HOME
your socialist home on the internet
ABOUT US
who we are, our politics, and what we do
GET ACTIVE!
joining ysa, getting active locally, making a difference
NEWS & VIEWS
articles, fliers, statements and opinions
THEORY
what is socialism, reading lists and study guides
CONTACT US
our email, snail mail, phone number and club directory
LINKS
socialist, youth, activist, labor, feminist, anti-racist, and other important sites
WHAT'S NEW
listing of what's been recently added
venezuela in crisis
U.S. imperialism's opposition to the Hugo Chavez populist government
is
central to understanding the boldness of the Venezuelan ruling class,
middle class and military elements that seek to bring it down.
Emboldened
by this support, lip service to constitutional and democratic rule has
disappeared from the utterances of Venezuela's elite. With U.S.
backing
and
doubtless behind-the-scenes maneuvers with the anti-Chavez wing of the
military, a "negotiations" process is underway between the U.S.-backed
would-be coup makers and Chavez's government.
Repeated ruling class-initiated mass demonstrations aimed at securing
Chavez's resignation have been matched on a regular basis by
significantly
larger mobilizations of workers and the poor in support of Chavez and
against another coup. A near civil war situation prevails but with
each
side momentarily lacking either the might or will, as in the case of
Chavez, to break the current deadlock.
From direct involvement in and embarrassing public support to the
first
coup attempt, the U.S. is now backing (a more accurate word might be
"fostering") a reactionary national boss's strike aided by a
handful of corrupt labor union aristocrats. Their immediate aim is to
force
an early election in spite of constitutional prohibitions against the
date
demanded.
Despite Chavez's pro-capitalist politics and his incapacity to
mobilize
the working class masses and the poor in a decisive showdown with
Venezuelan capital, his presidency still represents a threat to
America's
capitalist rulers. More than anything, imperialism fears the kind of
social
instability wherein the masses themselves enter the field of action in
their own name, in pursuit of their own interests and with their own
leadership. The latter factor, an experienced revolutionary leadership
rooted in the struggles of the oppressed and exploited, is critically
absent in Venezuela today. Whether or not it can be constructed in
the
short time that remains before a more decisive coup attempt is
initiated,
is the central question in Venezuelan politics.
If there ever was an example of the absolute limitation of capitalist
politicians, even of the most left variety, and even when faced with
the
most catastrophic of consequences, the Chavez regime is it. Chavez,
whose
very mild reforms were undertaken without a major challenge to
capital,
has
thus far proved incapable of appealing for decisive action from the
masses.
The mass mobilizations he has supported have undoubtedly stayed the
hand of
the boss class who would not step back from a bloody solution if the
opportunity presented itself.
Chavez fruitlessly publishes multiple copies of the Venezuelan
constitution for foreign distribution to convince world "opinion,"
that
is,
the heads of state of other capitalist countries, that his refusal to
accede to the boss's demand for snap elections is legal.
Chavez's potential to alter the world price of oil to the detriment
of
the
imperialist countries, and especially the U.S., ranks high in the
secret
and not so secret efforts to remove him. The U.S. imports 13 percent
of
its
oil from Venezuela and Chavez's representative on OPEC's ruling
council
has
thwarted U.S. efforts to force this body to both increase production
and
lower prices.
Chavez's supplying oil to revolutionary Cuba also irks the
imperialist
who seek to bring down the Castro regime by economic pressure as
well as overt acts of terror.
While the U.S. would like to continue to be the recipient of
relatively
near-by Venezuelan oil, it has subordinated this economic advantage to
backing a bosses' strike that has significantly reduced or halted
Venezuelaan oil exports and therefore Venezuelan income. The
imperialists
have calculated that the temporary loss of millions, and even more, is
worth the likelihood of acquiring billions, and more, with Chavez's
downfall. But the outcome is far from clear.
"U.S. Hands Off
Venezuela!"
