The following party statement was issued by the CPGB-ML on Tuesday 30 July in response to the concerted efforts of US imperialism to overturn the results of the Venezuelan presidential election. Again.
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Another Venezuelan presidential election won by Nicolás Maduro and the Bolivarian Chavista movement, another imperialist chorus of squawks alleging fraud, broadcast loudly all over the world by obsequious imperialist media, accompanied by images of west-backed stooges rampaging through the streets of the capital, looting and burning and doing their best to intimidate the people.
One more unwelcome election result; one more US-backed regime-change operation. It is all so predictable!
The Venezuelan people, despite the hardships they are suffering as a result of the illegal collective punishment imposed on them by imperialist economic sanctions, are for the most part able correctly to place the blame on imperialism and to recognise that the political forces opposing President Maduro’s PSUV are craven puppets of their worst enemy.
US imperialism has failed to learn the lesson that human beings naturally respond to oppression by resistance – a resistance capable of overcoming even the worst cruelty wielded by the most wealthy and seemingly powerful.
There will always be a minority of people who are too cowardly to stand up for themselves, or are baffled by lying imperialist propaganda, and a minority who are so greedy for dollars that they will sell anything, including their own country. The majority, however, are capable of magnificent resistance to defend their dignity and sovereignty, which is why they keep voting for PSUV governments, why they join local defence committees and why they organise neighbourhood communes aimed at empowering communities to overcome the problems that sanctions have created and build themselves a better life in spite of all.
We congratulate President Nicolás Maduro and his party for their victory in the presidential election. He has now led his country for over a decade in the most difficult of circumstances. He continues to imbue the Venezuelan people with the spirit of defiance that they need to face down imperialist bullying.
He has done everything it was possible to do in extremely difficult circumstances to improve the lives of the working people. He deserves all our support, and every one of the majority votes that the people have given him, in spite of the gun that is being held to their head by the imperialists and their agents.
¡Viva el presidente Nicolás Maduro!
¡Viva Venezuela socialista!
¡Muerte al imperialismo!
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The target is independence and sovereignty
The video message above was also put out on our social media channels. The transcript follows.
The recent Venezuelan presidential election delivered a clear majority for President Nicolás Maduro, and the people of Venezuela clearly voted for the continuation and the strengthening of the Bolivarian revolution. Of course, as soon as the result came out, secretary of state of the United States government, a certain Mr Anthony Blinken, declared that he had doubts about the result. But of course, if you have followed the work of the US imperialists over the last several decades, you’ll know that the only real doubt they could possibly have about that election is that their chosen candidate didn’t win it.
As if on cue, and waiting for a message from their master in Washington, various ultra-right-wing and fascist mobs started to gather in Caracas and to attack public property and attempt through violent means to overturn the results of the election.
Now, we as communists in Britain stand with the Bolivarian Revolution. We stand in solidarity with the great masses of the people of Venezuela who have supported the Bolivarian Revolution since it began over 25 years ago with the first election of President Hugo Chávez.
And we recognise this plot for what it is, which is another scheme by US imperialism to try and destroy a revolutionary process that has aided the development of the working class in Venezuela and made great strides against illiteracy and poverty there, and is part of an ongoing process of establishing real sovereignty and independence for that country.
And for this reason, it is vitally important at this moment to stand with the government led by President Nicolás Maduro, to stand with the heroic Venezuelan people, who have shown their determination to fight for their sovereignty and independence over many years now, and to resist the attempts by the US imperialists and their agents and collaborators inside Venezuela to incite violence and to overthrow the legitimate government.
So we say: Solidarity to President Maduro, to the great Venezuelan masses, and may they find victory against the US imperialist plots.
