Headlines in This News Package:

• Venezuela Announces Dismantling of CIA-Backed Coup Plot, Arrest of Active-Duty Navy Seal

• Fête de l’Humanité 2024: 450,000 Stand for Palestine and Against Macron’s Power Grab

• Trade Unions Find Their Place in Global Peace Efforts at ManiFiesta 2024

• Tens of Thousands of Boeing Workers Are on Strike in Seattle

[NEWS ITEM TEXT]

Venezuela Announces Dismantling of CIA-Backed Coup Plot, Arrest of Active-Duty Navy Seal

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In a press conference given on September 14, Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced that authorities had dismantled an operation reportedly backed by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States and the National Intelligence Center of Spain. The effort sought to assassinate President Nicolás Maduro, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, Cabello, and other government officials.

The minister announced that Venezuelan authorities had seized a total of 400 weapons sourced from the U.S. and arrested 14 mercenaries involved in the plot. Among the arrested is Wilbert Joseph Castañeda, an active U.S. military officer and Navy Seal. Two Spanish citizens were reportedly also arrested, José María Basua and Andrés Badasbe.

In the press conference, the Interior Minister reported that Venezuelan authorities had seized a document from one of the detainees, which outlined the plot and included attacking the Miraflores Palace and other public institutions. The would-be perpetrators also sought to carry out sabotage actions against various public services to generate chaos.

Cabello cited government reports stating that those arrested possessed between 10 to 12 weapons in their homes that were set to be used in the destabilization plan. Cabello noted that many of those arrested also have links to Venezuela’s far-right opposition network.

He added that the weapons seized by authorities were brought to the country covertly and received by groups linked to the extreme right.

One of the leaders of the illegal arms trafficking network in the country, Cabello claimed, is a man who is already a fugitive from Venezuelan justice, Iván Simonovis.

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Fête de l’Humanité 2024: 450,000 Stand for Palestine and Against Macron’s Power Grab

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The 89th edition of the Fête de l’Humanité brought together over 450,000 participants for three days of political debate and musical and cultural performances.

Speakers included international figures like Angela Davis, representatives from France’s so-called overseas territories such as Kanak MP Emmanuel Tjibaou, and local activists such as anti-fascist and France Unbowed MP Raphaël Arnault.

Given the political upheaval that followed President Emmanuel Macron’s post-election maneuvers, significant attention was focused on the future of the New Popular Front (NFP). Macron’s controversial decision to appoint Michel Barnier as Prime Minister, bypassing the NFP, has sparked intense debate and brought hundreds of thousands of people to the streets.

Leaders from all NFP parties attended the Fête de l’Humanité, dissecting Macron’s strategy and reaffirming the coalition’s intent to stay united despite attempts to break it up. Fabien Roussel, national secretary of the French Communist Party, left no doubts about their intent: “We must remain united and strong to change France and people’s lives. To move forward, we must preserve this union as a common good.”

Another spotlight of the Fête de l’Humanité was international solidarity, particularly in terms of Palestinian liberation. Speakers from around the world included health workers who had volunteered in the occupied territories and European activists advocating for Palestinian liberation.

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Trade Unions Find Their Place in Global Peace Efforts at ManiFiesta 2024

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At ManiFiesta 2024, the trade union square was buzzing with activity for two full days. Belgian labor activists preparing for a demonstration to protest job cuts at Audi’s Brussels factory shared the space with union members from across Europe—Dutch, Italian, German, and French activists all exchanging struggles and strategies. Under the tents, the General Labor Federation of Belgium and the Confederation of Christian Trade Unions, alongside the European Federation of Public Service Unions, discussed campaigns to defend workers’ rights.

Europe faces looming austerity measures and a growing cost-of-living crisis. Despite the anticipated backlash from employers and industry-friendly governments, the mood among union organizers at ManiFiesta was one of determination, with leaders and members alike working to strengthen international ties and positioning the labor movement at the head of a global struggle.

A focus at ManiFiesta this year was opening Europe’s trade union movement to perspectives from the Global South and progressive movements from the United States. Irvin Jim, General Secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, spoke of his union’s victories in organizing workers as much as their role in driving initiatives—and mutinies, in the words of General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Belgium Peter Mertens—to turn the current world order upside down. Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers (UAW) in the U.S., drew attention as he shared the UAW’s success in mobilizing against the Big Three automakers shortly after electing a completely new leadership team.

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Tens of Thousands of Boeing Workers Are on Strike in Seattle

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On September 13, around 32,000 Boeing workers walked out on strike in the Seattle area after 95 percent voted to reject a contract deal with the company and 96 percent voted to strike. This is the first strike at Boeing since 2008.

Aerospace giant Boeing has received heavy public criticism due to rampant quality control issues that have resulted in continued investigations and legal action, not to mention two crashes of 737 MAX jets in 2018 and 2019 that left 346 people dead. Even more public suspicion has been raised following the deaths of two whistleblowers who raised concerns about safety, which led to speculation of foul play.

Workers claim that many of the safety issues result from Boeing caring more about fast production and stock prices than quality, as highlighted by a set of interviews conducted by More Perfect Union with workers and leaders of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM).

“The wages that they pay are comparable with McDonald’s,” said Kristi Kidrick, a Boeing assembly installer. “There is a big turnover rate. And so a lot of people won’t stay there very long to gain the knowledge and the skillset,” both of which are requirements for building safe, quality airplanes.

Workers rejected the contract deal that was negotiated between Boeing and IAM. The proposed deal contained wage increases of 25 percent, far lower than the 40 percent wage hike that workers had demanded.