Over the years, many of US analysts, politicians, academicians and
media pundits have been predicting the imminent fall, overthrow, defeat and
replacement of the Venezuelan government. They have been proven wrong on almost
all the counts. In fact, most of the US induced regime change efforts have
strengthened the support for the Chavez – Maduro government.
A more recent example is the proclamation of the US President that his
country was prepared to invade Venezuela. His threat aroused massive popular
resistance in defense of national independence, even among discontented
sections of t population. Analysts say Venezuela has become the whirlpool of a
global struggle which pits the imperial aspirations of Washington against an
embattled Venezuela intent on defending its own. A question being asked,
why Washington has failed?
The US assault on Venezuela’s state and society includes:
(a) A military coup in 2002
(b) A lockout by the executives of the Venezuelan oil company
(c) The exercise of US political pressure via clients and allies
in Europe, South and North America
(d) Escalating economic sanctions between 2013 – 2019
(e) Street violence during 2013 – 2019
(f) Sabotage of the entire electrical system between 2017 -2019
(g) Hoarding of goods via corporations and distributors from 2014
– 2019
(h) Subversion of military and civilian institutions 2002 – 2019
(i) Regional alliances to expel Venezuelan membership from
regional organizations
(j) Economic sanctions accompanied by the seizure of over $10 billion
dollars of assets
(k) Sanctions on the banking system
(l) US direct intervention
including selection and appointment of opposition leaders and ‘dummy’
representatives overseas.
In brief, the US has been engaged for two decades to bring down the Venezuelan
government. It combines economic, military, social and media warfare. The US
strategy has reduced living standards, undermined economic activity, increased
poverty, forced immigration and surged crimes. Despite that the sole surviving
super power has failed to dislodge the government and impose a client regime.
Despite the two decades of pressure by the world’s biggest imperial
power, which led to the highest rate of inflation and despite the illegal
seizure of billions of dollars of Venezuelan assets, the people remain loyal to
their government. The reasons are clear and forthright.
The Venezuelan majority has a history of poverty, marginalization and
repression, including the bloody massacre of thousands of protestors in 1989.
Millions lived in shanty towns, excluded from higher education and health
facilities. The US provided arms and advisers to buttress the politicians who
now form the greater part of the US opposition to President Maduro. The US-
oligarch alliance extracted billions of dollars from contracts from the oil
industry.
The second reason for the defeat of the US is the long-term large-scale
military support of the Chavez-Maduro governments. Former President Chavez
instilled a powerful sense of nationalist loyalty among the military which
resists and opposes US efforts to subvert the soldiers.
The Venezuelans government defeated the US-backed coups and lockouts,
these victories encouraged the belief that the popular government could resist
and defeat the US-oligarch opposition. Victories strengthened confidence in the
will of the people.
The cumulative socio-economic benefits consolidate support for the
Venezuelan leadership despite the hardships the US induced in recent times. The
mass of the people have gained a new life and have a lot to lose if the US-
oligarchy return to power. A successful US coup will likely massacre tens of
thousands of popular supporters of the government. The bourgeoisie will take
its revenge for those who have ruled and benefited at the expense of the rich.
The Venezuelan government retained mass electoral support because of
the deep socio-economic changes that entrenched mass support in contrast to the
center-left regimes in Argentina, Brazil and Ecuador which won three elections
but were defeated by their right-wing opponents, including electoral partners,
with a downturn in the economy, and the flight of middle-class voters and
parties.
Venezuela linkages with allies in Russia, China and Cuba provided ‘life
jackets’ of economic and military support in the face of US interventions,
something the center- left governments failed to pursue. Venezuela built regional alliances with nearly half of South America,
weakening US attempts to form a regional or US invasion force.
