Go not gently into the night, rage against the dying of the light!

Friday, April 21, 2017

Statement in Support of Venezuelan People Against US Intervention

Statement
April 17,2017             
Reference: Atty. Virgie Suarez, Secretary- General, KILUSAN

We Condemn US Eagerness for Force
 vs. Government of Venezuela

It is not just Luis Almagro of the Organization of American States (OAS) threatening the government of Venezuela.   Now, it is Admiral Kurt W. Tidd, commander of the United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) warning that “the crisis in Venezuela could eventually compel a regional response.”

We view such a warning from Admiral Tiddas dangerous and alarming. KILUSAN, an anti-imperialist and a democratic movement in the Philippines, strongly denounces it.

To Unseat a Democratically Elected Government
It was a statement made as Admiral Tidd presented a report last April 6 in front of the US Senate wherein he cites shortage in supplies, political uncertainty and economic crisis as conditions meriting a “regional response” from the US.

Such a statement clearly telegraphs US’ eagerness for immediate action, aimed at unseating a democratically elected sovereign government, which has refused to kowtow to its hegemonic dictates and directives.

Though short of pronouncing direct intervention, the warning comes at a time that US President Trump has consistently and repeatedly warned the rest of the world of its keenness to show its “might”, which can be understood to mean military action.

By citing shortage, political uncertainty and crisis, Admiral Tidd conveniently covers up the big role played by his country’s operatives in the current predicament facing the Bolivarian movement in Venezuela and its people.

Winds of War
His report, however, betrayed a more plausible reason for US to send in its military forces to Venezuela. He mentioned the relationships fostered by Russia, China and Iran with Venezuela and the rest of the region. We believe that in this light, the US is raring to get back what were once under his dominion—markets and sources of raw materials and compliant labor especially in the light of its inability to recover from the economic slump since 2008, along with other imperialist nations.

Peoples in Latin America and around the world should be alarmed by this threat from the USSOUTHCOM. 

The failure of the US and its imperialist allies to recover from the crisis further fans the winds of war and conflict across resource-rich and strategic regions.

 Let us not forget that Trump believing his military is “the greatest in the world” has recently used GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast containing 11 tonnes of explosives, a 20,000 pound bomb worth $16 Million and developed for $300 Million christened the “mother of all bombs” in Afghanistan with a blast radius of a mile in each direction[1].

Trump has further relaxed rules for preventing civilian casualties. Already, civilian casualties have jumped from 1,782 in February to 3,471 in March according to Airwars, a group that tracks bombings.

It is provoking a full-blown war with Russia by using 59 Tomahawk missiles aimed against Shayrat Airbase of the Syrian government. It is set for war in Korea. NATO forces and aircraft deploy close to Russia's borders, along with the missile defense shield in Romania, and missiles still aim against China.

Freedom-loving peoples must resist such moves by the US and its allies by others who for their own interests push the rest of the world to a time of never-ending and perpetual war and chaos.

It takes people of free and sovereign nations to protect peace and promote social justice by resisting war and escalation of conflict. We demand respect for Venezuela’s sovereignty and oppose intervention of the US in that country! ###



[1] One mile is equivalent to 1.609344 kilometers or 1,609.344 meters

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