the Canada鈥檚 social democratic New Democratic Party, meeting in Edmonton, Alberta April 8-10, voted to reject Thomas Mulcair as their leader. They voted to begin reorienting the party to become a leader in Canada鈥檚 climate justice movement.

Bolivia: Voters reaffirm 鈥榩rocess of change鈥, but warn Morales' party

Up to 90% of the electorate voted in Bolivia鈥檚 鈥渓ocal鈥 elections on March 29 for governors, mayors and departmental assembly and municipal council members throughout the country. The governing Movement for Socialism (MAS) of left-wing President Evo Morales once again emerged as the only party with national representation. It is by far the major political force in Bolivia, and far ahead of the opposition parties, none of which has a significant presence in all nine departments.

Bolivia: Global trade unions call for anti-capitalist struggle

After the June summit meeting of the G77 + China leaders held in Santa Cruz, the Bolivian government and the Bolivian Workers Central (COB) sponsored an 鈥淎nti-Imperialist International Trade Union Conference鈥 in Cochabamba over June 30-July 2. The conference was attended by representatives of unions in 22 countries who are affiliated with the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU).

Evo Morales: 'Our liberation is for all humanity'

The Summit of the Group of 77 plus China, marking the alliance鈥檚 50th anniversary, closed in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, on June 15 with the adoption of a declaration entitled 鈥淔or a New World Order for Living Well鈥. There were delegates from 104 nations out of the 133 from the global South that now make up the Group of 77 plus China. Bolivia is chairing the alliance this year, and its president, Evo Morales, hosted the summit.

Peru: General strike shuts down Cusco

Cusco, a city of 400,000 in south-eastern Peru, was totally paralysed on February 25. It was the first day of a 48-hour general strike initiated by trade unions and other civic groups. The strike was supported by bus, taxi and truck drivers, as well as peasant and indigenous groups in provinces throughout the Cusco region. All vehicular traffic ceased in the downtown area and citizens walked freely through the streets 鈥 an unusual sight in a South American city.

Bolivia: Workers to take over closed factories

Bolivia's President Evo Morales issued a government decree on October 7 that allows workers to establish 鈥渟ocial enterprises鈥 in businesses that are bankrupt, winding up, unjustifiably closed or abandoned. These enterprises, while private, will be operated by the workers and qualify for government assistance.

Bolivia leads counter-atack to the Empire's provocations

Washington鈥檚 refusal to allow Venezuela's President Nicol谩s Maduro to over-fly its colony of Puerto Rico on September 19 attracted little attention in the North American and European media. But in Latin America this arrogant gesture drew immediate outrage. It recalled the July 2 denial by four European countries 鈥 France, Italy, Spain and Portugal 鈥 of landing and refuelling rights and passage through their airspace to Bolivia鈥檚 president Evo Morales while he was returning home from a trip to Moscow.

Quebec: Students celebrate 'total victory', environmentalists score wins

Their demonstrations have shaken Quebec in recent months, and on September 20, students and environmentalists won big victories. At her first news conference as premier, Pauline Marois announced that her Parti Quebecois (PQ) government had cancelled the university tuition fees rise imposed by the previous Jean Charest Liberal government. The PQ government, which won the September 4 elections, said it would also repeal the repressive provisions of Law 12 (formerly Bill 78). Charest had imposed the law in a bid to smash the province's huge student strike.

Quebec: Defiant students reject shabby government offer

Quebec college and university students are now in the 13th week of their militant province-wide strike. They have voted overwhelmingly to reject a government offer that met none of their key demands. After a 22-hour bargaining session involving ministers of the Charest government, university and college heads, and leaders of the major trade-union federations, the student leaders agreed on May 6 to put the offer to a vote of their memberships without recommending acceptance. If the offer was accepted:
Quebec students protest.

Quebec: Huge student upsurge fuels big debates

A crowd estimated at 250,000 people or more wound its way through Montr茅al April 22 in Quebec鈥檚 largest ever Earth Day march. They raised many demands: an end to tar sands and shale gas development, opposition to the Quebec government鈥檚 Plan Nord mining expansion, support for radical measures to protect ecosystems, and other causes.

Quebec: Huge student protests against fee hikes

Tens of thousands of students and their supporters marched in big Quebec cities on March 18 to oppose the Quebec Premier Jean Charest鈥檚 government鈥檚 promise to impose a 75% rise in post-secondary education fees over the next five years. In Montreal, about 30,000 鈥渇ormer, present and future university students鈥 protested. The march stretched for more than 1.5 kilometres, newspaper Le Devoir said. Thousands more marched in Quebec City, Sherbrooke and Alma.