--VENEZUELA TODAY—
WHAT IS HAPPENING? WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT? WHY IS THIS CRISIS IN VENEZUELA COMING UP AT THIS TIME?
BRIEF TALKS AND THEN QUESTIONS/DISCUSSION,
FEATURING VENEZUELAN PROFESSOR DOZTHOR ZURLENT, Visiting Lecturer in the University of Illinois at Chicago Latino and Latin American Studies Program, co-author of History of the Future That Belongs to Us, and member of the Bolivarian Solidarity Network
Other speakers to be announced in a few days.
Refreshments. Free.
at Agape House, 1046 W. Polk, Chicago on the south side of the University of Illinois at Chicago campus, a short walk south from the Halsted stop on the Blue Line—Morgan St. exit. Free parking. [More info about the location of Agape House: <http://tigger.uic.edu/~dandale/location.html>.]
This program is being organized by representatives of a number of groups, including Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism, Chicago Cuba Coalition, Chicago Religious Leadership Network, Colombia Action Network, Colombia Solidarity Committee-Chicago, Coordinadora en Apoyo al Pueblo de Mexico, Evanston Neighbors for Peace, International Action Center-Chicago, La Voz De Los de Abajo, Rojo.net, Workers World Party-Chicago Branch. Our slogans include—U.S., Hands Off Venezuela! Respect the Constitutional Government of Venezuela! For questions, call 312-458-9559.
Afterwards we are invited to have free Venezuelan holiday food and live Venezuelan music by Hallacas Beat of Drums at Colibri, 2030 W. 18th Street.
* Venezuela Leaflet
The Crisis in Venezuela, and the (not so invisible) hand of the U.S. government--
Oppose the U.S. Government’s Destabilization Plots and other Interference in the Affairs of Venezuela! Support the Continuation of the Democratically Elected and Constitutional Government of Venezuela!
The U.S. government has been interfering in Venezuela. In April, the U.S supported forces in Venezuela that tried to overthrow the democratic Constitution and the elected president, Chavez. The same pattern is being repeated today.
We urge all Americans to oppose interference in Venezuela by the U.S. government. We, as Americans, have a responsibility to stand against the Bush doctrine of a "right" to interfere anywhere. And we must support the right of the Venezuelan people to go forward with the democratically elected Chavez government, which has been abiding by all provisions of the constitution. The majority of workers, peasants, and others are opposing the efforts to destabilize the country being led by U.S.government-backed forces of big business.
The facts:
Venezuela is a mineral-rich country in South America, the third largest exporter of oil to the U.S. Yet, under rule by earlier pro-U.S. governments and the International Monetary Fund’s austerity programs, 80% of the people lived in poverty.
This gave rise to a Bolivarian Revolution led by Hugo Chavez— the term Bolivarian meaning to use Venezuela’s wealth for the benefit of the people and to oppose U.S. domination. Chavez was elected in 1998 with the support of the working class and many junior military officers and rank-and-file soldiers. A new constitution was also voted in.
This government advocated an OPEC (Organization of Oil Exporting Countries) that would be independent of U.S. domination. The government exported oil to Cuba on favorable terms. A land reform law was passed to benefit the poor farmers.
This past April there was an attempted coup by business and industry owners backed by the U.S. This was preceded by days of anti-government demonstrations sponsored by these owners, just as is happening today. The coup leaders, in the few days they had control,
immediately tried to abolish the constitution, the legislature, and the land reform laws and declared that there would be no oil for Cuba.
Evidence of U.S. involvement and interference in Venezuelan politics: --On April 16, the Bush administration admitted that Otto Reich, a State Department official, was in phone contact with coup leaders on the morning of their take over. The New York Times reported Reich as "stage-managing the takeover." --The April 16 New York Times reports a U.S. Defense Department official saying, "We were not discouraging people" from a coup. --The April 22 issue of Newsweek reported that some of the Venezuelan military, many of whom are graduates of the notorious U.S. School of the Americas terrorist training school, had been in contact with the U.S. embassy in February to discuss plans for a coup.
Why is the U.S. interfering with Venezuela?:
The U.S. government has made it clear in its Strategic Aims Statement of September 22 that it wants complete domination all over the world, and no opposition. Thus the U.S. is threatening war on Iraq, and pouring millions of dollars into Colombia in support of the pro-U.S. government in the civil war there. The U.S. is also very worried about the new government in Brazil led by Lula, and his efforts to unite Latin American countries against the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), which would make Latin American countries totally controlled by the U.S. The U.S. is worried about the independent stand of Cuba in world politics, and the inspiration it is to so many other countries, including Venezuela.
Americans and all people need to oppose all of the attempts by the U.S. government to trample on the rule of international law and interfere in the affairs of Venezuela. --U.S., Hands Off Venezuela! No U.S. Intervention in Venezuela! Oppose Demonizing President Chavez! --Respect the Constitutional Government of Venezuela! Support Self-determination for the Venezuelan people! --No to the U.S. Dominated Organization of American States (OAS) Interfering in Venezuela! Mr. Gaviria of the OAS, Fair Play for Venezuela! --No Blood for Oil and Power!
This leaflet is brought to you by a coalition of forces in Chicago which includes, so far -- Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism, Chicago Cuba Coalition, Chicago Religious Leadership Network, Colombia Action Network, Colombia Solidarity Committee-Chicago, Coordinadora en Apoyo al Pueblo de Mexico, Evanston Neighbors for Peace, International Action Center-Chicago, La Voz De Los de Abajo, Rojo.net, Workers World Party-Chicago Branch. For questions, comments, or to participate in this coalition, call 312-458-9559.
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Postscript: Sorry for duplicate postings of the previous message. --- Sent from UnionMail Service [http://mail.union.org.za]