On the morning of 3 January, the United States massively escalated its imperialist, criminal attack on Venezuela. Military bases and civilian targets in the capital Caracas and numerous other cities were heavily bombed. Trump proudly announced that President Maduro and his wife had been kidnapped by US anti-terrorist units.
Goals of US imperialism
This form of state terrorism and unvarnished imperialist intervention makes clear what the US is all about. The world’s most powerful nation considers Venezuela, like all of Latin America, to be its “backyard,” its own semi-colonial sphere of influence. The Trump administration wants to clean up there and replace all governments and regimes that do not “voluntarily” submit completely to the US with subservient vassals. It wants to seize Venezuela’s vast natural resources for exploitation by US oil companies to increase shareholder profits.
In many cases, such policies may be pursued “peacefully,” such as through massive support for right-wing and extreme right-wing forces in elections. Where this fails, the US resorts to all means to destabilise countries and bring about regime change – be it through blockades or punitive tariffs, through gunboat diplomacy such as the capture of ships and boats, or through open attacks with bombardments and ground troops. The justifications for these criminal interventions, such as the “war on drugs” or that Venezuelan oil actually belongs to the US, are ridiculous and dishonest.
Ultimately, however, they are irrelevant. Under Trump, the US has long since abandoned any pretence of justifying the enforcement of its economic and geostrategic interests with flimsy references to international law and universal values, as openly stated in its “security doctrine”. What is good for the superpower US is good. Everything else is irrelevant.
The overthrow of the Maduro regime and the establishment of a vassal regime in Venezuela therefore has global significance far beyond the country itself. The message is by no means, not even primarily, directed at a regime whose “crime” was and is to achieve limited independence from the US. What bothers the US about Venezuela’s cosying up to Russia and China is not the subordination itself, but that the country is aligning itself with the wrong imperialist powers.
The reactionary aspects of the Maduro regime, the exploitation and political oppression of its own working class, the enrichment of the state apparatus and the Bolivarian bourgeoisie are, of course, irrelevant to the US. On the contrary, their intervention is by no means intended to liberate the working class and oppressed masses, let alone bring democracy and self-determination, but rather to return the traditional pro-American elites to power after decades of Bolivarianism. It is no wonder that this right-wing, ultra-reactionary “opposition” welcomes and supports the US intervention – and hopes to enrich itself as a future US vassal.
Support the resistance against the US attack!
A change of government brought about by a US war would be a disaster for the Venezuelan masses – and for the masses throughout Latin America. A change of government brought about by the US would not only put a criminal, right-wing opposition in power, it would also lead to further interventions across the continent. That is why we defend Venezuela against the US attack and advocate the defeat of US intervention. Venezuela has every right to defend itself militarily against US attacks, using all means at its disposal. Resistance to US air strikes or ground troops is justified and should be supported. We reject any change of government brought about by a US attack and coup, without supporting the regime’s policies and strategy.
Rather, we must demand that it cease all repression against its proletarian and left-wing critics and release prisoners who have been detained for their political ideas, for protesting or for fighting to defend the rights of the Venezuelan people.
We demand the immediate restoration of the violated wage and labour rights of the working class and the resumption of democratic mechanisms that create the necessary conditions for the reorganisation and defence of the country and for the restoration of the people’s ability to decide their own destiny. We also demand that access to public spaces and media be facilitated so that all anti-imperialist voices and forces not affiliated with the government can also express their positions and proposals for combating US aggression.
While the US continues its bombing and a ground invasion looms, China and Russia have condemned US aggression. Other states – including some Western ones – may follow suit. But that will not stop the US attacks. China and Russia will content themselves with diplomatic notes, and Russia may demand (and possibly obtain) a few more concessions from Trump in the war in its “own” backyard against Ukraine. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer has expressed UK support for “a transition of power in Venezuela” and stated that “we shed no tears about the end of [Maduro’s] regime”. Although he has expressed “support for international law”, in practice this amounts to nothing but a fig leaf. Under the current government, it is clear that the UK plans to support the US robber policy, and will not stand up for the legitimate national rights of the Venezuelan people.
The protest of all imperialist states against US intervention is not only half-hearted and empty at best, but also cynical, as they all give Netanyahu’s government free rein in the genocide in Gaza, ethnic cleansing in the West Bank and attacks on neighbouring states. Above all, however, all of them – allies and rivals alike – are ultimately willing to accept US imperialist dominance over Venezuela.
Colombia, whose government is itself on the US hit list, wants to appeal to the UN, rejects the kidnapping of Maduro and demands an end to US intervention. This line is also pursued by the reformist, left-populist and bureaucratic leaders of the labour movement and mass movements in the semi-colonies.
International solidarity!
Mere condemnations and diplomatic notes will not stop the US air strikes and ground troops. The only real help for the resistance in Venezuela and the only way to stop imperialist aggression is a worldwide mass movement against US intervention. We therefore call for a joint mobilisation of all organisations of the working class and oppressed, as well as all anti-imperialist forces – for mass protests in front of US embassies, for solidarity strikes and blockades of US supplies (e.g. through work stoppages and refusal to transport US war materials) and for the closure of all US military bases.
Solidarity with Venezuela! Down with the US attack! No to imperialist intervention in Venezuela, the Caribbean and Latin America!
