The Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) has called for the U.S. to keep its hands off Venezuela. In response to a request from the Green Party local in Wayne County, the GPPA steering committee announced the Green Party's opposition to the current coup d'état attempt by Venezuela's Popular Will Party; the Green Party's continued support for the people of Venezuela and their democratically elected government; and the Green Party's desire to end all U.S. sanctions.

Green Party of Pennsylvania
www.gpofpa.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 31, 2019

Contact:
Chris Robinson, 215-843-4256, [email protected]

GPPA Co-chair Alan Smith of Chester County explained, "Hands off and MINDS ON! Our mainstream press is good at manufacturing consent by keeping people's focus away from history and context. Do people know that former President Jimmy Carter called the Venezuelan electoral system one of the best in the world? Do people know that four different groups of international observers have confirmed that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Moros's election last year was clean?"

"Do people know that the U.S. has had at least 56 military inventions in central and south American since 1890," continued Smith, "and countless other diplomatic interventions? These interventions have been under the guise of helping people, but instead have been about profit and power. Venezuela's oil reserves are the largest in the world. The U.S. ruling class and their corporations can't wait to get their hands on it. The Green Party stand in solidarity with the people over profit. Let's keep our hands off Venezuela and our MINDS ON putting people, planet and peace over profit. Knowledge is power. Be the media."

U.S. aggression against Venezuela began before the current, U.S. administration. In 2011, President Barack Obama sanctioned Venezuela's state-owned oil company. In 2015, Obama issued executive order #13692 declaring Venezuela a national security threat and ordered sanctions against Venezuelan officials. In 2017, President Donald Trump imposed more economic sanctions on Venezuela, leading to widespread inflation and the shortage of food. This year, former UN rapporteur Alfred de Zayas told the press that U.S. sanctions on Venezuela were illegal as they constituted economic warfare and could amount to "crimes against humanity" under international law.

The significant action by the Green Party steering committee was supported by Carl Romanelli, a Luzerne County Green and Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate in 2006. "Once again we are seeing neocons and neoliberals, along with U.S. media, speaking in one voice -- the voice of propaganda," explained Romanelli. "We've seen this paradigm of regime change before, and reasonable minds see through their lies. As always, U.S. policy is about plundering other nations' resources. The pretense of imperialism can no longer be veiled in false arguments of concern for the people of Venezuela. U.S. and NATO led invasions have never resulted in better circumstances for the people of the world. In fact, they have been a complete disaster."

GPPA Co-chair Sheri Miller of Adams County confided, "I do not for a second believe that the U.S. government's actions have anything to do with democracy vs. dictatorship. The U.S. has installed and supported many dictators. Nor do U.S. actions pertain to socialism vs. capitalism. They have everything to do with OIL and GREED."

"As this coup continues the neocons are not being shy about their intentions," said GPPA Treasurer Timothy Runkle, a Lancaster County Green. "The U.S. has now ended payments for oil while continuing to receive shipments from Venezuela. We have handed over the U.S.-based, Venezuelan-owned bank accounts to a president recognized only by external players. John Bolton, national security advisor to Trump, has explained his plans for U.S. companies to run oil production in Venezuela and offered a potential deployment of 5,000 U.S. troops. The U.S. has taken away the right of self-determination from the people of Venezuela and is setting them up for a knock-down just as the U.S. has done to so many other nations."

"I think the U.S. should not be in Venezuela at all," said Antonio Solari, a Chester County Green who represents GPPA on the national Green Party's peace action committee. "The U.S. should not be involved in other countries' business that way," continued Solari, "I am Peruvian and was raised in a Mexican household, so I deeply connect with Latin American issues. To the people of Venezuela being exploited by the U.S., I say to them, 'Stay strong!' As Gandhi said, 'satyameva jayte' or 'Truth always triumphs.' I have a tattoo on my body to forever remind me of this. Tyrants fall in time. Stick to peace, truth and love."

Asantewaa Nkrumah-Ture, a member of the Green Party of Philadelphia, spoke at a rally on 1/26, "We stand in unapologetic solidarity with the people of Venezuela and its democratically elected leader, President Maduro." Nkrumah-Ture was speaking as a representative of the Black Alliance for Peace, "The U. S. has a long, bloody history of interference in Latin America and has no right, legal or moral, to decide the government of another country. We affirm self determination for all countries, so for the U.S. to hand pick a new president for Venezuela is the epitome of imperialist arrogance."

"Given this history of U.S. hypocrisy, the U.S. should mind its own business and focus on improving our public schools, making healthcare affordable and accessible and having clean water in Flint, MI," continued Nkrumah-Ture. "We call upon all progressive forces around the world to organize to fight back against this yet another example of U.S. imperialist aggression."

GPPA leaders said members of the Pennsylvania Congressional delegation should introduce a resolution to cut off all U.S. support for the coup and cut off all funding to the Venezuelan opposition and coup government. The GPPA also plans to support informative rallies and to ask its members to sign the anti-coup petition being circulated by the Alliance for Global Justice. 

The Green Party is an independent political party that stands in opposition to the two corporate parties. GPPA candidates promote public policy based on the Green Party four pillars: grassroots democracy, nonviolence, ecological wisdom, and social justice/equal opportunity. For further information about GPPA, please visit www.gpofpa.org. Follow GPPA on social media: Facebook and Twitter.

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