AMERICAN LEFT HISTORY

This space is dedicated to the proposition that we need to know the history of the struggles on the left and of earlier progressive movements here and world-wide. If we can learn from the mistakes made in the past (as well as what went right) we can move forward in the future to create a more just and equitable society. We will be reviewing books, CDs, and movies we believe everyone needs to read, hear and look at as well as making commentary from time to time. Greg Green, site manager

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

No War on Venezuela: Rally Feb 23, Panel March 5 Massachusetts Peace Action

Massachusetts Peace

Massachusetts Peace Action Action Cole Harrison<info@masspeaceaction.org>

12:00 PM

Rally: US Hands off Venezuela!

Saturday February 23 @ 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Park Street Station

Join us as we support Venezuelan sovereignty and oppose US meddling in Venezuelan affairs, through sanction and military threats.

Venezuela: Sanctions, Elections and Attempted Coup

Tuesday, March 5, 7pm

Community Church of Boston, 565 Boylston Street

The US is trying to overthrow the Maduro government with military threats, economic warfare and diplomatic isolation. But the solutions for the problems in Venezuela are for the Venezuelans to decide. The peace movement must oppose US intervention and support a resolution through peaceful dialogue!

Mike Clark will provide necessary historical context with the theme "Venezuela vs the Empire: A coup 21 years in the making." Rev. Clark is the Recovery Outreach Worker at the Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church. A past executive director of Witness for Peace, from 2004-14 he visited Venezuela seven times and saw firsthand the accomplishments of the Bolivarian revolution.

Dan Kovalik will speak on "The deadly and illegal US sanctions against Venezuela, and the legitimacy of Maduro’s election." Dan currently teaches at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law; he served 25 years as Associate General Counsel of the United Steelworkers. Dan is a longtime activist opposing US intervention in Latin America and was an observer of both of Maduro's elections.

Cosponsored by Massachusetts Peace Action, Venezuela Solidarity Committee (Boston), United for Justice with Peace, and Community Church of Boston

More info: http://masspeaceaction.org/event/venezuela-sanctions-elections-and-attempted-coup/

ALSO join us at the Venezuela Breakout at Massachusetts Peace Action's Annual Meeting, March 9, 2019

We support Venezuela’s right to chart its own course, without interference from the US or other imperialist powers.

This rally is sponsored by the Boston Venezuela Solidarity Committee, the Committee for Peace and Human Rights, the International Action Center (IAC), Workers World Party, United American Indians of New England (UAINE), United for Justice with Peace (UJP), United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) Massachusetts Peace Action (MAPA), the March On The Pentagon/Boston, USW Local 8751 Boston School Bus Union, Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment, Cambridge United for Justice with Peace, Fight For Immigrants and Refugees Everywhere (FIRE), Puerto Rico Me Llama, Greater Boston Chapter of the Green-Rainbow Party, the July 26th Coalition, Witness for Peace, the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), ANSWER Coalition, the Committee In Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES), Greater Boston Communists, and Boston May Day Coalition.

Individual sponsors include Puerto Rican activist Dorotea Manuela and The Most Reverend Bishop Filipe Teixeira.

Rallies will be held on Feb 23, ‘19 all over the US, Canada and other countries on the month anniversary of the US recognition of the president of the National Assembly, Juan Guaido, as the interim president of Venezuela.

To see the statement below in other languages, go to: https://www.NoWarOnVenezuela.org

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We cannot be silent in the face of the latest U.S. aggression against the Venezuelan people. Nicolás Maduro is the president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, chosen twice by the people as part of an internationally observed electoral process. Since the 1998 election of Hugo Chávez, the United States has been relentless in its pursuit of regime change in Venezuela. With Donald Trump in the White House, these efforts have escalated to threats of all-out military violence, the plundering of billions of dollars in wealth from the Venezuelan people and pushing a multitude of outrageous lies in the global media.

For hundreds of years, the U.S. has waged war against the people of the world through coups, invasions and economic warfare. Juan Guaidó is a U.S. puppet. He is not a representative of the Venezuelan masses. The idea that a person can swear themselves in as president at a rally in the interest of “defending democracy” is laughable. The right wing in Venezuela claim the Bolivarian elections are rigged because they refuse to participate in them. Instead they engage in voter intimidation using violence reminiscent of Jim Crow terrorism against African-Americans in the Deep U.S. South.

U.S.-led sanctions and currency manipulation are responsible for the suffering in Venezuela. Marco Rubio and right-wing media guide the Venezuelan opposition from Miami. The U.S. cannot stand for any country on the planet to enjoy its natural wealth or the fruits of its labor independent of Wall Street and the Pentagon. Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world and is rich in gold and other mineral wealth. Iraq war architect John Bolton said that regime change in Venezuela would be a tremendous opportunity to gain more profits for Wall Street. We believe him.

Since the Bolivarian Revolution in 1998, massive strides have been taken to uplift the working class, Afro-Venezuelans and Indigenous populations in Venezuela. The working poor have made tremendous gains because the government implemented policies and passed laws to fight racism, sexism, homophobia and economic inequality. Despite sanctions and sabotage, Venezuela has maintained a transparent and democratic system through many elections. Venezuela provides aid to struggling people worldwide through subsidized fuel and by leading the way with progressive labor laws. Their gains are part of the global struggle waged by the oppressed against the wealthiest and most powerful capitalists on the planet.

Therefore, we demand:

1. The U.S. immediately cease all hostile actions against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela — lift all sanctions, stop backing a coup, cease efforts to destroy the Venezuelan economy and respect the right of the Venezuelan people to self-determination.
2. All countries involved in the plunder of Venezuelan wealth immediately return what they have stolen to the democratically elected government of Venezuela and its people.
3. Wall Street must immediately pay reparations to the Venezuelan people for their suffering under genocidal sanctions and currency manipulation.

In the internationalist and liberatory spirit of Simón Bolívar, we pledge to mobilize and fight on the side of Venezuela’s right to sovereignty, understanding that the gains won under the Bolivarian Revolution are gains for all the world’s oppressed people.