On January 4, 13 out of the 14 countries that are part of the Lima Group, backed by the United States, and the top authorities of the European Union, approved a declaration in which they deny the legitimacy of the next government of Nicolas Maduro, who will start a new term on January 10.
This declaration was signed by the chancellors of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Santa Lucia. The only country that didn’t sign it was Mexico. In this declaration, they urge Maduro to not take office and provisionally hand over executive functions to the National Assembly, controlled by the pro-imperialist, right wing opposition. Also, behind the declaration´s deceiving formula of “condemning any provocation that threatens the peace and security of the region”, lies an unacceptable threat of a possible military intervention.
Next the signing governments announce supposed sanctions in order to achieve this objective, such as “re-evaluating” their diplomatic relationships with Venezuela, impeding the entry of public officials and financially boycotting both private and state businesses in the Lima Group countries and in those who wish to be part of the campaign, among other resolutions.
The Anticapitalist Network fully repudiates the interference of this group that behaves as officials of US imperialism with unpresedent cynicism, like the Colombia government, responsible of thousands of disappearances and human rights violations, or the government headed by the almost fascist Bolsonaro, an interference that intents to trump over the sovereign rights of the Venezuelan people. The Venezuelan people can’t expect to gain democracy or an improvement of their standard of living from these governments, that do not doubt before repressing and violating human rights in their countries to guarantee the austerity plans designed by international organisms and the Donald Trumps, the main human rights violators.
The Anticapitalist Network, an international organization that supports Marea Socialista, is harshly critical of Maduro’s government, which we consider the gravedigger of the conquests of the Bolivarian revolution and holds the main responsibility of sinking the people in a deep humanitarian crisis, while maintaining the privileges of an elite of government officials, businessmen and multinational companies. However, while denouncing its attacks on the democratic rights of the Venezuela people -or those of the dictator Ortega against the Nicaraguan people- we reject imperialist interference, like that of the Lima Group and the Venezuelan right.
The Maduros and Ortegas must go, but it´s the people of those countries who should mobilize against them, without foreign interference, in order to decide on their future. this is why we reject a possible illegitimate government of the National Assembly, imposed by foreign pressure, and believe that only the people can decide over its own destiny, respecting the basic and inalienable democratic right of self-determination.
On this basis, we support the call of Marea Socialista to continue fighting in defence of the rights of the Venezuelan people, like a fair wage and free elections without restrictions, following that path to politically recompose the working class against Maduro’s policies. As well as Marea Socialista´s efforts in building an anticapitalist and anti-imperialist political alternative that can offer a way out of the crisis in this country.
Anticapitalist Network
Buenos Aires, 7 de enero de 2018