Anticapitalist Network statement on Venezuela

We reject U.S. interference in Venezuela.

The people don´t want Maduro and no one chose Guaidó.

The mobilized people must decide its own destiny.

Trump has taken advantage of the enormous unpopularity of the Maduro government to carry out an unacceptable interference in Venezuela, even threatening to intervene militarily to impose its puppet, the right-wing Guaidó, who has proclaimed himself provisional president.

The U.S. government counts with the collaboration of the governments of the Lima Group, absolute lackeys of their “master in the north”, and of the European Union and the UN, who play the “good cop” in this imperialist offensive, with their calls to “dialogue”.

This coup attempt is supposedly carried out in the name of “democracy”, which is incredibly cynical coming from Donald Trump and the officials of the government that most tramples democratic rights around the world. Or from Ivan Duque -Colombian president and head of a regime of terror responsible for thousands of disappearances and violations of human rights- and proto-fascist Jair Bolsonaro -advocate of the worst dictatorship in the history of Brazil- who had the “honor” of announcing the position of the Lima Group on Venezuela at the imperialist summit in Davos.

We adamantly reject this aggression that violates the elemental right of self-determination of the people. All the empty words about “democracy” are meant to help impose an illegitimate government to allow unrestricted exploitation of Venezuela´s enormous resources, which will bring  further misery onto the people of Venezuela.

At the same time, Nicolas Maduro has lost all social consensus. The massive mobilizations and protests that are taking place these days, with the participation of large contingents from the popular neighborhoods, demonstrate this.

Maduro´s policies of maintaining himself and the bureaucracy that enriches itself through the privileges derived from the control of the state to make business, carrying out a huge embezzlement, while ruling along side loyal capitalists and allowing foreign corporations to continue accumulating wealth, are responsible for the humanitarian crisis that the country suffers, and the outrage of the Venezuelan people who no longer tolerate the arrogance, the corruption and the misery they are subject to.

Venezuela´s current government has nothing to do with the left or with socialism. Behind its deceitful anti-imperialist discourse, hides a capitalist government that uses repressive methods to contain popular discontent and defend its privileges. The government and its actions are responsible for the rise of characters like Guaidó, just as the PT is responsible for the rise of Bolsonaro in Brazil and Latin American false progressives in general are responsible for the rise of right-wing alternatives.

Maduro cannot continue in power for six more years. He has lost popular support. If hi attempts to hold on, leaning on the state apparatus and the armed forces, he will provoke a blood bath like Ortega has done in Nicaragua to continue in power against the will of the popular majority.

A government imposed by the United States is also unacceptable, in whatever form it presents itself. And if they attempt to impose one through military invasion, workers and the people that suffer daily the aggressions of the imperialist beast will close ranks to defeat them.

Like our Marea Socialista comrades say in their January 23 declaration, unfortunately, in this crisis, “the workers and the people have not been able to build an independent alternative of their own, to represent their real interests and anguish, and are trapped between the bureaucracy and capital. The result of this is the resurgence of polarization between the politicians of a corrupt government that controls power, and the parliamentarians of the parties of the capitalists that exploit workers. Because the bosses that finance and promote the opposition parties of the traditional right, are also benefited by paying the miserable wages imposed by the government of Maduro, the PSUV and the military. And their proposal is no different in respect to continue unloading the cost of the crisis on the people while they secure their profits”.

Because of all this, it is a duty of the revolutionary left to help build and independent alternative, profoundly anti-imperialist, ready to confront any coup attempts, but with the sufficient clarity to not be drawn by the siren songs of a bureaucracy that is responsible for the current situation.

The mobilized working people of Venezuela must sovereignly decide their future. There are various possible democratic mechanisms that allow the popular will to express itself: binding referendum, general elections of all powers, new constituent processes.

The workers and popular sectors are the only ones who can guarantee a democratic solution to the crisis. They are also the ones who can use the country´s enormous resources to solve the humanitarian emergency, rebuild the devastated economy, guarantee food, healthcare and education for all; who have nothing to lose and everything to win if they stop paying the illegitimate foreign debt, nationalize the banks and recover the 500 billion dollars embezzled from the state; the only ones who can impose workers´ control of industry and services, and distribute the land to those who work it.

  • The Anticapitalist Network calls for international mobilization in support of the heroic Venezuelan people.
  • U.S. out of Venezuela!
  • Not Guaidó, nor Maduro! They must all go!
  • The working people must decide democratically!
  • For a government of the workers!

 January 24, 2019