Since 15 January, the situation in Venezuela has escalated dramatically when the opposition-controlled National Assembly declared that Maduro had usurped power. Opposition leader Juan Guaido proclaimed himself interim president on 23 January. The United States and other countries swiftly recognised him as the country's leader. This US-Venezuelan gambit is the latest attempt by the Washington “swamp” to fully re-enter its historical role in Latin America as congenital genocidals.
You have to ask yourself , why would the US and UK governments, states where millions rely on food banks, care about starving Venezuelans when they have proven they don't care about people starving in their own countries. They care because Venezuala has the largest oil reserves on the planet, and would take this time to take the opportunity of grabbing it for themselves. This together with the Bank of England refusing to return £900 million in gold bullion smacks at another attempt at regime change.
Currently President Trump faces his own crisis situation at home, with his cave-in over the shutdown that has led to government workers, 700,000 of them, facing day after day without pay. What better way to divert attention from the domestic crisis than a military intervention in Venezuela. Of course, there’s more to this than that, as the USA has always regarded Latin America as its backyard and regularly intervenes in the region- the military coup against Allende in Chile, the invasion of Grenada and Panama, the support for every murderous military dictatorship from Somoza in Nicaragua to the overthrow of Juan Bosch in the Dominican Republic to enthusiastic support for the bloody regime of Videla in Argentina.
Some backgroud to the current cisis in Venezuela is needed ,during the early 2000s, when oil prices were high, socialist President Hugo Chávez used oil profits to reduce inequality and poverty, building over two million homes and capping the price of basic goods such as flour, cooking oil and toiletries.When oil prices dropped in 2014, the government suddenly had to make lots of cutbacks. This led many people to begin buying goods on the black market, causing inflation to rise and unemployment, which is set to rise above 44% by 2020. There are now chronic food shortages. This has brought forth protests around the country, protests that were answered with severe repression by the regime, which responded violently to strikes and demonstrations, and reported cases of human rights abuses.There is currently a very real social crisis in Venezuela. This crisis which is very complicated manifests itself in real hunger, shortage of basic household commodities, medicine and mass migration to Colombia, and the US.
Now the old bourgeoisie, organised around Guaido and his party, is attempting to overthrow the Maduro regime of the state bourgeoisie, with the backing of the USA. The Americans are eying up the rich resources of Venezuela, not just oil but other raw materials, diamonds, gold, natural gas, gold, bauxite, iron ore, and hydroelectric power.
Neither Maduro nor Guaido have an answer to the severe economic and humanitarian crisis hitting Venezuela. The masses there have to begin to organise against both these wings of the ruling class. This will be a difficult task but is one worth engaging with and seeking to understand..We should remind ourselves for now though that the Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, who I do not view uncritically is the twice democratically elected legitimate president of the country. He was sworn in after being elected by the popular vote, on January 10, 2019, and is legally entitled to serve a six-year term as president. Juan Guaidó is the head of the legitimately elected National Assembly. He is an Opposition leader, though he has declared himself “interim president of Venezuela”. This situation is complex and fraught with possibility of further political and social breakdown, and requires skilful and good-faith diplomacy. Cynical political chicanery and bluster from outside forces are unwarranted at this moment in time.
Currently the Venezualan military aims to protect its privileged position and stand with rhe Maduro system. While Maduro aims to hold onto power it is at same time going to be very difficult for him to solve the Veneuala's economic crisis. He has it must be said lost confidence among huge swathes of the population. Yet for now holds the backing of the military and the majority of the populace. .
In the meantime President Maduro, has called opposition leader Juan Guaido a US "puppet" and accused Washington of attempting to organise a coup in Venezuela and declared his intent to cut off diplomatic ties.
Addressing Donald Trump in English to demand that Washington keep its “hands off” the country, after the US imposed sanctions on its state oil company in recognition of Juan Guaido as president.
“Donald Trump, do not get involved with Venezuela! Hands off Venezuela! Donald Trump, hands off Venezuela!” Maduro said, blaming Washington for the political conflict that is causing tremors in the country.
Maduro’s words came shortly after US imposed sanctions on the country’s state-owned oil company PDVSA in order to “help prevent the further diversion“ of assets by the country’s government. Venezuela’s president called Washington’s actions an attempt “to steal” the company, and promised to take countermeasures “to protect the interests of Venezuela.”
The US, imposing leaders, as it did earlier in the 20th century, is another phase of its gunboat diplomacy that has been seen time and time again and they ought to keep their bloody hands off. They and their European counterparts in France, Britain and Germany should not interfere, and stay at home to solve their own chronic political and economic crises. This is a time for negotiation and compromise not a winner takes all showdown that could lead to civil war costing many lives. A peaceful solution is what is urgently needed, however .the planet is dividing into distinct blocks in a period of post economic collapse, each one with their own spurious agendas, whether it be China, Russia and Iran or the USA, UK and other western nations and Israel on the other. We are living in truly dangerous times.
In connection with all this I would urge people here in the UK to get their MP's to sign the following EDM (Early Day Motion) 2022 https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/52512/outside-interference-in-venezuela
Outside influence in Venezuela
' That this House express its opposition to outside interference in Venezuela, whether from the US or elsewhere; believes that the future governance of Venezuela is a matter for Venezuelans alone to determine; rejects the US President Donald Trump's approach to regime change, which violates international law; express its disappointment at the UK Government's decision to fall in behind the US Administration's actions towards Venezuela; and urges the Government to constructively engage with the existing Government of Venezuela and other political forces to support a dialogue and a negotiated peaceful settlement that can overcome the crisis in Venezuela.
