Since the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela
started with the election of former President
Hugo Chávez in 1998, the United States
government has been trying to turn back the
tide and destroy the gains being made by the
Venezuelan people. This has continued under
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, with
the U.S. imposing crippling sanctions and
blockade, backing an attempted (failed) coup,
and giving covert and overt support for the
violent, right-wing forces within Venezuela.
The government of Canada has also taken a
leading role in the imperialist maneuvering
against Venezuela. Canada co-founded the
Lima Group, which is made up of rightwing governments in Latin America with a
sole agenda of “regime change” in Venezuela.
While the global pandemic has kept us
all from gathering together in person, it
hasn’t stopped the solidarity and action in
defense of Venezuela and their Bolivarian
Revolution. The Fire This Time Venezuela
Solidarity Campaign has taken part in online
activities over the last few months and will
continue to do so.
On May 1, Fire This Time editorial board
member and BC Teachers Federation
member Tamara Hansen was invited to
participate in a Venezuelan online May Day
celebration. The event featured international
guests from over 16 countries, and via video
conference, Tamara spoke with Venezuelan
President Maduro and gave a greeting from
Fire This Time to the Venezuelan people!
On June 5,
Fire This Time
participated
in a webinar
organized by
The Ecology
Movement
of Venezuela
(MEVEN)
marking World
Environment
Day. Alison
Bodine, the
coordinator
of the Fire
This Time
Venezuela
Solidarity
Campaign
and organizer
with Climate
Convergence,
joined the panel
of Venezuelan and international speakers to
speak about climate justice, the Covid-19
pandemic, and capitalism.
On June 25, the Fire This Time Movement
for Social Justice - Venezuela Solidarity
Campaign organized an online webinar
to demand U.S./Canada: Hands Off
Venezuela! Tamara Hansen introduced
the event. The first speaker was Dr. Luis
Acuña Cedeño, the Chargé d’Affaires
in the Venezuelan Embassy in Ottawa,
Canada. Dr. Acuña is also a former
Minister of Higher Education in Venezuela
and former elected governor of Sucre state
in Venezuela. The online audience then
heard from Carlos Ron, the Vice Minister
of Foreign Affairs for North America
at the Venezuelan Ministry of External
Affairs, who spoke directly from Caracas,
Venezuela. Also speaking from Venezuela
was William Camacaro, a Senior Analyst at
COHA (Council on Hemispheric Affairs),
co-founder and coordinator of the Alberto
Lovera Bolivarian Circle of New York, an
artist, radio host, and activist in New York
City. Then the webinar went back to Ottawa,
Canada, for the next speaker, Maricarmen
Guevara. Maricarmen is a Latin America
and Venezuela solidarity organizer with
the ALBA Social Movements of Canada
– Ottawa. The final speaker was Alison
Bodine, speaking from Vancouver, Canada.
Alison is the coordinator of the Fire
This Time Movement for Social Justice
Venezuela Solidarity Campaign and author
of “Revolution & Counter-Revolution in
Venezuela” (Battle of
Ideas Press, 2018).
As this report details,
despite the pandemic,
Venezuela supporters
have found ways to
defend the Bolivarian
Revolution and the
Venezuelan people.
They have come
together even more
internationally while
connected online. For
upcoming events and
actions, visit
www.firethistime.net or
follow on Facebook
@firethistimemovement,
on Twitter
@FTT_np, or
Instagram
@FTT.Venezuela
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