Groups demand U.S. recognize Venezuela gov’t

U.S.-based organizations swiftly denounced U.S. intervention against the election of President Nicolás Maduro Moro in Venezuela and mobilized. Weekend actions in New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and San Francisco demanded that the U.S. recognize the new Maduro government and end its subversion and destabilization of the Bolivarian Revolution. Violent attacks on health clinics and Cuban doctors working in Venezuela and murders of Maduro supporters were also condemned.

Supporting Maduro’s inauguration on April 19, defenders of Venezuelan sovereignty in New York City chanted outside the Venezuelan Consulate, “Chavez, presente! Maduro presidente!” The combined forces of the Alberto Lovera Bolivarian Circle, International Action Center, HondurasUSAResistencia, IFCO/Pastors for Peace, July 26 Coalition, Casa de las Americas, FMLN, La Peña del Bronx, May 1st Coalition, Fuerza de la Revolucion, People’s Power Assembly, Alianza Paiz de Ecuador, People’s Power Movement, International Concerned Friends & Family of Mumia, ProLibertad and the Popular Education Project to Free the Cuban 5 outnumbered the right wing 30-to-1. They were able to push back the rightists who had been harassing Bolivarian representatives.

Also on April 19, the International Action Centerissued a bilingual online petition to the Obama administration and the media demanding recognition of President Maduro and opposing the right-wing coup threat. Sign on at iacenter.org.

An e-letter to Secretary of State John Kerry signed by 47 U.S. and international organizations also demanded that the U.S. recognize the Venezuelan elections. Kerry had just reiterated U.S. imperialism’s 1823 Monroe Doctrine view of Latin America as the “backyard of the United States,” negating its sovereignty. School of the Americas Watch also initiated an online petition to Kerry.

On April 18, the United Electrical Workers’ union faxed a letter to Kerry. The UE’s international director was among 130 people from the U.S. who monitored the April 14 election. She also observed the October election of now-deceased President Hugo Chávez.

The letter, signed by the three-officer union leadership, stated: “The U.S.’ call for a full recount fails to recognize the integrity of the Venezuelan electoral system and only serves to promote conflict and to further undermine the credibility of the United States. Given the sordid history of the United States in undermining democracy in Latin America, the wisest course would be to follow the lead of Latin American governments that are demonstrating broad regional support for Venezuela’s democratic institutions.”