posted in Antiimperialism ( https://venezuelanvoices.org/category/antiimperialism/ ) , Left op ( https://venezuelanvoices.org/category/left-opposition/ )
*Interview with Miguel Ángel Hernández of the Socialism and Freedom Party of Venezuela* *What is the popular perception in Venezuela of US military threats?* *Is it a central concern for most people or is popular attention more focused on other issues?* There is undoubtedly a real threat from US imperialism, led by the far-right Trump, in the Caribbean and the Pacific, focused on Venezuela but also directed at Colombia and, to a lesser extent, Mexico and the Caribbean islands, all under the pretext of the fight against drug trafficking. This is a false argument, given that Venezuela is not an important drug-producing and distributing country, but rather a transit zone, as it has historically been. Under this false pretext, serious threats are directed against the country and against Latin American and the Caribbean, following a long tradition of aggression and military intervention in the region. The issue is discussed in political and social circles, but it is not a popular topic that people are concerned about or discuss much in the streets, markets, or on public transportation. It is not a widespread debate among the popular sectors. The central issue today is the problem of inflation. The country experienced several years of hyperinflation, and since September last year we have seen a monetary devaluation that is reflected in the accelerated rise in the exchange rate of the US dollar, and of course this has a negative impact on inflation. There is a danger of going through another period of hyperinflation. It would be unprecedented in the contemporary global economy for a country to go through two cycles of hyperinflation in such a short period of time. There is no hyperinflation yet, but we could move in that direction. The central issue is the cost of living, the price of food, in a country with very low wages. The minimum monthly wage since 2022 is 130 bolívares , which at the current exchange rate is about half a dollar, a miserable wage. That is the real concern for most Venezuelans. Imperialist threats undoubtedly pose a serious problem for the country. This is a military deployment that has not been seen in the region for many years, perhaps since the invasion of Panama. Under the pretext of combating drug traffickers, the Trump administration has already bombed several boats in the Caribbean and killed more than 70 people, murdered in international waters in a totally illegal manner, instead of arresting them and presenting them to courts of justice. Undoubtedly there are divisions in the Venezuelan population regarding these imperialist threats. It’s important to note that a large segment of the population would mistakenly agree with US intervention, while another sector views it with indifference. There is an explanation for this: it is due to the widespread repudiation of the Maduro government, which makes any action that damages the government look favorable. This is a consequence of the situation created by the government with its extreme austerity measures, starvation wages, and repression of all dissident. All of this has generated social unrest in the country, which is expressed in this attitude of indifference and, in some cases, even support for a possible military intervention that would mean Maduro’s removal from power. We, from the Socialism and Freedom Party (PSL), have been arguing that in order to overcome this real division that exists within the Venezuelan people and to unify the working class against a possible military attack on our country, the government must break all economic ties with imperialism, terminate joint venture contracts in the oil sector with imperialist companies such as Chevron, Shell, and Sunergon Oil, which has just entered the country, among others. While warships are being deployed in the Caribbean, the Venezuelan government continues to grant concessions to US transnational corporations. We say that we must affect the economic interests of imperialism and expel these companies, as well as imperialist companies in sectors such as finance, telecommunications, oil services, etc. Similarly, we demand the immediate release of all political prisoners who reject any kind of imperialist intervention in Venezuela, such as former presidential candidate Enrique Márquez. We demand the legalization of left-wing parties such as ours, Marea Socialista, the Communist Party, and other left-wing and democratic organizations that reject any imperialist interference. Read the full interview: https://venezuelanvoices.org/2025/11/13/venezuelan-socialists-reject-trump-threats-without-supporting-maduro/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#39247): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/39247 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/116291555/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/13617172/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
