Caribbean and African nations stood firm with Venezuela on the front line against imperialism in Caracas on Saturday.
The Todos Somos Venezuela (We are all Venezuela) solidarity conference broke up into workshops to debate a draft declaration condemning the US and other imperialist countries, the mainstream media war on the socialist government and demanding respect for Venezuela's sovereignty.
Caribbean nations, who played a leading role in organising the summit, stressed the deep cooperation between Venezuela and the West Indies launched by late president Hugo Chavez with the Alba regional bloc and the Petrocaribe programme to supply fuel at below market rates.
Earl Bousquet of the St Lucia Labour Party said: “Recent history has written another chapter in the relationship between Venezuela and the Caribbean that began 200 years ago, when revolutionaries from the English and French-speaking colonies came to offer their support” to the Venezuelan struggle for independence from Spain.
“it was the Caribbean that broke the US blockade of Cuba” by restoring trade and diplomatic relations, he recalled.
“Venezuela is a South American country, but it is also part the Caribbean,” he said, thanking President Nicolas Maduro's government for its aid to islands devastated by Hurricane Irma “even when it is under tremendous pressures.”
David Commission from Barbados laid into US President Donald trump for his threats of war against Venezuela as well as North Korea, his pledge to build a border wall with Mexico and his withdrawal from the Paris climate accords.
“The policy of the President of the USA is inimical not only to Venezuela but to the rest of the world,” he said.
“Venezuela has the right under international law to self-determination, to exercise permanent sovereignty over its natural resources, to exercise authority over foreign investment.
“No nation is entitled to challenge or subvert them,” Mr Commission said, urging the UN General Assembly to take the US to task for breaching article 24 of its charter “when they threaten war, impose illegal sanctions and wage media war.”
David Adbullah from Trinidad and Tobago said solidarity was crucial at this point as Venezuela was holding the line against imperialism.
“When one country is defeated it has a terrible political and psychological impact on others,” he said.
“The defence of Venezuela is an affirmation of hope for another world apart from the barbarism of capitalism.”
Dominican Senator Jahisiah Benoit expressed his country's “firm solidarity” with Venezuela.
He called on delegates to “intensify education” on the “fruits of the revolution,” such as Petrocaribe.
St Vincent and Grenadines National Workers' Movement General Secretary Noel Jackson said Venezuela must build “a social democracy that empowers all the people of the country.”
“the objective must be to incorporate all so you can expel the external forces who want to come in.”
Kenya's Wahu Karra hit back at opposition claims Venezuela had become a dictatorship.
“The democracy of the people is greater than the representative democracy of the bourgeoisie, that serves neoliberalism and profit,” she said.
“The empire claims to be defending democracy, but democracy is the essence of peace.”
Young Namibian delegate Job Amupanda said what was missing now was the solidarity between developing nations that existed during the decolonisation struggles.
“Somewhere since independence we have lost that solidarity,” he said. “The third world must wake up and discover a new solidarity in the post-independence era.”
South African Communist Party Central Committee member Frans Baleni said: “our solidarity must be people-centred and people-driven. Without this it will lose focus.”
The Todos Somos Venezuela (We are all Venezuela) solidarity conference broke up into workshops to debate a draft declaration condemning the US and other imperialist countries, the mainstream media war on the socialist government and demanding respect for Venezuela's sovereignty.
Caribbean nations, who played a leading role in organising the summit, stressed the deep cooperation between Venezuela and the West Indies launched by late president Hugo Chavez with the Alba regional bloc and the Petrocaribe programme to supply fuel at below market rates.
Earl Bousquet of the St Lucia Labour Party said: “Recent history has written another chapter in the relationship between Venezuela and the Caribbean that began 200 years ago, when revolutionaries from the English and French-speaking colonies came to offer their support” to the Venezuelan struggle for independence from Spain.
“it was the Caribbean that broke the US blockade of Cuba” by restoring trade and diplomatic relations, he recalled.
“Venezuela is a South American country, but it is also part the Caribbean,” he said, thanking President Nicolas Maduro's government for its aid to islands devastated by Hurricane Irma “even when it is under tremendous pressures.”
David Commission from Barbados laid into US President Donald trump for his threats of war against Venezuela as well as North Korea, his pledge to build a border wall with Mexico and his withdrawal from the Paris climate accords.
“The policy of the President of the USA is inimical not only to Venezuela but to the rest of the world,” he said.
“Venezuela has the right under international law to self-determination, to exercise permanent sovereignty over its natural resources, to exercise authority over foreign investment.
“No nation is entitled to challenge or subvert them,” Mr Commission said, urging the UN General Assembly to take the US to task for breaching article 24 of its charter “when they threaten war, impose illegal sanctions and wage media war.”
David Adbullah from Trinidad and Tobago said solidarity was crucial at this point as Venezuela was holding the line against imperialism.
“When one country is defeated it has a terrible political and psychological impact on others,” he said.
“The defence of Venezuela is an affirmation of hope for another world apart from the barbarism of capitalism.”
Dominican Senator Jahisiah Benoit expressed his country's “firm solidarity” with Venezuela.
He called on delegates to “intensify education” on the “fruits of the revolution,” such as Petrocaribe.
St Vincent and Grenadines National Workers' Movement General Secretary Noel Jackson said Venezuela must build “a social democracy that empowers all the people of the country.”
“the objective must be to incorporate all so you can expel the external forces who want to come in.”
Kenya's Wahu Karra hit back at opposition claims Venezuela had become a dictatorship.
“The democracy of the people is greater than the representative democracy of the bourgeoisie, that serves neoliberalism and profit,” she said.
“The empire claims to be defending democracy, but democracy is the essence of peace.”
Young Namibian delegate Job Amupanda said what was missing now was the solidarity between developing nations that existed during the decolonisation struggles.
“Somewhere since independence we have lost that solidarity,” he said. “The third world must wake up and discover a new solidarity in the post-independence era.”
South African Communist Party Central Committee member Frans Baleni said: “our solidarity must be people-centred and people-driven. Without this it will lose focus.”