Motion no: 55
Conference rejects the Trump administration’s position of ‘regime change’ in Venezuela, which is illegal under international law. Comments from Trump himself, VP Pence, and Secretary of State Pompeo amongst others have included threats of military action, and invoked the possibility of a right-wing military coup.
There are increasingly harsh US sanctions on Venezuela, described by former United Nations rapporteur Alfredo de Zayas as ‘economic warfare,’ that hit ordinary Venezuelans the hardest.
Since 1998, Venezuela has had more democratic elections than any country in the world. President Chavez’s and his successor Maduro’s policies have won each time. Those policies have accelerated progress, devolved power to communities and re-distributed wealth. The economic war imposed by the US and others
on the Venezuelan Government and people are aimed at undermining these advances.
The future of Venezuela is a matter for Venezuelans alone to determine. The far-right Governments of Trump and Brazil’s Bolsonaro offer no hope to Venezuela or to the majority of people in Latin America. Whatever views people hold on Venezuela, there is no justification for backing the US attempt at regime change under way, which, if successful, could go the way of the disastrous interventions in Iraq and Libya. US interventions also have a bloody history in Latin America itself, including with previous US backed coups and military juntas, such as in Chile under Pinochet.
The way forward in Venezuela is the call for dialogue from Mexico, Bolivia, Uruguay and others, and a negotiated peaceful settlement endorsed by the people of Venezuela.
Therefore conference calls on ICTU to:
Campaign against US intervention in Venezuela for ‘regime change’ whether through military action or support for a right-wing coup.
Campaign for the lifting of the illegal and inhuman economic sanctions on Venezuela.
Lobby the Irish and British Governments to recognise the legitimacy of the democratically elected President Nicolas Maduro’s Government and to reject
the attempted coup by Guaidó and his supporters in the Trump regime. Both Governments should be called upon to reject Guaidó as interim president and to refuse to engage with his diplomatic mission.
Raise awareness of the true situation in Venezuela across the trade union movement through the ICTU Global Solidarity Committee.
