(speaking at rally before demonstration)

by Peter Bohmer, (text of my talk)

Good Afternoon, We need to Resist Trumpism’s Attacks Globally and at Home by All Means. Educate, Organize, Resist

II took 30 students to Venezuela for 10 weeks each tn 2009 and 2012 and met many groups there.

The underlying cause of the horrific US intervention in Venezuela is capitalism and resource imperialism. This drives the US to control their resources and coerce Global South countries into submission. Those that do not submit get attacked. The U.S. current attacks on Venezuela are sadly not the exception but the rule— Iran, 1953, Guatemala, 1954, Cuba, 1961, Vietnam in the 1960’s, Iraq, 2003 and many more.

Venezuela elected Hugo Chavez as President in 1999 and he challenged US dominance. He was reelected many times. He used its oil revenues to benefit its people. Poverty declined, incomes became more equal, the quality of life increased substantially. He formed alliances with other countries that challenged U.S. dominance and for a multipolar world. The US supported a coup against Hugo Chavez in 2002 that was defeated by people taking to the streets.  The threat of Venezuela was the threat of a good example, one that combined people’s power and democracy and a socialist society.

Vice President Nicolas Maduro was elected president in fair elections after Chavez died in 2013; since then, in less fair elections, the last time in 2024. There have been growing economic problems in VZ beginning in 2014, The Initial cause was falling oil prices. There have been major US economic sanctions on VZ since 2017 and continued by Biden. They have been a major cause of their economic depression and hyperinflation although not the only cause…

(clink on link below for the entire talk)

Hands Off Venezuela