March 24, 2017
On Monday, March 20 Organization of the
American States (OAS) General-Secretary Luis
Almagro renewed his witch hunt against the
democratically elected government of Venezuela.
In another incredible display of blatant bias and
opportunism he was joined by key members
of Venezuela's right-wing opposition to call
for Venezuela's suspension from the regional
group. Fire This Time Movement for Social
Justice joins hundreds of social movements,
intellectuals and governments in denouncing
this reactionary and obvious provocation.
This is not the first time Almagro has
tried to intervene in the domestic affairs of
Venezuela. In June of 2016 he tried to invoke
the “democratic charter” against Venezuela to
suspend its membership in the OAS, while also
publicly supporting a re-call of democratically
elected Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Unfortunately for him, both of his manoeuvrings
inside and outside of Venezuela completely
failed.
With its headquarters and much of its funding
coming from Washington, DC the OAS has
a long and shameful history of being used as
a tool for US intervention in Latin America.
Cuba was famously suspended in 1962 after
overthrowing the US backed dictator Fulgencio
Batista and refusing to bow to US domination.
Realizing their Cuba policy was isolating them
in Latin-America, in 2009 the US agreed that
Cuba re-join the OAS. Cuba refused stating
that the organization still had the same dynamic
of US control. With General-Secretaries like
Almagro, who could blame Cuba!
Almagro's offensive and hostile move against
Venezuela coincides with a continued push
by the US government to overthrow the
democratically elected government of Nicolas
Maduro in Venezuela. As one of the final acts
of his presidency, Barack Obama renewed
the executive order declaring Venezuela “an
extraordinary threat” to US national security.
This outrageous action enables the US Congress
to continue their sanctions against Venezuela
and opens the door to the possibility of military
intervention.
The new President of the US, Donald
Trump, and his new Secretary of State Rex
Tillerson have already publicly called for the
interference of other Latin American countries
in Venezuela's domestic affairs. The US also
continues to give millions of dollars to violent
right-wing opposition groups in Venezuela
to destabilize and to force the government of
Venezuela to comply with US interests in Latin
America.
We thoroughly condemn the Canadian
government’s ongoing participation in this
campaign. This includes most recently joining
13 other OAS member countries in issuing a
statement threatening to suspend Venezuela
from the OAS over unproven and inflated
allegations. These countries are a clear minority
of the 34 member organizations, and much
less than the two thirds vote which would be
required to suspend Venezuela. They know this,
which is why they are resorting to meaningless
media stunts. The US, Canada and their allies
continue to try and hurl mud at Venezuela in the
vain hope that some of it might one day stick.
We demand Canada immediately withdraw
from the 13 OAS country statement against
Venezuelan government.
These efforts have so far all failed. Throughout
the entire history of the Bolivarian Revolution,
and especially when faced with U.S aggression,
the Venezuelan people have stood up to
defend their dignity, sovereignty and selfdetermination.
They have also been able to count
on the solidarity and support of millions of
people around the world who see Venezuela as
a leading example in the fight to build a better
world. Fire This Time Movement for Social
Justice reaffirms our solidarity and commitment
to the Bolivarian Revolution and denounces
Luis Almagro, and all of his dirty tricks. We
condemn all attempts of foreign intervention
against the people of Venezuela.
►LUIS ALMAGRO MUST GO!
►U.S. & CANADA RESPECT
THE SOVEREIGNTY & SELF-D
E T ER M I NAT I O N O F T H E
VENEZUELAN PEOPLE!
►LONG LIVE THE VENEZUELAN
BOLIVARIAN REVOLUTION!
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