The head of U.S. imperialism, Donald Trump, has for nearly a year been threatening Venezuela among the countries of Latin America, using drug trafficking as a pretext. After a time, these threats were supplemented by attacks carried out by the U.S. Navy against certain vessels in international waters. In recent days, a facility located on the Venezuelan coast was bombed—allegedly on the grounds that it was being used for drug shipments—most likely as the result of a CIA covert operation authorized earlier by Trump. All of this has long been accompanied by U.S. sanctions against Venezuela that have gravely worsened the living conditions of the population and led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people. U.S. imperialists have also, quite recently, arbitrarily seized two Venezuelan oil tankers. With last night’s bombings in the vicinity of the capital Caracas, even if imperialist aggression has not yet assumed the form of open war, the country is now being shaken by a sequence of war-like CIA covert operations. As these lines were being written, the news has arrived that Nicolás Maduro, apparently together with his wife, has been abducted and is being taken to an unspecified place.
As the Revolutionary Workers’ Party (DIP) in Turkey, we stand with Venezuela in the face of U.S. imperialist aggression! It is crystal clear that the imperialist assault on Venezuela has nothing to do with combating drug trafficking. If that were the case, the U.S. target would have been, for example, Mexico. The real aim is control over Venezuelan oil, which constitutes the largest reserves in the world. Ever since Hugo Chávez, the predecessor of Maduro, came to power in 1999 and nationalized the oil companies; since Venezuela adopted, in place of pro-U.S. policies, a model known as Bolivarian Socialism and an independent foreign policy line; and since it assumed a position in Latin America contrary to the interests of imperialism, U.S. imperialism has been gnashing its teeth. Fixated on Venezuelan oil, the U.S. is now attempting to install in power an extremely right-wing, pro-imperialist opposition politician, María Corina Machado—shamefully awarded the Nobel Peace Prize just a few months ago. Trump, who gave the order for today’s attack, spoke openly as early as 2017 about invading the country. The Biden administration placed the coup-plotter Juan Guaidó under its protection. U.S. aggression is illegitimate!
Behind Trump’s attempt to overthrow the regime in Venezuela there likely lies another objective that is far more significant from a socialist standpoint. Cuba is experiencing severe economic hardship. At times, prolonged power outages generate social unrest and heighten tensions. This has occurred despite the fact that Venezuela’s regime—locked in conflict with imperialism—has been supplying Cuba with cheap oil. If the Venezuelan regime were to be overthrown, the price of imported oil would skyrocket, plunging Cuba into even greater difficulty. The Trump administration is likely calculating this as well, and planning to use the new situation to bring down the most inspiring one for the peoples worldwide among the last standing workers’ states.
Given Turkey’s despotic regime’s loyalty to NATO, its warm relations with Trump, and its support for the Trump plan even in Gaza, where it claims the role of a leader, it is clear that, despite past close diplomacy with Maduro, it will side not with Venezuela but with the imperialists. At most, the despotisc regime’s foreign minister may issue a token condemnation or a call for calm in order to appear sympathetic to oppressed peoples. Yet the interests of our working people lie in cutting all support for imperialism, which has been step by step dragging the world toward a Third World War. That is to say, the interests of our working people are in abandoning NATO, closing imperialist bases, and even fighting to smash NATO itself!
The Revolutionary Workers' Party calls on all socialists worldwide to stand with Venezuela and to support it in the face of U.S. imperialist attacks. Whatever our criticisms of Maduro may be, it is our unquestionable duty today to take an unhesitating stand against the U.S. overthrow of Venezuela’s legitimate government.
Down with U.S. imperialism!
Abandon NATO, smash NATO!
Socialists, the workers’ movement, and anti-imperialists of the whole world: defend Venezuela!
Revolutionary Workers' Party