Struggle in Venezuela: It is Necessary to Win Against Imperialism

by Pedro Rosas

Good morning!

We’ll never cease to show our gratefulness to all the peoples in the world who have shown solidarity to the people of Venezuela that struggle. Long live international solidarity!

In Latin America, we have a long tradition of struggle, especially the struggle against the Yankees. Thousands of millions of martyrs and thousands of millions that continue to struggle. The analysis of the situation that we’re living in the world nowadays, is a complex analysis because our current circumstances and political conjunctures are also very complex. All contradictions are acute – ever-growing in acuteness at this present moment.

We have made an effort to write in paper our analysis over what is happening at this moment in our country. So we take the opportunity of our presence in this event to present this material. For now, it is only written in Spanish and [still] for revisions and corrections. We’re hoping to be able to translate this text to English in the coming days. We would also like to ask you, for those who are interested in receiving this writing and publication, to please come to me and write your emails so [that] I can send you the text.

In order to be a bit more didactic, for the purpose of helping the comprehension of the situation in Venezuela, we have synthesized several points that are key to what is going on at the moment. Five parameters that allow us to provide an explanation and analysis of what is going on.

First, we have one principal enemy and a common enemy. We have two alliances or imperialist blocs that confront each other. There are three fundamental contradictions. There are four causes that explain the crisis in Venezuela. And these would lead us to the possibility of five potential scenarios.

I will try to explain to you [what] are these elements.

First element, one common and principal enemy. Imperialism. We are referring to the superior phase of capitalism, to our scientific category. And we open up the date by way of several authors, theories and political activists and others who have revived the concept of empire. And these authors have also proposed other concepts which are contradictory with the superior phase of capitalism. This first point is very important despite it having the appearance of being a mere theoretical note. Because from the basis of the characters of imperialism, we will be able to define in a scientific form the role of other followers that participate in the struggle nowadays. Russia and China are imperialist powers. They export capital. They exploit other countries. They own large monopolies. They are directed by financial capitalism. If we follow Lenin’s lessons, we will obtain a response. If we follow other things, it will be the heart who will reason. We want to be scientific.

It is very important to acknowledge, to recognize and to be aware that the principal and number one enemy for all the peoples in the world is imperialism. In the development of the imperialist struggle, there have been so far two alliance or principal blocs. On the one hand, that [which] is conformed by the US, Europe and other countries. We could name that an imperialist bloc or an imperialist alliance which is traditional. There’s another imperialist alliance conformed by Russia and China. As imperialist alliances, they are struggling for a new rearrangement or partition of the world to be able to gain markets so they can use them for their own interest to plunder natural resources, cheap labor. And in this development and expansion we have been encountering, they have been consolidating their internal alliances and their contradictions. These are not permanent and non-movable alliances. They are subject to changes. These are dynamic, that are preparing to other phases of confrontation.

In Venezuela, it is very obvious and apparent [that] this alliance between Europe, US and other countries has been blocking Venezuela and its current State. And on the other hand, the role that Russia and [its] alliance with China are playing with regards to this other imperialist bloc. This does not only happen in Venezuela but also happens throughout Latin America, for example Nicaragua [and] Cuba. The way the US and the European Union does this, or at least the dominant powers of the European Union and on the other side, China and Russia.

In this scheme of explanations, we consider that there are three principal contradictions. An inter-imperialist contradiction that is a consequence of the confrontation of these two imperialist blocs. We find it necessary to further elaborate on how China and Russia are developing their agenda as opposed and in confrontation with the agenda of Europe and US. We can also identify how there are contradictions between these imperialist nations and the nations that are dependent on these imperialists. We can see how these oppressed nations – oppressed by imperialist powers – are rising up, protesting, struggling and fighting because they do not want to be subservient and subjugated to these powers. So the contradiction of labor and capital is arising over and over and is becoming very apparent. These contradictions are nothing new [and] are also intensified.

Workers all over the world within the imperialist countries and within the exploited and subjugated countries are working and struggling relentlessly. And this assembly is a proof of the level of achievement and organizational tactics and struggle that we are succeeding.

Particularly pertaining to the situation of Venezuela in this global framework, we identify four points.

The first one – the aggression and the blocking of the imperialists in Venezuela. It is obvious, apparent [and] impossible to hide the fact that Venezuela is under a major blockade. The imperialist powers are plundering brazenly and with impunity the resources of this country. Not only raw materials. They have also began to rob companies and gold in order to give it to the puppet that has been assigned to channel those resources towards the imperialists.

On the second point, we say that there is responsibility on the part of government policies. It is true that there are policies that benefit popular majorities but we must say that the petty bourgeoisies are very frightened and will not allow popular forces to push forward with the struggle. This confrontation, this blocking, leads to contradictory politics that worsen some of the situations that are generated by the blockade itself. That is to say that they are contradictions at the class level, at the ideological level, and the political within the interior ranks and the society of Venezuela. This is not unknown. It is the nature of struggle. But it has an effect on what is happening in Venezuela.

A third force is a weakness on the popular movement to advance their own project. It’s a popular movement that has a loud strength. But it is still lagging behind and being manipulated by the petty bourgeoisie.

As a fourth element, the weakness of the proletarian vanguard. We’re struggling. We’re organizing ourselves. But we still have a long way to go and with your support, with global support, we should be able to have success.

Lastly, where is this leaving us? Where is Venezuela going? It will go where the world is going. And it should go towards revolution and socialism. But this is not yet happening. It is going to struggle as much as needed.

Therefore, we propose five scenarios with respect to the political landscape in Venezuela at the moment.

First, the continuation and prolongation in the long-term of this blockade which could generate a situation similar to that of Cuba and the subsequent instabilities in the country. It may seem unbelievable but we are able to manage to do without oil living in a country that has a major reserve of oil in the world. But there is no gas. But there is no efficient public transportation. Water and electricity stops. And the reason why the people get used to this situation – to become vegetarian – [is] for necessity, not as a decision. All these is only expressed and explained by the dignity of the Venezuelan people and the conscience of them.

A second scenario is the possibility of a way out through a negotiation with the government. In Oslo, they are sitting down. And in other places. Parliamentary – the representatives of the traditional bourgeoisie with the representatives of the emerging bourgeoisie. Let’s see if they are able to resolve peacefully their contradictions. The popular majorities have other ideas about how to address these problems and conflicts. The experience of Nicaragua where they negotiated and came back is kept in mind in some of the sectors that are leading the politics of the country.

A third possible scenario will be a revolutionary situation. In the finest words of Lenin, those above can no longer be governing, those below don’t accept it anymore. A worsening of the living conditions, conflicts will lead to a revolutionary situation. We believe that the possibility lies there because as we have seen in the past and there have been other instances in which the people of Venezuela have taken to the streets.

Fourth scenario – the possibility of a coup d’ etat. We may have integrated a sort of Pinochet among the military force in Venezuela because despite their patriotism, there are also reactionary elements within the military.

And as a fifth scenario, the possibility of an external aggressive intervention. Not necessarily the marines. Two thousands kilometers from Colombia where there are paramilitaries and the reactionary government.

Obviously, there would be much more to talk and elaborate but we made an effort for the basic points for an understanding. With all of your help, we are disseminating these materials that are more for elaboration of this presentation and we reiterate our gratefulness for all the solidarity that we are feeling from all parts of the world.

Fundamentally, with the people of Venezuela, the persistent struggle. Know that no matter what conditions, no matter which scenario, we will continue to struggle. Like a Venezuelan patriot said: we cannot opt between winning or dying. It is necessary to win.

Thank you.

*Comrade Pedro is part of the Latin American delegation who has struggled from a long distance to support the success of the Assembly. He is the international spokesperson of the Gayones Movement. He represents the Unidad Popular Revolucionaria Antiimperialista (UPRA). He is also a member of the International Coordinating Committee of ILPS. He has authored and published many writings about Venezuela, the experience of the people of Venezuela that resist and struggle. Particularly, he wrote an essay on imperialism and the general crisis of capitalism. His latest writing is called “The Experience of a People That Resist and Struggle”.