Latin American Solidarity Network (LASNET)

Dear friends,

This note is to thank those of you that helped us during Claudio Castro's visit to Australia in July and August 2007. Claudio found the trip very worthwhile, and he was able to speak to many, many people about the situation in Chile, and in particular the student movement which shook that nation last year and has inspired a resurgence in social movement activity in the country.

From Black GST & Camp Sovereignty

The Howard Settler Governments invasion of the Northern territory is land-grabbing racism nothing more. This invasion is part of the neo liberal structural adjustment programme of Intuitions such as the World, Bank, the IMF & APEC to diminish and extinguish Indigenous rights forever.

Thank you to all the comrades who came to the demonstration in support of the Latin American people, Honduras, Haiti and Chile. More than 50 people attended the demonstration on March 20th in Federation Square, Melbourne to protest the presence of US in Latin America and against the 7 military bases in Colombia and a strategic base in Honduras.

Our demonstration was also a protest against the regime of President Uribe because of its innumerable human rights violations through the forced displacements,the criminalisation of social movements, the jailing of peasents and indigenous people and the persecution of the people of Colombia by its anti-terrorist policies.

What is more our demonstration was also in support of the workers and union leaders who are suffering daily persecution for defending their rights. We send them fraternal greetings from Australia to the workers of the Coca Cola multinational in Colombia who are fighting for workers rights and their own survival.

We were also protesting the criminalisation of international solidarity, because the solidarity that we represent supports marginalised people and the original inhabitants of Latin America.

Thanks again to all the organisations and unions who gave their support for Sinaltrainal and the social organisations of Colombia on their behalf we send a big thank you.