US government continues to try to overthrow Venezuelan democracy; Latin American resistance continues to grow and organize

The US government has added new sanctions to Venezuelan officials as part of its ongoing campaign to overthrow the democratically elected government of that country. The liberal New York Times continues to shamelessly propagandize on behalf of that campaign.

This film, “Imitation and Copy” – not free of propagandistic intent itself, but providing useful history – describes how many of the techniques employed by the US government in league with obedient or incurious journalists and the Latin American Right today are a continuation of those used to successfully oust the democratically elected Salvador Allende in Chile in 1973 and install the murderous Pinochet regime:



(This is what you’re a part of, New York Times. Be proud, as you apparently are of fawning over Henry Kissinger’s book in your list of the best of 2014.)

There’s no sign that the US government will pull back on its campaign against the people of Latin America or the Caribbean. But there is resistance. Last week, CELAC, the organization of governments in the region formed in 2011 to contest the US-dominated OAS, met and signed the Belen Document, explicitly rejecting US imperialism in the region:

The CELAC is the first time than [sic] 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have been united in a regional organisation without the presence of the US and Canada. The organisation brings together governments from differing and even conflicting ideological orientations, including the rightwing governments of Mexico and Colombia and the socialist administrations in Venezuela and Bolivia.

“Beyond ideological borders and the politics that separate us, there is a diverse America...(the strength of CELAC) is to have achieved unity in diversity, based on respect, solidarity and helping each other in the joint construction of Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Maduro.

During the summit, the Pro-Tempore presidency of the organisation was officially passed over from Costa Rica to Rafael Correa of Ecuador, who applauded Venezuela and Nicaragua's initiative to have US colony, Puerto Rico, occupy a seat at CELAC's next summit. He stated that the action would “demonstrate that America is a region free of colonialism”.

“CELAC must play a protagonistic role in accompanying the process of decolonisation in the Latin American and Caribbean region. In general, it should be the “go to” organisation for the resolution of conflicts or long standing issues which affect the countries in the region,” stated the Ecuadorean president.

...With the exception of the French Caribbean islands, the United States has directly and indirectly intervened or occupied all Latin American and Caribbean countries since the early 19th Century. More recent examples include support for attempted coups against the leftist governments of Venezuela (2002), Ecuador (2010) and Bolivia (2008), as well as for the successful coups against Manuel Zelaya in Honduras in 2009 and Fernando Lugo, the leftist “Priest of Paraguay” in 2012.

As Mano Singham reported today, Latin America is also standing strong against torture. This year really is potentially a turning point in struggles for democracy and social justice.