The underlying cause of the ongoing and 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.

With another faculty member of the Evergreen State college, I took 30 students to Venezuela for 10 weeks each in 2009 and 2012. We met with many groups there involved in community organizing, popular education, women’s groups, cooperatives and alternate institutions in healthcare, education, building cooperatives and new governing and economic institutions.

Venezuela elected Hugo Chavez as President in 1999 and he challenged U.S. dominance. He was reelected many times. He used its oil revenues to benefit its people although was not successful in diversifying the economy away from its dependence on oil. Poverty declined, incomes became more equal, the quality of life increased substantially. Chavez  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. He was reelected many times. 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 for the people of Venezuela beginning in 2014.  The initial cause was falling oil prices. There have been limited sanctions beginning in 2015 and major US economic sanctions on Venezuela since 2017 and continued by Biden. They have been a major cause of their economic depression and hyperinflation although not the only cause. 

Also contributing has been economic mismanagement and corruption. There has major huge out migration, seven out of 30 million have left Venezuela, one million to the US.  We should support Venezuelan immigrants in the U.S. who are demonized. No to Deportations of Venezuelans, No to all deportations!

This emigration out of Venezuela has been mainly for economic reasons, less but also because of government repression, although Maduro is not the brutal, murderous, narco dictator he is portrayed as by most Democrats and the mainstream media. Many US allies are more repressive, e.g., UAE, El Salvador, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt. 

The US attacks on Venezuela culminating in the bombing of Venezuela and kidnapping of President Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are illegal, immoral, and a form of U.S. state terrorism, The United States has killed 123 people in 35 boats off the coast of Venezuela and the eastern Pacific Ocean since September 2025. They have seized six ships with Venezuelan oil and blockaded Venezuela. The U.S. is now selling some of that oil. SHAME, SHAME!

The United States also killed 100 people on January 3^rd, 2026, when invading Venezuela.  They kidnapped and then imprisoned Maduro and Flores in Brooklyn and have charged them with trafficking cocaine, which is hypocritical.  Trump recently pardoned a major convicted dealer of cocaine, Juan Orlando Hernandez, the ex-President of Honduras who was convicted for conspiracy to export 400 tons of cocaine to U.S.  More importantly, the U.S. has no right to kidnap a head of state, it is an act of war. The U.S. still has 15,000 troops and hundreds of fighter planes surrounding Venezuela, to force the current government to accept U.S. demands.

Why the attack on Venezuela and Maduro?     They are a perfect target. Supposedly they are major narcotraffickers. Also, the Maduro led government was considered a leftist government independent of the United States, although not that leftist lately. Presidents Chavez and Maduro have been supportive of Palestine and allied with China, Cuba, and Iran. And of course, OIL, OIL. OIL!

For Trump, his main motive is for the United States and United States oil giants to own Venezuelan oil and oil fields, the largest reserves in the world. He also wants to brag about an easy victory, to show off US willingness to intervene militarily anywhere in the world, especially in Latin America, to control resources for U.S. corporations. Trump’s Donroe Doctrine is a call for total U.S. domination of Latin America. This is also spelled out in Trump’s U.S. National Security Strategy document of December 2025

In 1984 language, Trump claims Venezuelan oil is US oil that Venezuela stole.  The oil is of course Venezuelan. Exxon-Mobil, Conoco-Phillips and Chevron made billions of dollars of profits from taking and selling Venezuelan oil. They received compensation when Venezuela partially nationalized their oil in 1976 and more fully nationalized it under Hugo Chavez. Venezuelan workers built the infrastructure for the oil extraction.  These companies owe the Venezuelan people billions. Don’t fall for Trump’s lies!

Marco Rubio’s aim is to destroy the left in Latin America, to overthrow the Cuban Government and system, to create societies who are under the control of the US. The US demands with violent threats that Venezuela no longer sell oil to Cuba, which Cuba depends on. Cuba lacks oil and foreign exchange. Cuba is in a precarious position. Let us show solidarity with Cuba and demand the end of the US sanctions and embargo and no intervention in Cuba.

For Stephen Miller, it is all the above and to deport all Venezuelans from the U.S. 

Most Democratic Party leaders have criticized the Trump administration for not going through Congress for the war on Venezuela and kidnapping of Maduro. The more important principle is that the U.S. does NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO INTERVENE in other countries, nor choose their leaders nor government nor economic structure.

The U.S. is demanding that Venezuela turn over its oil reserves to US oil corporations, control who Venezuela sells oil to, and further the ongoing privatization of the Venezuelan economy. The Venezuelan government led by acting President Delcy Rodriguez is so far accepting U.S. demands and in return, the U.S. is supporting the existing political economic structure there, regime change without real regime change. Whether the current Venezuelan government as of January 3^rd of this year including its military leaders made a “deal” with the U.S. government to stay in power in return for replacing Maduro and accepting US demands about privatizing oil is not clear.  They were in a weak position with limited foreign exchange to purchase imports and surrounded and threatened by the U.S. military, including a blockade, and perhaps believed they had no other choice. 

We the people here must say no to both US imperialist domination, and no to the Venezuelan austerity and political repression that preceded the US invasion and is continuing. The U.S. government has no right to intervene but as solidarity activists, we should be in solidarity with those in Venezuela who are furthering a just Venezuela. This does not mean us picking their leaders or our favorite political party, that is for Venezuelans to decide. 

The military attacks on Venezuela are a threat to all Latin America.  Necessary is solidarity with the people of Latin America and progressive governments there with Venezuela and against US imperialism. Unity can stop naked U.S. aggression or at least, limit it. 

Let’s say YES and act on it to support Venezuelan self-determination, for economic justice, and deepening participatory democracy and solidarity with Venezuelan grassroots and left social movements and unions, and solidarity and cooperation among the people of the Americas, including the U.S.

Venezuelans are now facing an authoritarianism neoliberal society and government with the United States requiring compliance to this order. What is needed is that the left and social movements and the popular classes In Venezuela resist, organize, unite, and mobilize to overthrow this oppressive structure and create a society that is democratic and socialist and independent of the United States. Our solidarity matters. 

In closing, let us Demand:                                                                                                           

1) The end of the U.S. military surrounding Venezuela and military threats, the end of infiltration and of destructive sanctions and embargo against Venezuela and Cuba by the U.S.  

    2)The right of Venezuelan immigrants to stay in the U.S. and a path to Citizenship. Stop the racist attacks and demonization of Venezuelan immigrants.

       3)Non-interference by US government, corporations, e.g. Chevron, in Venezuela and respect of their sovereignty and self-determination. Let us demand no taking of their resources, e.g., oil, gold, raw earth minerals, and that any trade be fair trade. 

4. Defund the U.S. Military to serve human needs. Challenge US militarism and increasing bombings and threats on other countries, Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, Greenland, Iran, Nigeria, Palestine!  Trump and Hegseth just proposed raising the military budget from a trillion dollars to one and a half trillion dollars a year. The cost of the attacks on Venezuela including the military buildup, bombing and invasion is over a billion dollars and rising daily.
5. The immediate freeing of President Nicolas Maduro and Celia Flores. It is the right of the Venezuelan people to select their economic and social structure and their leaders. 

Let us educate our friends and family and institutions we are part of against US imperialism, connect attacks abroad with attacks on immigrants at home, challenge Trumpist scapegoating and racism and misogyny, and build campaigns and organizations for stopping fascism, ending capitalism and building a sustainable participatory socialism.

Solidarity with the Venezuelan People! U.S. Out of Venezuela!

Power to the People. 

Si Se Puede! We Can Win!

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