We are republishing an article originally appearing on The Partisan, a publication of the U.S. revolutionary movement.
Update January 3, 4:42a.m.: Donald Trump has announced the capture of Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife. While the information remains unconfirmed, this attempt at regime-change, practiced by US imperialism in countries from Iran to Guatemala throughout the 20th century, is the most blatant demonstration of the principal contradiction in the world – between imperialism on the one hand and the oppressed nations and peoples on the other. The people of the Americas are not foreign to such tactics: we are reminded of the US invasions of Guatemala, Grenada, and Panama, each time unleashing the full economic, political and military might of the world’s foremost imperialist power to defeat a weak and backward semi-feudal, semi-colonial country and imprisoning its leader.
Yankee, Go Home!
On January 3, around 1:30a.m., various media outlets have reported on the US bombings of Venezuela’s capital Caracas. There have been unconfirmed report of further US military movement in the area. The ramp-up to this criminal war has played out live for all to see. The undeclared war follows months of escalating provocations by US Imperialism against Venezuela, including bombings against civilian ships, a naval blockade, the placement of dozens of warships and tens of thousands of troops near Venezuela borders, and the authorization of special forces operations within Venezuela. An unknown number of innocent Venezuelans have been wounded or killed, and this number will expect to rise in the following days. It is very likely that these strikes, a blatant violation of international laws and Venezuela’s sovereignty, will lead to a full blown war of invasion.
All workers, revolutionaries, and progressives in the United States must immediately take to the streets and reject the imperialist war of aggression against the Venezuelan people. The workers in the United States have nothing against the people in Venezuela. Instead, they are both exploited and oppressed by the US imperialist ruling class and are friends and comrades in the same fight. The workers, all people, and their organizations in the US must take immediate and decisive action to stage strikes, marches, walk-outs, demonstrations, and other forms of activities when appropriate, in order to mobilize the greatest number of masses to reject this war of aggression. We cannot allow the blood of the Venezuelan people to be shed in vain.
The military aggression on the Venezuelan people is the same war against the migrants, workers, and Black, Latino, and Puerto Rican nations inside the United States. Both externally and internally, US imperialism seeks to oppress and exploit the people to the furthest extent possible for its own rule and profit.
The United States is the number one enemy of the international working-class and oppressed people. It strikes out in an attempt to persevere the spoils and influence it siphons from oppressed semi-colonial nations in Latin America, Africa and Asia. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the bombings of Libya, Yemen and Iran, the bipartisan support for Israel’s genocidal war of conquest against Palestine, the constant interference and meddling, the constant economic warfare and domination of the oppressed nations, the placement of bases and counter-insurgency strike forces across the globe; all this US imperialism has done and continues to do.
However, US Imperialism is also a paper tiger, as the real power are in the hands of the people. Revolutionaries know that the working people are the true makers of history; we alone created the human society. In the face of the people, imperialists and all enemies of the people will be surely defeated.
With these words, we declare:
Yankee, go home!
Down with the US imperialist war on Venezuela!
U.S Out of Latin America!
Down with US Imperialism!
Victory to the Venezuelan People!
Long live the unity between the peoples of Venezuela and the US!
Long live proletarian internationalism!
The Masses 