Tucson, AZ – Cities all across the U.S. and world are mobilizing for “Hands Off Venezuela “rallies – an International Call for a Week of Action endorsed by hundreds of organizations is taking place November 15-23.
In Venezuela, the youth, the neighborhoods, and the armed popular militias are rallying to defend their country and support President Maduro. A march of tens of thousands, with Maduro in the crowd, was part of the Communal Youth day, November 14, in which the president announced the plan to grow the commune movement from 4000 to 6000 by 2027. A commune is a democratic, participatory body in neighborhoods in cities and small towns, where youth decide what happens in their area and what projects need to be funded and carried out. They are currently activated to defend their homeland from Trump’s threats of war. November 23 will be a national vote for such – a “popular consultation.”
Since September, the Trump administration has used missile strikes to hit 21 boats, with the death toll now at 83 people. With the arrival of the $8 million a day USS Gerald Ford, there are now 16,000 U.S. troops and dozens of destroyers in the Caribbean. Multiple aircraft carriers with loads of aircraft hawk the Venezuelan coast, while U.S. missiles rain down on small vessels.
In the past two months, Trump, Rubio, and Hegseth have yet to produce one shred of evidence that those boats were carrying drugs. These are extrajudicial killings; an attack on civilians of one nation by another nation constitutes a war crime. So far citizens of five nations have been killed.
While there is no evidence that the boats struck by U.S. missiles are carrying drugs, there is also no evidence to back up Trump’s lies about Venezuela and Maduro’s connection to drugs. International and even U.S. intelligence reports show that Venezuela is not a producer of illegal drugs, is not a major trafficking route, and that government programs have largely eradicated drug cartels.
Venezuela is certainly not home to the “Cartel of the Suns.” That is because it does not exist. It is a CIA fabrication. Just ask the former U.S. Green Beret and mercenary, Jordan Goudreau, hired to carry out Operation Gideon, a failed coup attempt on Maduro in 2020.
That coup attempt, like the one against President Chavez, and all the other coup attempts, was thwarted and overcome by the immense power of the civic-military union in Venezuela. The military is united and patriotic, ideologically aligned to serve its people and their national democratic revolution. The people are united, organized, mobilized, and 5 million more have joined their popular militias, bringing the total to 9 million, out of a nation of 30 million.
So, it would be hard for one to see a path forward for the plan recently proposed by the Venezuelan opposition, headed by so-called Peace Prize winner Maria Machado. Venezuelan official Jorge Rodriguez ripped apart this neoliberal project that would undo nearly every gain of the Bolivarian Revolution. From privatizing major nationalized assets like oil and minerals, handing over control of banks, and rewriting labor laws in favor of companies, Machado’s plan will be resisted by those 9 million militia members and many more.
It is no mystery what Trump, Rubio, and traitorous elites like Machado want to do with Venezuela: lie, murder and steal. They want a U.S. war so they can take over and profit.
Transnational mining companies, U.S. oil corporations, lithium hounds like Elon Musk, and Wall Street banks will swoop in like vultures if Venezuela falls to U.S. intimidation or war.
The U.S. empire is declining quickly, and another major economic downturn will shake the core. It is clear that Trump and Hegseth want to change U.S. strategy to gunboat diplomacy in an attempt to stay competitive with China. Chinese mutual trade agreements and investments have clear benefits to the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean as China invests in ports, roads, infrastructure and is a market for agricultural goods.
Trump is saying he will talk with President Maduro. Trump is still using excessive force and deadly violence in an attempt to have leverage at the bargaining table with Maduro.
It is safe to say that for Trump, all options remain on the table, and the Venezuelans are prepared to fight. Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio also stated that he intends to designate the fictitious “Cartel de los Soles,” and Tren de Araguas and Mexican Sinaloa cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. This would provide the Trump administration more latitude and access to a U.S. legal apparatus to use the military. This designation can also be used against the peace and international solidarity movements in the U.S.
Trump’s approval rating is sinking, millions march against him, he’s been forced to walk back his tariff strategy month after month. It is clear that he is in crisis. The Venezuelan people stand united against Trump and his war plans. A similar movement is growing in the U.S., and we need to grow it and lead it!
#TucsonAZ #AZ #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela #Trump #AWAN #International
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