Corporate media outlets in Australia and internationally are overwhelmingly campaigning in support of the United States鈥 regime change push in Venezuela. This is another reason to support 91自拍论坛 Weekly.
Nicol谩s Maduro
In 1996, when I was working in Nicaragua, I attended a conference in El Salvador and met a charismatic former army officer from Venezuela called Hugo Ch谩vez. He explained how he was building an alliance between patriotic military officers and working people and that they were seeking to win the next elections and use the country鈥檚 oil wealth to improve the quality of life for the poor.
Hundreds have mobilised to attend pickets and mass meetings in defence of Venezuela鈥檚 sovereignty and to demand an end to the British and US governments interference during a time of difficulty in Venezuela. Starting with a picket at the Prime Minister鈥檚 Office and continuing with two mass meetings of the progressive left, anti-war, student and labour movement, a week of protests ended with a picket of the BBC headquarters and a further action planned against the Bank of England who have illegally seized US$1.2 billion聽of Venezuela鈥檚 gold.
Two competing marches took over the streets of Caracas on February 2 鈥 in support and against elected President Nicolas Maduro. The foreign media focused on the opposition march exclusive, despite that the pro-government march was clearly larger.
Much media fanfare has been made about US President Donald Trump pledge to deliver US$20 millions worth of humanitarian aid, in the form of food and medicine, into Venezuela via its borders with Colombia and Brazil.聽But in all media聽coverage, almost nothing has been said of the impact that the devastating and illegal US sanctions have had on the Venezuelan people, or that the latest round, including the impact that the seizure聽of Venezuela鈥檚 oil assets in the US will have.
In a strikingly different stance to leaders of the Australian Labor Party, which has backed the Coalition government鈥檚 support for the illegitimate coup 鈥済overnment鈥 in Venezuela, several leading members of Britain鈥檚 Labour Party have rejected the US attempt at regime change in the oil-rich South American nation.
In , United States National Security Advisor John Bolton admitted the US government was backing an illegal coup in Venezuela in order to control the South American nation鈥檚 sizeable oil reserves.
鈥淚t will make a big difference to the United States economically if we could have American oil companies invest in and produce the oil capabilities in Venezuela,鈥 Bolton told Fox News on January 28.
Australian solidarity activists are calling on Prime Minister Scott Morrison鈥檚 government to demand the United States lift its sanctions on Venezuela and rule out any military intervention in the South American country.
Federico Fuentes, co-author of聽Latin America's Turbulent Transitions聽and co-convenor of the Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network, said: 鈥淚t is well known that Venezuela is passing through the worst economic crisis in its history.
On February 15, 2003, in the face of the looming US-led war against Iraq鈥檚 Saddam Hussein, the Spanish state saw the biggest demonstrations in its history. Part of an immense worldwide anti-war outpouring, about 4 million people turned out.
Leaders of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) were among those at the head of these oceanic demonstrations, which directly targeted the conservative Spanish People鈥檚 Party (PP) government of then-prime minister Jos茅 Mar铆a Aznar.
The dice have been thrown and the game is on in Venezuela. This week has seen the country enter into new uncertain and dangerous terrain, although with some predictable elements. We have witnessed different variables develop, and now wait for new elements that may catalyse or justify an outcome.
Below are three statements from the Socialist Alliance (Australia), the Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) and the Philippines-Venezuela Solidarity (Phil-Ven-Sol).
US Hands off Venezuela!
叠测听Socialist Alliance National Executive
January 24, 2019聽鈥斅燭he Socialist Alliance strongly condemns the actions of the United States President Donald Trump in backing an attempted coup against the democratically elected government of Venezuela.
Have those who state that Nicol谩s Maduro is a dictator, a usurper, and that the 2019-2025 presidential period lacks legitimacy, asked themselves why he is illegitimate? Or do they just repeat what they hear?
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