By Nathaniel Chase
February 13, 2020

Organized popular resistance has made it increasingly difficult for U.S. imperialism to impose its will around the world through military intervention. From Iran to Venezuela, from People’s Korea to Zimbabwe, working and oppressed people are fighting back.

In the face of this growing resistance, the U.S. is increasingly relying on weapons other than direct military assaults to achieve its aims. Chief among these is the imposition of sanctions, also known as Economic War or Unilateral Coercive Measures.

Imposing sanctions means using the enormous influence the U.S. holds over the global economy to block the sale of basic goods to a country and to prohibit a country from accessing SWIFT, the worldwide payment system used for international trade. These measures have devastating economic impact on targeted countries, with damage most strongly felt by the poorest, most vulnerable members of society: women, children, elders and people with chronic illnesses or disabilities.

The International Campaign against Sanctions and Economic War is calling for coordinated days of action around the world March 13-15 to raise consciousness around and fight back against sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its junior partners.

More information about the campaign, including a call to action translated into 17 languages, a list of over 1,000 endorsers, educational materials and resources for planning an action can be found at sanctionskill.org.

Can you organize a demonstration, meeting or educational event in your city? Visit sanctionskill.org/list-action to submit details.

U.S.-imposed sanctions affect at least 39 countries, more than one-third of the world, a fact widely unknown even within the anti-imperialist movement. Their broad scope and deadly impact receive little attention in the mainstream media, allowing the U.S. to carry out campaigns of terror around the world with minimal awareness outside the targeted country. For example, a 2019 study by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, which found that U.S. sanctions killed 40,000 Venezuelans during 2017-18, received almost no coverage.

It is imperative that all anti-war, anti-imperialist and progressive forces organize against U.S.-imposed sanctions and economic war. Awareness of the U.S. sanctions must be increased, both within the anti-imperialist movement and among the working and oppressed masses at large. Beyond raising awareness, we must build a movement that not only educates, but has the power to fight back and defeat the deadly U.S. sanctions.