Report about the situation in Venezuela and solidarity actions
 |
| International Operational Secretariat of the International Peoples’ Assembly 02/02/2019 |
Communique 01-2019 from the International Operational Secretariat of the International Peoples’ Assembly
São Paulo, Brazil, January 31, 2019
We are writing to you to share with you some aspects on the current situation in Venezuela.
The self-proclamation of Juan Guaidó, an unknown subject until a few weeks ago, is based on not recognizing the elections, wherein the people democratically elected Nicolás Maduro as President of Venezuela, May 20, 2018. In those elections, 17 political parties participated and there were four candidates to the presidency with a participation of more than 9 million citizens, in a country where voting is not obligatory. Maduro won with 6,248,864 votes, 67.84% of the total, in elections where various international observers were present, including the Council of Electoral Experts of Latin America (CEELA) ¹.
We are seeing a new attempt of a coup d’état commanded by the USA. The vice president of this country, Mike Pence, called for it on last January 23.
This strategy is based on, without a doubt, an offensive to take control of the natural resources of Venezuela, principally its petroleum. It is well known that the foreign policy of the United States, tends towards intervening directly in the internal politics of countries from the “Global South”, with the objective of taking control of the natural resources and enrich the pockets of the North American State, that especially now looks to assure its declining hegemony on the international stage.
In order to fulfill their objective as quickly as possible, they seek to destabilize the Venezuelan economy and suffocate its people through an economic war. With this, they have two principle points in their discourse: on one hand, they sell the idea that the country lives under a dictatorship and, on the other, they want to make it seem like the country lives in absolute chaos. Venezuela does not only not live under a dictatorship (the transparency of the electoral system has been shown), nor does it live in chaos (it is true that it is in a difficult situation, but not as extreme as they would make it seem). The conflict, as such, is without a doubt a consequence of the attempts from the exterior to destabilize the country, and not for internal reasons.
North American imperialism does not accept that the Venezuelan people decide their own destiny, exercise sovereignty and maintain their independence. In Venezuela the people are mobilize and are very conscious of their rights, and will not submit to any outside leader. The puppet is Juan Guaidó, immediately recognized by the US and the servile countries of the Lima Group, but he does not have recognition of the people, of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces nor of the other opposition sectors that are in the National Assembly and the supposed leaders of the Venezuelan opposition.
According to a recent study, approximately 8 of every 10 Venezuelans are against all types of international intervention, be it military or economic (86% are against a possible military intervention and 81% against all of the economic sanctions of the United States) ².
In this context, we understand that it is necessary more than ever that we strengthen our international solidarity with the Venezuelan people and the Bolivarian process. And currently, in addition to the destiny of a legitimate government elected by the will of the people, what is at play is the guarantee of the right of the people to freely choose their model of society, to freely decide their future, based in self-determination, in sovereignty, and in emancipation.
Venezuela is in the midst of a crucial battle, but it is not alone; all of the activists, organizers and militants that believe in a world free of capitalist, imperialist and patriarchal oppression are also waging this battle alongside our Venezuelan brothers and sisters. Today, the possibility of building a better world depends directly on what happens in Venezuela and it is directly related to the defense of the Bolivarian and revolutionary process.
To close, we would like to greatly thank the solidarity you have given in these difficult days. The Venezuelan people are strengthened with each and every action of solidarity. Because of this, it is necessary to continue linking and coordinating our international solidarity in this crucial battle that we are fighting to be free as people.
We continue in the struggle.
Long live the struggle of the people! Long live the Bolivarian Revolution!
We will live and we will win!
Notes
