U.S. threats grow against Bolivarian Revolution

As the revolutionary process in Venezuela continues to inspire millions around the world, the threat of U.S. intervention looms like a dark cloud over this sizable and oil-rich South American nation.

U.S. imperialism is over-extended with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that it cannot manage and a mounting political crisis in the White House. It is exactly at times like this when U.S. imperialism can be even more dangerous because those in the seats of power might be tempted to hope that intervention abroad can divert people’s attention from these crises.

At the top of Washington’s list of
targets is the nascent Bolivarian Revolution of Venezuela.

While the administration of President Hugo Chávez makes great social, economic and political advances, the danger of U.S. intervention threatens to halt all this progress.

In the last several weeks alone, the beat of intervention from Washington has increased.

William Arkin reported in the Nov. 2 online edition of the Washington Post that “The Pentagon has begun contingency planning for potential military conflict with Venezuela as part of a broad post-Iraq evaluation of strategic threats to the United States. The planning has been precipitated by general and specific directives issued by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and his civilian policy assistants.”

Venezuela has been redirecting its resources to ending illiteracy, building houses and schools and providing subsidized food for the poor, and implementing land reform. To the Bush gang, that’s a “strategic threat”!

In July hundreds of U.S. soldiers were deployed to Paraguay for military exercises due to last through 2006. There is evidence they will install yet another permanent U.S. military base, one capable of handling heavy bombers. Washington apparently hopes the troop presence can reverse the winds of change sweeping the continent.

Also in July, Congress authorized the government to initiate radio and television broadcasts to Venezuela to counteract Telesur, a television broadcaster independent of imperialism, founded by Venezuela, Argentina, Uruguay and Cuba and supported by Brazil. Telesur is set to broadcast in Venezuela and all of Latin America and the Caribbean.

On Aug. 19, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld accused Chávez of “anti-social, destabilizing behavior” that threatened regional security. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has echoed this view on more than one occasion.

On Oct. 30, the Washington Post published an ominous editorial declaring that the “human rights community is under siege” in Venezuela. The editorial also stated that journalists and press freedoms were being threatened as well. This type of editorial aims to diminish the popular appeal of Venezuela’s revolution within the U.S. and set the stage for intervention.

Evidence grows that Washington is again using certain religious forces to sabotage revolutionary Venezuela, as it did in Nicaragua in the 1980s. In late October, the Venezuelan government announced that it had to ask an evangelical mission, the New Tribes, to leave the country. The U.S.-based Mormon church also brought back all its missionaries from Venezuela, stating security reasons.

President Chávez stated that the missionaries had ties with the CIA and were gathering strategic information that threatened Venezuela’s national security.

Right wing anti-Chávez Venezuelans, many outside the country, are organizing a vicious and hostile campaign against Bolivarian Venezuela and its leadership. Website after website and press release after press release call openly for “violence” in Venezuela.

These threats cannot be taken lightly. U.S. imperialism’s use for four decades of right-wing Cubans to sabotage Cuba is a perfect example of how dangerous these elements can be.

The Bolivarian process gaining strength in Venezuela every day has won the hearts and minds of the masses around the world. From Africa to Asia, from Europe to the U.S. and all across the Americas, the people are cheering on Hugo Chávez and the revolution in Venezuela.

This solidarity will be decisive in the coming period as imperialism stretches its tentacles to do everything to stop the Bolivarian Revolution. Cuba, however, has shown that when united and strong, revolutionary movements can deter imperialism. Venezuela can do the same, but solidarity worldwide, including from right here in the imperialist center, will provide important assistance. Venezuela will be victorious.