The people and no one else will decide what happens in Venezuela

By Margaret Villamizar

Following the election of the new National Assembly, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro expressed satisfaction that the National Assembly had been freed from the control of opposition forces who used it as a base over the past five years to violate the country’s constitution, obstruct the normal functioning of government and support the U.S. economic war against the country. He called it a great victory for democracy, for the constitution. Maduro has said that the first task of the new legislature must be to repair the damage done to the country’s economy by the sanctions, adopting necessary measures to fortify and shield it from the effects of the U.S. economic war. He said this would require passing legislation approved in October by the National Constituent Assembly, which dissolves December 31, known as the Anti-Blockade Law for National Development and the Guarantee of Human Rights.

A new frustrated chapter in the war against Venezuela

Misión Verdad
(May 3) – In the early morning of May 3, there was a thwarted mercenary raid on the coast of Macuto, in the state of La Guaira. Interior, Justice and Peace Minister Néstor Reverol reported that the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) together with the Special Action Forces (FAES) of the Bolivarian National Police countered an invasion by “sea” on the coast by non-state actors, officially called “Operation Negro Primero”.

Warship Watch. US Navy intimidates Venezuelan fishing vessel in international waters

(April 30) – A Venezuelan fishing vessel was boarded in the Pacific Ocean by the US Coast Guard on April 28, a fact that was celebrated by the right-wing media and social networks in Venezuela. The name of the ship is “Taurus I” which carries out fishing in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Costa Rica, authorized by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission.

CARICOM demands US lift sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela

(April 16) – Caricom member countries called for the lifting of United States sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela, since all countries must be part of the global effort to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

Media struggle to defend Washington’s cruelty toward Venezuela and Iran as coronavirus spreads

By JOE EMERSBERGER, FAIR

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro wears a facemask, Marcch 23 | Venezuelanalysis

An Associated Press article (New York Times, 3/17/20) headlined “IMF Rejects Maduro’s Bid for Emergency Loan to Fight Virus” declared:

The request is an about-face for Maduro, who for years refused to share economic data with the Washington-based lender and just last month condemned it as a tool of US imperialism. In the past he has called the IMF a blood-sucking “assassin” responsible for plunging millions of people into poverty across Latin America.

Food shipment destined for Venezuela seized due to US blockade

(August 7) – Venezuela’s Vice-president Delcy Rodriguez denounced Wednesday that a ship containing 25 thousand tons of soy-made products has been seized in the Panama Canal due to the U.S. blockade while calling on the United Nations to take action against the “serious aggression” that impede Venezuela “right to food”.

Venezuela: 48th General Assembly of Organization of American States

U.S. fails again in attempt to suspend Venezuela

At the 48th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) held June 4-5 in Washington, D.C., the U.S. and a group of countries under its domination failed in their attempt to suspend the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela from the organization.

Organization of American States once again fails to pass resolution undermining Venezuela’s sovereignty

Vancouver picket, July 7, 2017, defends Venezuela’s sovereignty and opposes U.S. and Canadian interference.

Members of the Organization of American States (OAS) have once again failed to reach a consensus to “take action on Venezuela,” TeleSur reported on July 26.

Recent US actions against Venezuela

Rally in support of the Venezuelan people and against Canadian government’s intervention, May 13, 2017.

– Venezuelan Embassy to Canada –

I. On July 26th, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury added 13 Venezuelan high-level officials to the OFAC’s SDN List, as part of a new set of unilateral sanctions against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

II. Last July 20, 2017, CIA Director Mike Pompeo answered a question posed by Venezuelan Vanessa Neumann as follows:

“At any time you have a country as large and with the economic capacity of a country like Venezuela, America has a deep interest in making sure that it is stable, as democratic as possible. And so, we’re working hard to do that, I am always careful when we talk about South and Central America and the CIA, there’s a lot of stories. (Laughter)

Event. Venezuela’s national liberation & Obama’s war in the Americas

Public Forum on US-Venezuela relations
Tuesday, April 7, 6.30-8.30 pm
Room 201, Halifax Central Library
5440 Spring Garden Road, Halifax, NS

Demonstration in Ottawa on March 11 opposes US and Canadian intervention in Venezuela

Letter to the People of the United States: Venezuela is not a threat

An open letter from Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, and the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the people of the U.S., published today in the New York Times.

By NICOLAS MADURO & THE GOVERNMENT OF THE BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA, March 17th 2015

We are the people of Simon Bolívar, our people believe in peace and respect for all nations.

Freedom and Independence

More than two centuries ago, our fathers founded a Republic on the basis that all persons are free and equal under the law.

Our nation made the greatest sacrifices to guarantee South American people their right to choose their rulers and to enforce their own laws today. The historical legacy of our father, Simón Bolívar, is always remembered. Bolívar was a man who gave his life so we would inherit a nation of justice and equality.

Obama’s declaration is as hypocritical as it is hysterical

Venezuela’s response: “Defend the human rights of the black U.S. citizens being killed in U.S. cities every day, Mr. Obama,” Maduro stated.

Canadians respond: Emergency demonstration in support of Venezuela and to oppose U.S. threats, Vancouver, March 10, 2015.

(March 11) – U.S. President Barack Obama issued an Executive Order against Venezuela on March 9 aimed at interfering in the country’s sovereignty. His Executive Order is based on arguments claiming Venezuela is a threat to national security because of alleged human rights violations and widespread corruption. It reads:

Venezuelan parliament passes law to confront US aggression

On March 10, the Venezuelan National Assembly passed an enabling law that allows the country’s president to act to protect the peace against recent threats made by the United States government of Barack Obama, especially the March 9 statement that declared Venezuela a “threat to the national security” and calling the situation a national emergency.

UNASUR convokes summit on ‘gross’ US threat to Venezuela

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa announced that the foreign ministers from the member states of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR)* will meet on March 12 to discuss the “gross, illegal, shameless, outrageous, and unjustified act of interference by the United States” in Venezuelan affairs.

US preparing for military aggression on Venezuela

By ATILIO BORON

teleSUR (March 10) – Barack Obama, an ornamental figure in the White House, who was not able to impede a lunatic like Benjamin Netanyahu from addressing both houses of Congress to sabotage the talks with Iran on the country’s nuclear program, has received a strict order from the “military-industrial-financial” complex: he must create the conditions to justify a military aggression against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Fidel Castro, Evo Morales, Rafael Correa condemn US sanctions on Venezuela

Obama’s executive order on Venezuela draws international condemnation. In unison with Latin American leaders’ comments, social media users have coined the hashtag #ObamaYankeeGoHome, posting over 80,000 tweets with the tag within the first 24 hours following Obama’s announcements.

teleSUR (March 10) – More Latin American countries rallied behind Venezuela Tuesday to condemn new U.S. sanctions against the South American nation.

Defend the Bolivarian Revolution and Venezuela’s Right to Be!

Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) condemns latest U.S. sanctions against Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

The Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) condemns the hostile statements made by U.S. President Barack Obama against Venezuela. On March 9, Obama used emergency executive powers to label Venezuela as “an extraordinary threat to US national security.” The U.S. has also tightened unjust and illegal sanctions against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Canada is also part of U.S. attempts to stir up counter-revolution and several failed attempts to overthrow the democratically-elected government of President Nicolás Maduro.

Venezuelan president responds to latest US accusations

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  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro | Photo: teleSUr

(March 9) – The Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro responded late Monday to the United States government declaring his country a “national security threat.”

Maduro rejected President Barack Obama’s measure and explained the executive order signed by the U.S. president coincided with a failed coup attempt in Venezuela last month, which had links to U.S. citizens.

“After we dismantled the coup attempt … the U.S. and President Barack Obama … decided to personally fulfill the task of ousting my government,” Maduro said.

US declares Venezuela a threat to ‘national security’

UPDATE: Venezuela’s foreign minister says Caracas will soon respond to Washington’s statements.

U.S. President Barack Obama issued a new Executive Order against Venezuela Monday aimed at interfering in the country’s politics, claiming, “Venezuelan officials past and present who violate the human rights of Venezuelan citizens and engage in acts of public corruption will not be welcome” in the United States.

Immediately after, Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry announced the government of President Nicolas Maduro would “soon” respond to Obama’s executive action against the Latin American country.

Word. White House denies interference in Venezuela – promises more of it

White House Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, February 20, 2015

To Question 1: “We, of course, do not interfere in Venezuela!”

US aggression against Venezuela: fact, not fiction

BY EVA GOLINGER*

(Feb. 25) – The U.S. has a substantial history of aggression toward Venezuela.

Recently, several different spokespersons for the Obama administration have firmly claimed the United States government is not intervening in Venezuelan affairs. Department of State spokeswoman Jen Psaki went so far as to declare, “The allegations made by the Venezuelan government that the United States is involved in coup plotting and destabilization are baseless and false.” Psaki then reiterated a bizarrely erroneous statement she had made during a daily press briefing just a day before [February 19]: “The United States does not support political transitions by non-constitutional means.”

Venezuela: More on coup attempt

As in past coup attempts, the silence of the Canadian government is very telling. While the Harper government claims it opposes terrorism, this is totally unprincipled, as it has not said a word about the recent events in Venezuela.

Venezuelan Youth Day celebrated, February 12, 2015. (Click to enlarge)

The Venezuelan government recently brought to light another failed coup attempt by opposition forces. This attempt to overthrow the democratically elected government of Venezuela is part of the U.S. imperialists’ plan to impose themselves on the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean. The plot is said to involve members of the U.S. and UK diplomatic corps in Venezuela, while Canada has also been implicated in the plot through the alleged involvement of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

For Washington: ‘What is inexcusable is Venezuela’s political independence’

An interview with John Pilger, conducted by Michael Albert.

teleSUR (Feb. 16) – Why would the U.S. want Venezuela’s government overthrown?

There are straightforward principles and dynamics at work here. Washington wants to get rid of the Venezuelan government because it is independent of U.S. designs for the region and because Venezuela has the greatest proven oil reserves in the world and uses its oil revenue to improve the quality of ordinary lives.

Venezuelean vigilance nips coup plot in the bud

Coup plotters planned on assassinating the Venezuelan president and installing a de facto government

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks at a public event in Caracas Feb. 12, 2015. A coup plot against the Venezuelan president was thwarted that day. | Photo: AVN

teleSUR (Feb. 13) – A coup plot against the Venezuelan government has been foiled, with both civilians and members of the military detained, President Nicolas Maduro revealed Thursday, Feb. 12, in a televised address.

Those involved were being paid in U.S. dollars, and one of the suspects had been granted a visa to enter the United States should the plot fail, Maduro said.

Evidence reveals Canada, UK involvement in Venezuela coup plot

The President of Venezuela’s national assembly Diosdado Cabello (L) and Caracas Mayor Jorge Rodriguez.

(Feb. 13) – The president of Venezuela’s national assembly, Diosdado Cabello, presented further evidence of the right-wing plot to overthrow the Bolivarian government Friday evening.

Evidence presented on Venezuelan TV showed a video of the coup plotters, as well as the 10-year U.S. visa granted to one of the accused.

Venezuela under fire

The Bolivarian government of Venezuela is currently under fire from international and domestic reaction. These forces – divided but backed by the U.S. – are attempting to destabilize and overthrow the Bolivarian Revolution, via a brutal economic war, spurious smear campaigns against elected leaders, and the dissemination of disinformation. LIDICE VELENZUELA

President Nicolás Maduro addressing the brutal economic war and media campaigns against Venezuela.

(Feb. 5) – The Bolivarian government of Venezuela is currently under continual fire from the international and domestic right wing. These forces – divided but backed by the U.S. – are attempting to destabilize and overthrow the Bolivarian Revolution with plans ranging from the prolongation of a brutal economic war to smear campaigns against its leaders, through the worldwide media dissemination of misinformation.

Venezuela: Massive rejection of Obama’s signing of sanctions

March and rally in Caracas December 15, 2014, celebrates 15 years of the Bolivarian constitution and denounces U.S. interference in Venezuelan affairs.

On December 18, one day after Venezuela publicly rejected sanctions against Cuba on the grounds that it is the people who bear the brunt, U.S. President Barack Obama signed legislation to impose sanctions on Venezuelan government officials. The legislation was passed by the U.S. Congress the preceding week. The santions would deny visas and freeze assets of government officials.