Labour veterans who supported Chile Solidarity will know what's coming next
“Washington has placed Venezuela on the regime change fast track,” argues Eva Golinger, the noted American born author and newspaper editor, in a hard hitting article in which she she writes that:
“There is a coup underway in Venezuela. The pieces are all falling into place like a bad CIA movie. Headlines scream danger, crisis and imminent demise, while the usual suspects declare covert war on a people whose only crime is being gatekeeper to the largest pot of black gold in the world.”
This follows the US Department Of State imposing a second round of financial sanctions on Venezuela this month.
The sanctions include visa restrictions on Venezuelan government officials, whom the USA accuses of ‘human rights violations’ in a reference to last year’s right-wing coup attempt through violent street protests.
The US went ahead with the sanctions despite total opposition from the Community Of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Heads of State Summit in Costa Rica in January. CELAC brings together all the Latin America and Caribbean nations and works as an alternative to the US-backed Organization Of American States.
In December last year, after an earlier round of sanctions on Venezuela, the heads of states of MERCOSUR, the (the Latin American equivalent of a ‘common market’), which includes Brazil and Argentina, opposed sanctions against Venezuela.
February’s unilateral sanctions also sparked outrage throughout Latin America. It prompted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to meet with Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) secretary general, Ernesto Samper, to ask for the help of the regional bloc’s mediation on the interventionist actions carried out against the country by the United States.
President Maduro was clear that US Vice President Joe Biden had been pressing other countries to ‘isolate’ Venezuela. Maduro said he had proof that the US Embassy in Venezuela was attempting to bribe officials to ‘turn them against his government’ – in effect the start of an American backed ‘regime change’ attempt against a democratically elected government.
In her article, Eva Golinger explains:
“President Obama approved a special State Department fund of US $5 million to support anti-government groups in Venezuela. Additionally, the congressionally-funded National Endowment For Democracy is financing Venezuelan opposition groups with over US $1.2 million and aiding efforts to undermine Maduro’s government.”
She also argues that the USA is:
“Making Venezuela’s economy scream. As shortages continue and access to dollars becomes increasingly difficult, chaos and panic ensue. A very similar strategy was used in Chile to overthrow socialist President Salvador Allende. First the economy was destroyed, then mass discontent grew and the military moved to oust Allende, backed by Washington at every stage. Lest we forget the result: a brutal dictatorship led by General Augusto Pinochet that tortured, assassinated, disappeared and forced into exile tens of thousands of people. Not exactly a model to replicate.”
Those of us with longer memories will of course have spotted the signs that lead to a neo-liberal experiment where privatisations, sell-offs of state assets and the dismantling of employment rights were tested out in the Chilean people.
Labour cannot ignore the recent sanctions imposition on Venezuela and the attempst to destablise the country. Labour veterans who supported Chile Solidarity following the 1973 coup will know the signs and what’s coming next.
Labour needs to be clear that they will oppose ongoing attempts by the USA and others to de-stabilise Venezuela with ‘regime change’ as its final goal with a Chiliean style against a democratically elected government.
Tony Burke is vice chair of the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign. Follow him on Twitter
71 Responses to “Comment: Venezuela on ‘fast track’ to coup”
Ralph Lorenzo
The USA is not making Venezuela’s economy scream. The Chavistas have mismanaged the countries finances so bad their credit rating is seven levels below investment grade. Since they destroyed the private business sector, they are dependent on importing all their food and with a credit rating of CCC+, they cannot get credit or a loan to buy the food. Not even their buddies, Russia, Iran, North Korea or Cuba will borrow them money. However, what they can do to ease the pain is get the billions of dollars in Swiss bank accounts that the dirty politicians have deposited there. Eva, your argument doesn’t hold water.
Manfred Schweitzer
Name me one country – just one – anywhere in the world in the last 150 years which adopted socialism, to include large nationalizations, government direction of the economy, and centralized political and economic control, which led to an increase over time in living standards and prosperity for the mass of its people. Britain was on its way to becoming a shabby European equivalent of Cuba until Thatcher turned it around. Socialist economies hold up a bit longer when they have exogenous factors to support them – outside assistance. Cuba needed the USSR, and the USSR survived as long as it did only because of oil. When the oil price collapsed, so did the USSR. Same thing will happen to Putin. You think it is USG policy? Hell no, it is good ole entrepreneurial frackers out to make a dollar. God Bless em. Cuba’s model impoverished Venezuela in 15 years. Venezuela was doing fine with 9 dollar a barrel oil when Chavez reached power – a productive private sector and diverse, energetic entrepreneurial class. He wrecked it, and Maduro is wrecking it some more. And as for us in the US? Give me a break. Chavez/Maduro is to the US as Ugarte/Peter Lorre is to Rick/Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca “you despise me, don’t you.” “I suppose I would if I ever gave it a thought”. Finally, Chile is a prosperous, middle-class country thanks to the Chicago economists who put in the right structures. It’s true Pinochet was monstrous and suppressed political liberty in unconscionable degree. Colombia and Chile are the star performers of Latin America, and Mexico’s ruling PRI party took the advice I helped circulate to them in the early 90s – your purpose in life is to convert a working class country into a Middle Class country. Socialism is the equal distribution of misery, capitalism the unequal distribution of blessings. LOOK AT THE HISTORICAL RECORD YOU IDIOTS!
Slacker28
This article forgets to mention that the US is a sovereign country that has every right to deny entry to who ever it wants.
Peem Birrell
I agree with the headline – assuming that you mean coup in Scots.
Guest
Yes, let’s look at 2008. Your system has failed.
Your praise for the damage Thatcher did, and the Coalition have surpassed are surprising, as you make up magical socialists and blame them for everything.
The middle class in this country is shrinking rapidly, as you want. You’re the one who wants to shatter this nation into haves and have-nots. That you try and claim that the wreckers who were rejected in Chile got their way is sad…and your economists were indeed taken up in Columbia..by the drug cartels.
Mexico is a basket case too, a nation wracked with poverty and violence, as you advise. This is what you call for, as you hate on the concept of the middle class, as you point out that you love the withdrawal of blessing from the 99%.