Statement on behalf of the May Day Committee (Melbourne) by the secretary Len Cooper.
The May Day Committee (Melbourne) condemns the United States led campaign of destabilisation and economic sabotage being waged against Venezuela and points out that last year Nicolas Maduro was selected as President for the second time.
International observers on the scene at the time declared it a fair election, and this includes a few, like former Spanish prime minister Zapatero, who for political expediency has now decided to change his mind.
The fact that some people refused to accept the result of this election result does not change anything. There is an undemocratic plan to hand over to the opposition, through military coup, escalated economic sabotage, bullying and preparation for war.
The Venezuelan government has been pressured like no other. Over the 20 years since Chavez became the president through the electoral process, it has stood for some 21 presidential, government and regional elections, faced attempted coups, been constantly threatened by Washington and repeated assassination attempts and ongoing killings and other violence waged against its perceived supporters.
Juan Guaido was not elected. This did not stop him from declaring himself the new President and trying to stage a military coup. Nor did it stop Donald Trump from backing Guaido and threatening to send 5,000 troops to Colombia and invade
The Labor Party’s decision to support Guaido and intervention is unfortunate. A problem is that those teaming up with the interference of the United States around Guaido pose as social democrats, and are using the Socialist International, as a conduit for building international support for building international support.
Labor should resist the pressure and not be fooled into protecting those who have a history being in the pocket of the formerly American owned oil industry, and party to the endemic corruption, political manipulation, exploitation and brutality that set the conditions for the rise of Nicolas Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chavez, and the Bolivarian revolution,
Australia must respect the will of the people of Venezuela, accept Nicolas Maduro as the legitimate president, join the growing international movement against intervention, and support of the rightful government of Venezuela and the right of the people of Venezuela to choose their own future.
The May Day Committee in Melbourne will do what it can to help make these needs a reality.