Statement by the US Peace Council – 2019-01-26 23:16:21
ACTION ALERT: Stop the US-Led Coup Against Venezuela!
Petitions and Condemnations Are Not Enough
The US Peace Movement Must Act Decisively!
Statement by the US Peace Council
(January 26, 2019) — Once again, the bloody hand of US imperialism is reaching out into Venezuela to complete the failed job of regime change that it started in 2002 against President Hugo Chavez. There is no doubt that another US-led coup is underway to topple the democratically elected government of President Maduro in the hope of putting an end to the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela.
The illegal act by the US Government to recognize Juan Guaido as the “President of Venezuela” is not only in violation of the International Law and the United Nations Charter, but constitutes a direct attack on Venezuelan people’s right to national sovereignty and self-determination.
We do not forget that the same tactic of creating a US-fabricated “alternative government” was also used by the Obama Administration, and especially by Hillary Clinton as the US Secretary of State, in an attempt to overthrow the legitimate government of President Assad in Syria.
The forced regime change operation in Venezuela is just another instance of the ongoing policy adopted by US imperialism against the governments that have been resisting US domination since the dismantling of the USSR — Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, North Korea — which is now being intensified by the exclusively corporate/military controlled Trump Administration. In addition, recent efforts by NATO to recruit Latin American countries, such as Colombia and Brazil, further threaten countries like Venezuela who dare to assert their autonomy.
This criminal decades-long regime change policy is driven by both economic and strategic objectives. Venezuela has been in the US crosshairs, along with Iraq, Libya, and Iran, for its large oil reserves. Venezuela is also the primary exporter of oil to the United States.
US control of these rapidly depleting oil reserves is key to the US imperialism’s domination of the global economy in the 21st Century, especially in the face of emerging powerful challenges from countries like China and Russia.
But an even more urgent motivation for US imperialism to force a regime change in Venezuela is putting an end to the anti-imperialist role Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution has played in Latin America.
Since the ascendance of President Chavez to power in 1999, the Bolivarian Government of Venezuela has played a critical role in promoting self-determination, democracy and mass-empowerment in Latin America.
It has been Cuba’s main supporter during the emergency period that it faced after the disintegration of the Socialist Camp. Venezuela provided subsidized oil to numerous countries in the Caribbean, e.g., Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Belize, Nicaragua, that allowed those countries to finance education, reduce poverty and pay down debt. Venezuela also provided deeply discounted heating oil to impoverished families in 25 states throughout the US.
It is for all these reasons that the success of US-led coup in Venezuela would result in a disaster, not only for the people of Venezuela, but for all of the Latin America and even the people of United States. It can easily lead to a long civil war and possibly another US military intervention, this time in Venezuela, especially since Trump and Bolton and Pompeo have consistently said that this option is on the table.
It would lead to displacement of hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of people, creating a huge wave of refugees throughout Latin America, which would affect the United States as well. Given Trump’s policy of anti-refugee, and an anti-immigrant border wall, one can imagine the dimensions of the humanitarian disaster that could arise.
The US Peace Council strongly opposes US imperialism’s criminal interference in the internal affairs of Venezuela and demands full respect for the will of the majority of the Venezuelan people who have freely elected Nicolas Maduro as their President.
We call upon the US peace movement to not limit itself to just signing petitions and issuing statements of condemnation, as important as they are. While these methods are necessary and helpful in applying pressure on the US Congress and the government, the history of US imperialism has demonstrated that such appeals alone have not been effective enough to stop the crimes that are being committed by our government abroad in our name.
We need to organize broad mass protests in every corner of the country, against war, against foreign intervention, and against violations of UN Charter by the US ruling class. Many organizations in the US and around the world have already issued calls for mass protests against the ongoing US coup attempt in Venezuela (for a partial list of actions click here.
We urge our members and supporters, and all peace-loving people, to join these actions or organize similar protests in their own area.
Let us remember how we stopped the Vietnam War. Let us join hands again to demonstrate the immense power of the people who want peace and an end to imperialist interventions.
Emergency Actions Called:
US Hands off Venezuela! No US-backed Coup!
Posted in Actions, Latin America & The Caribbean, Spotlight, Venezuela
ACTION: Find/ Add an action: U.S. Hands off Venezuela! No to the coup!
(January 25, 2019) — Workers all over the world have a stake in Venezuela’s future. While the US government strangles millions of workers here by shutting down social services over Trump’s racist wall, the Pentagon remains open for business and is taking aggressive action against workers abroad.
A previously unknown puppet acting in US interests named Juan Guaidó arrogantly swore himself in as President of Venezuela on Jan. 23 against the wishes of the people of Venezuela. He called the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, a usurper. This is a lie. Maduro was democratically elected by the people of Venezuela — twice!
Guaidó’s backers in Trump’s White House, fascist leader of Brazil Bolsonaro, and all other regional puppets of the US government have already eagerly accepted Guaidó as one of their own, even as he cowers in the Colombian embassy in Caracas. They want to wipe out the gains made by Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chávez from the pages of history. Iraq war architect John Bolton says that regime change in oil-rich Venezuela is a “big business opportunity.”
We must be shoulder-to-shoulder with our class in Venezuela and fight back! The struggle for Bolivarian Venezuela’s future is a struggle all class-conscious workers worldwide must take part in. If workers want free health care, strong labor rights, an end to racism, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, and a decent society to raise children in, we must mobilize to defend Venezuela’s gains. Silence is not an option!
The International Action Center and Workers World Party, along with many other progressive organizations, have called for national mobilizations in support and defense of the Bolivarian revolution. Join us in the streets at these important actions!
Venezuela Actions List
This is a partial list of actions called by many organizations.
Tucson, AZ
Emergency Rally! Hands Off Venezuela!
Thursday, January 24, 5–6 PM MST
300 W. Congress St.
Los Angeles, CA
Protest Rally: Hands Off Venezuela! Stop the Coup!
Thursday, January 24, 6–8 PM PST
6430 Sunset Blvd.
San Francisco, CA
Emergency Rally: Respect Venezuelan Sovereignty!
Friday, January 25, 5–7 PM PST
24th and Mission
Washington, D.C.
Rally to Support the Bolivarian Revolution and President Maduro!
Saturday, January 26, 1–3 PM EST
The White House
Doral, FL
Trump: Hands-Off Venezuela!
Saturday, January 26, 1–3 PM EST
9405 NW 41st St.
Pensacola, FL
Emergency Demo! Imperialist Hands Off Venezuela!
Friday, January 25, 11–1 PM CST
700 S. Palafox St.
Atlanta, GA
NO Coup, No Military Intervention: Hands Off Venezuela!
Friday, January 25, 4:30–6 PM CST
Five Points, downtown
Chicago, IL
Hands Off Venezuela! Emergency Demonstration
Tuesday, January 29, 5:30–7:30 PM CST
Federal Center and Plaza, 219 S. Dearborn St.
Boston, MA
Emergency Action! Say NO to US-backed coup in Venezuela!
Friday, January 25, 5:30–6:30 PM EST
Copley Square, 560 Boylston St.
Raleigh, NC
No War on Venezuela!
Saturday, February 2, 2019
1 PM – 3 PM
Halifax Mall – 16 W. Jones St, Raleigh, NC 27601
Durham, NC
US Hands Off Venezuela! Emergency Rally!
Sunday, January 27, 2019
1pm – 3pm ET
CCB Plaza – 201 N Corcoran St, Durham, North Carolina 27701
Albuquerque, NM
Emergency Action! Say NO to US-backed coup in Venezuela!
Thursday, January 24, 5–6:30 PM MST
UNM Bookstore at Central Ave. & Cornell Dr. SE
Buffalo, NY: See report-back below
US Hands Off Venezuela! Defend the Bolivarian Revolution!
Friday, January 25, 2019
4 PM – 5pm ET
Corner of Elmwood and W Huron, by the Federal Bldg
Delmar, NY
US Hands off Venezuela! No coup! No sanctions! No war!
Monday, January 28, 2019
5pm ET
Delaware and Kenwood
New York, NY
Solidarity with Venezuela & Bolivarian Revolution
Thursday, January 24, 6–8 PM EST
Venezuelan Consulate
7 E. 51st St.
New York, NY
Stop Regime Change Against Venezuela!
Defend Latin American Sovereignty!
Defend the Cuban Revolution!
Saturday, January 26, Noon
Cuban Mission to the United Nations
38th St. & Lexington Ave.
Philadelphia, PA
US Hands Off Venezuela!
Saturday, January 26, 12–2 PM EST
Philadelphia City Hall, 1450 JFK Blvd.
Houston, TX
No Coup! No US Intervention! Solidarity with Venezuela!
Monday, January 28
4:30 – 5:30 CST
Mickey Leland Federal Building, 1919 Smith Street at St. Joseph Parkway
Salt Lake City, UT
US Hands Off Venezuela!
Saturday, January 26, 12–1:30 PM MST
Wallace Bennett Federal Building
125 S. State St.
(Revolutionary Bolivar and Zamore Current (CBRZ))
Buffalo Activists Brave Storm to Defend Venezuela Gov’t
By Ellie Dorritie
(January 25, 2019) — At 7:30 a.m. today, intrepid organizers and activists in snowy, cold and windy Buffalo, N.Y., put up a banner on the overpass facing traffic on the busiest downtown expressway. The banner read, “US Hands Off Venezuela, NO Intervention, NO Coup!” and was greeted with enthusiastic honks of support from rush-hour drivers.
The action was initiated by the following groups including Buffalo International Action Center, Buffalo Democratic Socialists of America, Buffalo Spring Action 2018, Burning Books, Workers World Party and more.
Posted in accordance with Title 17, Section 107, US Code, for noncommercial, educational purposes.
