4th PAN-AFRICAN MEETING FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE BOLIVARIAN REVOLUTION (COTONOU - BENÍN 2026) At present, international and historical dynamics confirm the validity of our union to defeat the most formidable enemy threatening life on Earth: imperialism and its forms of power. This affirmation places us at the forefront of promoting and deepening the new configuration of global power, while preserving and developing Bolivarian diplomacy of peace, people's diplomacy, and Afro-descendant internationalism. The presence of Africa, as an ethnic, cultural, political, economic, and social factor, is a reality shared by all of the Americas and particularly by the Caribbean, of which Venezuela is a part. It unites us and constitutes a historical, political, and liberation thread that must undoubtedly transcend current imperialist attempts to divide us. We are a people sharing a common history and future, and therefore a common goal: total and definitive emancipation, in dignity and with respect for the full development of our peoples. With this in mind, thanks to the political initiative of the following organizations: the Pan-African Federal Movement of Guinea-Bissau, the Senegalese Social Forum of Senegal, and the Pan-African Bloc of Venezuela, we have conceived the Pan-African Meeting for the Defense of the Bolivarian Revolution, where Pan-Africanists from around the world gather to reflect on the international situation, debate the challenges and obstacles to the historical demand for reparations for slavery and colonialism, promote the political unity of Africa and its diaspora against imperialism, preserve life on the planet, defend the Bolivarian Revolution as a project of global emancipation, defend just causes, deepen Afro-descendant internationalism, and consolidate people's diplomacy where social movements are the "collective intellectuals" that transform relations International gatherings from a revolutionary perspective. These Pan-African Encounters constitute a political initiative based on people's diplomacy and peace, closely linked to Afro-descendant internationalism. They involve the active participation of various movements and organizations from Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, promoting revolutionary Pan-Africanism, the defense of the rights of Afro-descendant peoples, the historical demand for reparations for slavery and colonialism, independence, sovereignty, and self-determination, as well as the political unity of Africa and its diaspora in the face of imperialism. The defense of the Bolivarian Revolution is a central point of convergence. To date, we have held three Pan-African Encounters for the defense of the Bolivarian Revolution: 1) Caracas, Venezuela, 2019; 2) Caracas, Venezuela, 2024; and 3) Dakar, Senegal, 2025.
Given the current international situation and the imperialist offensive of the American government against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, we propose to hold the 4th Pan-African Meeting for the Defense of the Bolivarian Revolution in Cotonou, Benin, within the framework of the World Social Forum, from August 4 to 8, 2026. This meeting will constitute an international political forum for pan-African social movements, mainly originating from Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Guinea-Bissau, Togo, Cameroon, Guinea, Mozambique, Benin, France, Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, Brazil and Venezuela, among others. Its objective is to discuss the importance of the Bolivarian Revolution in the defense of humanity, to establish an international work program to strengthen the forces defending Venezuela, and to denounce the events that have occurred since January 3, 2026, the date on which the United States government, acting on the orders of President Donald Trump, conducted a military intervention in our country to abduct the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and the First Lady and Member of the National Assembly, Cilia Flores. This action constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, independence, sovereignty, and self-determination. Therefore, we demand their immediate release. The meeting will proceed according to the following order (subject to change): On Wednesday, August 5, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., the activity will begin with an introduction to African and Afro-descendant mysticism, followed by an opening address, a contextualization of the 4th Meeting, and an audiovisual presentation of previous meetings (Jhonny Gutiérrez Blopanven). Three speakers will then each speak for 15 minutes: 1) The Bolivarian Revolution, hope of the people (Astery Paivan, Haiti); 2) The unity of Africa and its diaspora against imperialism (Boukari-Yabara Amzat, Pan-African League Umoja); 3) Afro-descendant internationalism in the service of just causes (Hayouba Ouatara, President of the Confederation of Peoples of the Sahel). A question-and-answer session will follow, allowing participants to exchange their views and contributions. Thursday, August 6, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.: continuation of the meeting, presentations by four speakers (15 minutes each): 1) Venezuela in the global context and the communal state (Manuel Salcedo Blopanven); 2) Pan-African youth and the commitment to defending the "World Revolutions" (Mandou Djabi Djallo, Pan-African Federal Movement of Guinea-Bissau) (Cuba and Venezuela); 3) The role of women in Pan-Africanism (Adeline Moutegoto, Togolese Social Forum). This will be followed by a question and answer session and exchange of opinions, as well as the reading of the Final Declaration of the 4th Pan-African Meeting for the Defense of the Bolivarian Revolution (Organization for the Defense of Human and Peoples' Rights (ODHP) – a woman).
The event will conclude with a reflection on African and Afro-descendant mysticism. Similarly, the Venezuelan delegation and the international pan-African delegation will participate in various activities of the World Social Forum before and after our meeting, through bilateral meetings, active participation in different thematic areas and strategic support for activities promoted by different social movements.