Venezuela today is a country working
to create a better and more just society
for its people. Under former President
Chavez and continuing now with
President Maduro, the Bolivarian
Revolution in Venezuela has made huge
gains to improve housing, healthcare,
education and literacy in Venezuela. Even
Venezuela’s constitution was rewritten
to enshrine in law important advances
such as the rights of women, Indigenous
people and the environment.
Despite the huge and commendable
progress made in Venezuela, the rightwing
ruling class in Venezuela, supported
by the US government, has done
everything it can to claw back at every step
forward by the Bolivarian Revolution. In
the last few years this has included an
economic war fueled by US sanctions, the
US and Saudi Arabia flooding the market
with cheap oil to drive down the worth of
Venezuela’s oil, and wealthy production
owners in Venezuela cutting food and
goods production and hording to create
shortages and higher prices for food and
goods.
In March the US government and their
allies escalated their attacks against the
Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela.
This included US sanctions against
Venezuela’s new Vice President Tareck El
Aissami and a heightened Western media
campaign demonizing Vice President
Aissami, President Nicolas Maduro
and the Bolivarian Revolution, setting
the stage for further US intervention in
Venezuela.
The Bolivarian Revolution is fighting not
just to improve the lives of the Venezuelan
people, but fighting for a better world for
us all. It is up to solidarity activists around
the world to stand up in solidarity with
Venezuela and the Bolivarian Revolution.
In response to these imperialist attacks,
International Days of Action in
Solidarity with Venezuela were called
for by the International Committee for
Peace, Justice and Dignity.
As part of these International Days of
Action, the Fire This Time Venezuela
Solidarity Campaign participated in
an international twitter campaign
on March 2nd. Using the hashtag
#VenezuelaSeRespeta, Vancouver
activists tweeted their support for
Venezuela and Venezuelan President @
NicolasMaduro directed at US President
Trump @Potus.
Then on March 3rd, Venezuela supporters
gathered for a picket action in front of
the US consulate. Since December 2015,
the Fire This Time Venezuela Solidarity
Campaign has organized these picket
actions every month. Protesters held
up signs demanding “US Hands Off
Venezuela!” and “Self-Determination for
Venezuela” while picketing in front of the
US Consulate. Along with local speakers,
protesters also heard from William
Camacaro from the Bolivarian Circle of
New York “Alberto Lovera” who spoke
from New York over the phone.
The protest then continued in the busy
downtown Vancouver center in front of
the Vancouver Art Gallery, where activists
setup an information display complete
with a huge Venezuelan flag. Passers-by
stopped to find out more about what is
really happening in Venezuela, beyond the
Western media manipulations, and were
asked to sign on to a petition demanding
that the US stop their intervening and
sanctions against Venezuela.
Now more than ever, Venezuela’s
Bolivarian Revolution needs the
solidarity of peace and justice loving
people around the world. The Fire This
Time Venezuela Solidarity Campaign
will be out on the streets every month in
defense of Venezuela. To join in or find
out more, check out www.firethistime.net
or follow on Twitter @FTT_np
Follow Janine Solanki on Twitter: @janinesolanki
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