This weekend you’ve got a unique chance to hear a heroic leader of the struggle for ecosocialism in Latin America speak in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Hugo Blanco has for decades been a key figure in fighting for the transformation of society in his native Peru, and for the rights of indigenous peoples. On Friday (Oct 15th) he’s speaking at an SSP rally for ecosocialism, which is starting at 7.30 in Partick Burgh Halls. Then on Saturday (16th), Edinburgh Uni Socialist Society is hosting a dayschool on ecosocialism and Latin America, featuring a whole raft of workshops on struggles from across the continent and Hugo, again. It’s on in the Dining Room of Teviot House, Bristo Square from 10.30 – 1.

As a warm up for these exciting events, we thought it might be a good idea to give you an idea just who Hugo is, so that you don’t miss the chance to come and hear him speak.

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Today we’re reviving a regular feature you used to see the in the classic (pre-blog, paper only) version of Leftfield.

“Who the Hell is…” brings you the low down on key folk who’ve tried to make a difference to the world in the past. Previous people we’ve profiled have included Delegate Zero/Subcommandante Marcos, and Che Guevara.

Today, we’re asking: Who the Hell is… Albert Einstein?

That might seem a bit of a redundant question, since he’s one of the most famous scientists to have ever lived. Everyone has heard of him, and his name is like another word for “really really clever.” What’s less well known (but shouldn’t surprise you considering how smart he was) is that he was a lifelong socialist.

In science, Einstein completely revolutionised the study of physics, with his theories of relativity, beginning of quantum mechanics and explanation of the wave-particle duality of light, to name just a few of his massive contributions. His work was so important he was to become a world wide celebrity decades before celebrities became as commonplace as today. He used his international fame tirelessly to fight for social justice and for the rights of people who had been wronged by racism, the capitalist system and right wing politics.

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