Minneapolis, MN – On Saturday, October 4, the MN Anti-War Committee held a protest at Mayday Plaza in response to the recent attacks and escalated targeting of Venezuela by the Trump administration.

Trump’s administration has intensified U.S. attacks on Venezuela. Starting in late August and early September, the U.S. has deployed warships and troops to the coast of Venezuela. They struck four Venezuelan fishing boats; three of those four strikes resulted in the killing of upwards as 18 people with one ship being illegally boarded. The U.S. carried out these attacks based on the false claims that President Maduro has cartel ties and Venezuela is trafficking drugs.

A crowd of about 50 gathered on the plaza to call for U.S. hands off Venezuela. They demanded no war for oil, an end to U.S. sanctions, and sovereignty for Venezuela. Demonstrators chanted “From Venezuela to Iran, no more sanctions, no more bombs!” played drums, and held signs that read “U.S. hands off Venezuela.”

There were speakers from Minnesota Workers United, U.S. Palestinian Community Network, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Solidarity Committee On The Americas, and the Minnesota Anti-War Committee.

Shawn Rodine of the MN Anti-War Committee stated, “There is absolutely no proof that any substantial amount of drugs that reach the U.S. are coming from or passing through Venezuela. Organizations such as the DEA and the UN have published documents saying little to no drug trafficking or production is occurring in Venezuela. But that hasn’t stopped the Trump administration from shamelessly lying while playing judge, jury and executioner.”

According to a UN report, Venezuela is a leading country in combating drug trafficking. Venezuela is also greatly suffering under U.S. sanctions, which kill half a million people worldwide each year by blocking countries from receiving necessary items such as medical supplies, farming equipment, food and much more.

Nadiyah Salawdeh from the U.S. Palestinian Community Network stated, “With their words, empires lie to the world, but with their actions they show the truth. When Colin Powell got up in front of the United Nations and lied about weapons of mass destruction, he did it so the U.S. empire could deepen its hold on west Asia. When Israel lies with the help of the U.S. about Hamas hiding in hospitals or beheading babies, they do it to justify the genocide of the Palestinian people. They don’t care about drug trafficking, they just want a reason to exploit Venezuela and to kill Venezuelans.”

Manuel Pascual from the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee spoke about U.S. imperialism’s role in immigration, stating “When bombs drop and economies collapse, people are forced to flee. Venezuelans are crossing borders because survival demands it.”

Trent Fast of the MN Anti-War Committee told the crowd, “I am sick and tired of U.S. warmongering and intervention into Venezuela. These recent attacks are straight out of the U.S. imperialism playbook, trying to provoke a wider war for access to huge Venezuelan oil reserves and to try and destabilize a government that rightfully opposes U.S. coups and intervention in their country.”

The MN Anti-War Committee will continue to show up in solidarity with Venezuela and to demand no war for oil, sovereignty for Venezuela, and an end to U.S. sanctions.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Venezuela

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