“The PSUV is a mighty force and with the ideas and programme of Marxism it will be invincible”

Merida is a beautiful city situated on a plateau surrounded by high mountains, in the Venezuelan Andes. The core of the Universidad de Los Andes (ULA), one of the leading universities in the country, is situated in Merida. The city also has strong commercial and tourist sectors and is surrounded by many rural villages. On Monday, June 30 Alan Woods presented 'Reform or Revolution' in Merida before about 400 people, among them a large number of the activists and revolutionaries of the city. What was notable was the presence of young students of the ULA, activists and leaders of the local PSUV, as well as a large group of workers and several teachers and community militants. At the front of the meeting there was a huge banner with the initials of the CMR and the PSUV which read 'Reformism or Revolution' and with a quote from Leon Trotsky in the 1930s: 'The crisis of humanity is the crisis of its revolutionary leadership.' The panel, along with Alan Woods, was made up of Marcos Diaz Orellana, elected a few weeks ago by the ranks of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) as candidate for state Governor. In addition, there were present at the meeting other candidates elected by the party ranks, such as Pedro Àlvarez, candidate for Mayor of El Egido, and other revolutionary leaders like Freddy Teran, of the PCV, and others. Also present was Humberto Lòpez, President of the Municipal Printing House IMMECA, which printed the Venezuelan edition of 'Reformism or Revolution, Marxism and socialism of the 21st century.' This Venezuelan edition of the book was hailed as a great achievement by those attending.