THE International Anti-Fascist World Festival came to a close in the Venezuelan capital Caracas on Saturday. 

The 2,000 delegates from 125 countries called for the consolidation of international anti-fascist action.

President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, closed the festival by thanking delegates “on behalf of all of Venezuela,” saying that “we are at peace, in democracy, in full exercise of our national sovereignty, and the people are moving forward in this new stage.”

President Maduro said that this movement must advance towards the formation of a great global anti-fascist alliance.

He said: “I have pointed out that we must continue to build and articulate the capacity for mobilisation in all towns and cities, building forces with great impact on social networks, in the countryside, neighbourhoods and universities, to fight and transform our countries.”

Joao Pedro Stedile of the Landless Workers Movement of Brazil said that “at this crucial moment of the world class struggle, it is vital to establish trenches in each of our countries. 

“It is not enough to be in solidarity with Venezuela, Cuba and Palestine. It is necessary to fight in our lands.”

He said: “They shall not pass!” 

Mr Stedile also praised Venezuela as a “beacon in the global fight against fascism and imperialism.” 

The festival, which follows last year’s founding event, also in Caracas, agreed to a resolution that included creating branches of the international in other countries, launching a think tank to support the work of the organisation, the launch of a popular, anti-fascist feminist international, to convene a world anti-fascist congress of the indigenous peoples of our continents.

There was also agreement to launch a “seedbeds of the new world” training camp for youth comrades.

The festival agreed that the aim of the training camp would be to train young people from all over the globe to be leaders committed to building a new world.