|
No to "Regime Change" in Venezuela Condemn U.S.-Led Attempts
to Overthrow the Legitimately
Constituted Government of the
|
|
On January 23 and 24, U.S. imperialism and the coup forces it commands took new steps to try and force regime change on the people of Venezuela. Within minutes of illegally and unconstitutionally declaring himself "interim president" of Venezuela at a mass rally of opposition supporters, deputy Juan Guaidó was recognized by U.S. President Donald Trump as the "legitimate" president of the country. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared shortly after that the U.S. would continue to use the full weight of its economic and diplomatic power to impose regime change, or what he called "the restoration of Venezuelan democracy."
The governments of Canada and other members of
the
so-called Lima Group quickly followed suit. At a press conference
from
Davos, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland stood shoulder
to
shoulder with the presidents of Colombia and Brazil and the
Vice-President of Peru as each one declared their government's
support
for the U.S. puppet who had just declared himself Venezuela's
"interim
president." As it turns out these paragons of "democracy" had
been
working together behind the scenes for some time to orchestrate
what
had just taken place, according to news reports. Freeland,
speaking "on
behalf of Canada," tried to sugarcoat her government's
involvement in a
full-fledged regime change operation by asserting that the person
who
had just declared himself “president" of a parallel
“transition
government” was acting in compliance with the country's
constitution --
an outright lie.
Left to right: Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland joins
with
Vice President of Peru Mercedes Araoz; Colombian President Ivan
Duque;
and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in backing the U.S. puppet
Juan
Guaidó as "interim president" of Venezuela.
As the usurper swore himself into office in front of his sponsors and supporters, "to formally assume the competencies of the national executive as interim president of Venezuela," other streets of Caracas were filled with tens of thousands of mainly working people who came out to reject the coup attempt against their president Nicolás Maduro and affirm their loyalty to him and to the Bolivarian revolution that is the legacy of Hugo Chávez.
They were addressed by President Maduro, who denounced the U.S.-orchestrated coup attempt and announced the decision of the Bolivarian government to sever all ties with the U.S. government, giving its diplomatic personnel 72 hours to leave the country. He later confirmed that the Venezuelan embassy and consulates in the U.S. would also be closing.
Pompeo responded by declaring that the U.S. did not recognize the Maduro government's authority to break off diplomatic relations and so it would not be withdrawing its personnel. He then issued a provocative threat, saying the U.S. would "take appropriate action to hold to account anyone who endangers the safety and security of the U.S. mission and its personnel."
The same day, Venezuela's Defence Minister,
Vladimir
Padrino
López, declared the full support of the National
Bolivarian
Armed
Forces' (FANB) for President Nicolás Maduro, saying they
would
never support a coup perpetrated by dark forces. The position of
the FANB was ratified and further elaborated in an official
statement the next day.
President Maduro addresses thousands of Venezuelans rallying at
Miraflores Palace and elsewhere in Caracas to affirm their
loyalty to
his presidency and the Bolivarian Revolution,
January 23, 2019.
U.S. Fails to Get a Declaration Supporting Its Puppet Adopted by the Organization of American States
On January 24, a special meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS) was held at the request of the U.S. and a number of its close collaborators, including Canada. At the meeting, the U.S. Secretary of State browbeat all those he possibly could into recognizing the puppet "interim president," incredibly equating this to "aligning with democracy" and "respecting the rule of law." He said the time for debate was done, that it was time for the OAS as a whole to act.
Pompeo also used the occasion to announce that the United States was ready to give its puppet in Venezuela the laughable sum of $20 million for what he called "humanitarian assistance to the people of Venezuela" and was also going to help "rebuild" their country and economy.
Right after Pompeo concluded his imperial
diatribe
about
"restoring democracy in Venezuela," Medea Benjamin of the U.S.
anti-war group Code Pink stood up holding a placard reading,
"OAS:
Don't support a coup d'état" -- an act which was met with
loud
applause. Before she was dragged away by security, she shouted
appeals to delegates and repeated that a coup d'état is
not a
peaceful transition.
For her part, Canada's Ambassador to the OAS Jennifer Loten had the gall to declare that actions which seek to overthrow a legitimately constituted government uphold democracy and human rights and are in accord with the rule of law.
Venezuela was honourably and courageously
represented by
its representative Asbina Marín Sevilla, whose statement
was a
powerful indictment of the criminal plot unfolding against her
nation
and people. Among other things, she said some countries in the
OAS are
supporting a fascist coup that seeks a civil war, and a dictator
who
openly calls for conflict and foreign intervention to come and
kill his
countrypeople and defend his surrender of the country. That's how
the
U.S. likes its dictators.
Never before in Venezuela's history has a foreign government
dared to
do so much as this mafia government, which is itself the biggest
threat
to peace in the region, Marin said. Never before has a Venezuelan
prostrated himself before a foreign power like the puppet who has
declared himself "president," as if he were a king. He does not
recognize the Head of State, he does not recognize the Supreme
Court of
Justice or the National Electoral Council; he does not recognize
the
Attorney General or the Ombudsman or the Comptroller General, but
he
does recognize the power of the United States. One did not have
to
support Nicolás Maduro to reject such a puppet, she said,
whose
political boss is in Miami and who gets his orders from the White
House. She said all of them were traffickers in death who have
been
waging an economic, political and psychological war against
Venezuela
and now want to convert it to a shooting war.
Marín Sevilla dismissed the
communiqué
read out on behalf of
a group of member states by Argentina, as nothing more than
propaganda to justify a coup which applies only to those who
signed it. She ended by declaring that Venezuela is not alone,
that today's generation will not fail its ancestors nor its
children.
In the end, the lies, slander and threats Pompeo used to try and sway those present did not yield the results he, Canada and the so-called Lima Group wanted. Eighteen of the 34 OAS member states refused to recognize the usurper Juan Guaidó. Along with others who took firm stands, members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) played an important role in denying the coup forces the majority they sought by staunchly defending the principles of non-intervention and self-determination.
Later in the day, 10 heads of state and two foreign ministers of CARICOM released a statement in which they "reaffirmed their guiding principles of non-interference and non-intervention in the affairs of states, respect for sovereignty, adherence to the rule of law, and respect for human rights and democracy" and offered their good offices "to facilitate dialogue among all parties to resolve the deepening crisis." They also called on external forces to refrain from doing anything to destabilize the situation in the country and called on all to "step back from the brink."
While the U.S. did not
succeed in getting its coup declaration adopted at the OAS,
Pompeo
issued threats on behalf of the U.S. which not only spurned
international law and all norms of diplomacy but made it clear
that the
U.S. will continue to foment acts of violence. He warned "remnant
elements of the Maduro regime" not to use violence to "repress"
the
"peaceful democratic transition," as he called the coup
d'état
his government is organizing against the Venezuelan people.
The Trudeau government's claim that it is
upholding
"democracy," "human rights" and the "rule of law" cannot hide
that high crimes are being prepared against the Venezuelan people
in Canadians' name.
Condemn Canada's Role in Attempting to Overthrow the Legitimately Constituted Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela!
Support from the Peoples of the World
Toronto
Windsor
Vancouver
Washington, DC, U.S.
New York City; Los Angeles, U.S.
Damascus, Syria
Beirut, Lebanon
(Photos: TML, TeleSUR, ANSWER, Workers World Party, A. Chavez)
This article was published in
Volume 49 Number 2 - January 26, 2019
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca