Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice — Venezuela Solidarity Campaign
July 31, 2017
Vancouver, Canada
The Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice -Venezuela Solidarity Campaign congratulates the Venezuelan people for their overwhelmingly successful Constituent Assembly vote yesterday. The massive turnout of over 8 million people was a clear demonstration that they were not intimidated by a US-backed campaign of violence and threats, and that the heroic masses of Venezuela continue to mobilize together in defence of their dignity and self-determination. The successful Constituent Assembly vote was definitely a significant step forward for the Bolivarian Revolution led by democratically elected President Nicolas Maduro.
We condemn the bloody right-wing protests which attempted to disrupt the Constituent Assembly process, including the murder of candidate Jose Felix Pineda the night before the election. Despite this, polling stations were so busy that they stayed open later than scheduled, and a high voter turnout chose 545 members of the Constituent Assembly from 6,120 candidates.
Speaking to a large crowd following the successful vote, President Maduro reflected on the significance of this victory. "It's when imperialism challenges us that we prove ourselves worthy of the blood of the liberators that runs through the veins of men, women, children and young people...We don’t care what Trump says, we care about what our people say.”
We also condemn the new U.S. sanctions against Venezuela announced this week, and the bizarre and hostile move to impose sanctions directly on Venezuela's democratically elected head of state, Nicolas Maduro. Shamefully, the government of Canada is also escalating its belligerent and interventionist attacks on Venezuela. Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, issued a statement following the successful vote, claiming that “this constituent assembly will further escalate tensions in the country by robbing the Venezuelan people of their fundamental democratic rights.”
But who is really escalating tensions and who is really enabling the people’s fundamental democratic rights? Canada and the U.S. can try and fabricate whatever alternate reality of lies they want, but it does not change the facts on the ground and the success of this vote. They also have no right to intervene in the internal affairs of Venezuela.
Today we are celebrating with the Venezuelan people, who stood strong and voted in the Constituent Assembly, and with Nicolas Maduro and the leadership of the Bolivarian Revolution. We look forward to new positive developments and the strengthening of the Bolivarian Revolution through the Constituent Assembly. We call on all peace loving people around the world to continue to defend Venezuela against imperialist intervention and right-wing attacks.
NO TO REGIME CHANGE IN VENEZUELA!
U.S./CANADA HANDS OFF VENEZUELA!
PRESIDENT TRUMP REPEAL THE EXECUTIVE ORDER AGAINST VENEZUELA NOW!
U.S. AND CANADA RESPECT THE SOVEREIGNTY & SELF-DETERMINATION OF THE VENEZUELAN PEOPLE!
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