February 19, 2019
The following is based on an email from the No War on Venezuela coalition issued Feb. 18.
Global solidarity actions with Venezuela on Feb. 23 have taken increased urgency as the U.S. intensifies its military presence in the Caribbean and Colombia.
The people of the world are saying, “No war on Venezuela! No war for oil!”
More than 70 actions are planned for Feb. 23 across the globe against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela. (nowaronvenezuela.org)
See the growing list of actions and find one in your area, or submit details on an activity you’re planning in your city. Tell Trump: No wall! No war!
U.S. is ramping up — so is the movement for Venezuela
The Cuban government has warned that the U.S. military is taking positions in strategic locations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. The U.S. military is currently flying so-called “humanitarian aid” in military aircraft into Cucuta, Colombia, on the Venezuelan border.
The aid is likely a ploy to cover smuggling arms into Venezuela and a tool to provoke confrontation to justify greater U.S. intervention — a strategy that mirrors many previous U.S. military aggressions in Latin America and across the world.
While the U.S. offers paltry Trojan Horse “aid,” the U.S. simultaneously levies sanctions that cost Venezuela $20 billion a year, while the Bank of England steals $1.2 billion in Venezuelan gold reserves.
Opposition leader and U.S. puppet Juan Guaidó has called for the “aid” to be brought across the border Feb. 23, one month after his failed coup attempt. His announcement, as well as the U.S. military buildup, are warnings of imminent military action against Venezuela.
On Feb. 22, English billionaire Richard Branson is organizing a propaganda spectacle on the Colombia-Venezuela border, “Venezuela Live Aid,” as a cover for war. This mega-media event will push the U.S. imperialist lie that the Venezuelan people need and want U.S. intervention.
U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton has admitted what U.S. intervention is really about: “It will make a big difference to the United States economically if we could have American oil companies invest in and produce the oil capabilities in Venezuela.” (tinyurl.com/yb83kchq)
Just as with the invasion of Iraq, this is U.S. intervention for oil profits. Venezuela’s oil belongs to the Venezuelan people, not U.S. oil companies!
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a declaration of a “national emergency” to move billions in funds and even more U.S. troops to the U.S./Mexico border to build the racist border wall. U.S. Marines have also recently been deployed to Haiti to repress a growing uprising by the Haitian people.
Global call for actions for Venezuela on Feb. 23
Over 200 organizations and thousands of individuals from across the world have endorsed the call for actions on Feb. 23. Actions have been announced in a growing number of U.S. and Canadian cities, as well as Australia, Azerbaijan, Ecuador, India, Iran, Italy, Mexico, Scotland and many other countries.
The actions on Feb. 23 are part of an international movement to shut down U.S. imperialism and the destruction it has brought to peoples across the planet.
We say: No U.S. troops on the border with Mexico, in Haiti or Venezuela!
No wall, no war! No war for oil! All out Feb. 23 for Venezuela!
Many new resources for Feb. 23 have been added to Nowaronvenezuela.org, including large posters with room to add your local event, a leaflet on the impact of sanctions on Venezuela produced by the Latin American and Caribbean Solidarity Network, a fact sheet on Venezuela and more.
We will be adding placards and other materials, so check the Resource page for regular updates.
What you can do!
Every action during the weekend of Feb. 23 — no matter the size or scale — will have an impact. Consider a smaller-scale action to raise awareness:
- Read the call and add your name or organization as an endorser at NoWarOnVenezuela.org.
- Link up with a few like-minded allies to print our fact sheets on Venezuela and pass them out in public places, such as a mall or public transit stop.
- Consider a banner-drop, a picket or holding signs and distributing fact sheets near a busy intersection or overpass. Get slogans or pre-made placards from our Resource page.
- Wear red with your friends and take a photo while holding pro-Venezuela messages and tag the photo on social media as #HandsOffVenezuela or #23feb.
- Picket your local gas station with messages that convey: NOT ANOTHER WAR FOR OIL!
- Screen “Venezuela: La lucha sigue,” “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” or other films that tell the truth about the Bolivarian Revolution at a public space or in your home. Invite like-minded activists to link up and begin to plan the next day of action in support of Venezuela.
Social media actions
- Make sure to post pictures of the actions you hold on Feb. 23 on social media with #HandsOffVenezuela and #23feb, and send them toinfo@nowaronvenezuela.org.
- Use our Facebook page to link up with like-minded allies, post a message on Twitter, tag our account or send an email to our international organizers. We will be glad to assist you in planning an action in your area and connecting with others in your area.
Please consider making a donation to support the organizing for the Feb. 23 global day of action: No War on Venezuela! Every mobilization has many hidden costs for websites, social media, signs, banners, printing, producing materials and more. Click here! tinyurl.com/yywot3dr/. Help us keep mobilizing against U.S war: No war on Venezuela!
