INTERVIEW WITH VENEZUELAN AUTHOR LUIS BRITTO GARCIA : "THE FOURTH WORLD WAR IS AGAINST NEOLIBERALISM" Eric Contreras "I always say that on February 27, 1989, the fourth world war begain in Venezuela. The third was the Cold War, and the fourth is the war against neoliberalism, which began in Caracas on that day."

Luis Britto is a member of the generation of Venezuelan intellectuals who came of age amidst traumatic circumstances, with the fall of the Marcos Pérez Jiménez military dictatorship in 1958, followed by the armed struggle of the 1960s, the defeat and obligatory political reflux of the left that came after.

This generation, who had shared a critical and sarcastic view of the Venezuelan political system, was deeply divided when Hugo Chávez began to emerge as the leader of a controversial revolutionary process. In that breakup, Britto took the side of "Chavismo", supporting the changes that Chávez pursued when he became president.

Born in Caracas in 1940, Britto has twice won the prestigious Casa de las Américas literary award from Cuba (1970 and 1979), and in 1980 the Latin American Playwright award. Whether he likes it or not, he is one of the "celebrities" of the 6th World Social Forum in his native city.

-What impact does the World Social Forum have on the globalisation process?

-The importance of the WSF is that it is a centre for debate about this reality that is known as social movements, which are forms of organisation and of action for society, which are not framed in the political party context, nor in business, and nor are they states.

They are a new and dynamic realty that are grouped, in general terms, around very specific objectives, for example, the war against privatisation of water in Cochabamba (Bolivia), the ethnic issues of some indigenous movements, the movements of landless peasants in Brazil, and the Zamoranos in Venezuela.

Now, people organise themselves around those goals, which usually have a great ability to build unity and cooperation with other similar groups, and that is why you see a vast spectrum in the World Social Forum, in that there are environmental, economic, ethnic and gender movements, and all kinds of things.

Before all of this is a sort of "agora" of social movements, to find their points of contact, where they can collaborate, or establish a dynamic with another social movement. In my opinion the "Caracazo" [the 1989 riots in Caracas in which some 400 people were killed, mostly at the hands of security forces] was an immense social movement, and that shows you, especially in Venezuela, that there is a great capacity of very small social groups to suddenly coordinate themselves in an improvised way around a specific objective.

Chávez's ascent to power with the elections, was another one of these things. Chávez did not have a party, in official terms, nor did he have major publicity, but he won anyway.

The reposition of Chávez in power, and the end to the oil strikes, was more or less that same thing. This is the great new dynamic reality in the world and in Latin America. The problem is the following: the states have disassociated themselves from the peoples, and later it was the political parties.

The people have chosen their own way, in particular coming together around social movements.

-Do you think social movements are now on the offensive?

-Yes, for me they moved to the offensive a long time ago. I always say that on February 27, 1989, the fourth world war began in Venezuela. The third had been the Cold War, and the fourth is the war against neoliberalism, which began in Caracas on that day.

The movement against the FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas) ... a great union of social movements has emerged, the Continental Social Alliance. Where there was a meeting of the ones in power, who were going to impose neoliberal policies, then they appeared, they staged demonstrations, protests, manifestos, mobilised opinion, etc. When the entire world seemed to shut up, the presidents agreed to the economic packages, the parties thought it was great, but the social movements took to the street.

-As the 6th WSF continues, have you seen a main issue of debate emerge?

-All of the issues<