“Venezuela’s socialist trade unions will be amongst those marching for peace & against all US sanctions on the country.”
By Siân Errington
This May Day in Venezuela will be the first since Trump’s deadly bombing of the country in January, which killed over 100 people, and the kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro by the US.
It will also mark a decade since the dramatic increase of economic sanctions of Venezuela by the US in 2016, after then-President Obama declared a “national emergency” with respect to Venezuela, incredibly deeming the country an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US national security. These sanctions were greatly extended by Trump in his first term and maintained by Biden, before again initially being expanded on Trump’s return to the Presidency, prior to the illegal war earlier this year.
The purpose of these inhumane sanctions has been to punish the population, including with the undermining of social programmes, and aimed to cause the Venezuelan economy to crumble.
The impact of the ten-year offensive – where stricter and stricter sanctions became a full-on blockade – has certainly been severe. Venezuela experienced a collapse in GDP and a period of hyperinflation, which led to the Government repeatedly seeking to increase the minimum wage and strengthen the ‘social income’ – direct state subsidies for water, energy and food – so those on the lowest incomes received protection from the soaring costs.
Even by 2019, a report from experts Mark Weisbrot and Jeffrey Sachs concluded that US sanctions “would fit the definition of collective punishment,” estimating that sanctions were responsible for 40,000 deaths in 2017-2018 alone.
On April 9th however, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez was able to confirm that despite widespread US economic sanctions still being in place, there had now been 20 quarters of consecutive economic growth in the country, with gradual – yet sustained and significant – recovery in people’s incomes. To move further forward, Venezuela’s government and progressive social movements argue there must be a full end to the US blockade, and the Acting President called on all sections of Venezuelan society – and crucially all social and political actors across Venezuela – to unite behind this demand with one voice.
Characterising it as a ‘national pilgrimage’, the Government announced a series of mass mobilisations and actions beginning across Venezuela on April 19th and culminating in Caracas on International Workers’ Day (May Day) on Friday May 1, where Venezuela’s socialist trade unions will be amongst those marching for peace and against all US sanctions on the country.
Following on from monthly protests since January against the kidnapping of Nicolas Maduro, April has already seen large marches in the capital Caracas in commemoration of the 24th anniversary (on 11th April) of the attempted coup against Chavez – and the restoration of democracy and Chavez’s return (on 13th April), and the 20th anniversary of the legislation that underpins the creation of the community councils, which continue to be a key part of many thousands of Venezuelans political participation to this day. May Day’s mobilisations promise to be even bigger and will coincide with other demonstrations across Latin America and the Caribbean, including Cuba’s legendary May Day parade, taking place against a backdrop of increased US hostility, threats and intervention.
Outside of Venezuela, solidarity campaigns will continue their support for Venezuela’s right to determine its own future in the run up to 1st May by both backing calls for the full ending of the US economic blockade, and international campaigns against Donald Trump’s show trial of Nicolas Maduro.
- Join the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign at www.venezuelasolidarity.co.uk/join
- INTERNATIONAL ONLINE EVE OF MAY DAY RALLY: Trump’s War Drive – Globalise the Resistance! Thursday April 30,6.30pm UK time, with Diane Abbott MP, CND, Stop the War and guests from Cuba, India, Palestine and South Africa. Full details and register here.
