On January 3, the People’s Democracy Party (PDP) held a rally in front of the US Embassy, titled “Condemn the US Invasion of Venezuela! Down with Imperialism!”
Participants vigorously chanted slogans including: “Condemn US Imperialist Invasion of Venezuela!”, “US, Stop the Invasion of Venezuela!”, “Down with the Occupying Aggressor, US Imperialism!”, “Down with US Imperialism, the Provoker of World War!”, “¡No pasarán!” (They shall not pass!), “Viva Venezuela!”, “Viva Maduro!”, and “Victoria Siempre! Venceremos!” (Until victory, always! We shall overcome!).
The Vice-Chair of the PDP International Committee stated, “The Venezuelan government has officially announced that the US government has launched a grave military aggression against its territory and people and that it fiercely condemn the provoker, US imperialism.” He added, “It is self-evident that this aggression threatens international peace and stability, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean, putting the lives of millions at severe risk.”
He further emphasized, “The objective of this attack is to seize Venezuela’s strategic resources—specifically oil and minerals—to crush the nation’s political independence by force and re-colonize it. However, imperialist invasion will never succeed against anti-imperialist masses standing for a just war. Throughout more than 200 years of independent history, the people and the legitimate Maduro government have stood firm.”
“Under Article 51 of the UN Charter, the Maduro government possesses the legitimate right to self-defense to protect its people and territorial independence,” he continued. “All international organizations, including the UN, must condemn the US government for its imperialist invasion and hold the warmonger Trump accountable. US imperialism and the warmonger Trump must cease their aggression immediately. We will unite with the anti-imperialist masses of Latin America, the Caribbean, and the entire world to overthrow them.”
The Chair of the PDP Special Committee Against US and War remarked, “The roar of war has shattered the peace of the weekend in Venezuela. The Venezuelan government has declared a state of national emergency. Over 5,000 community organizations nationwide have mobilized into an 8-million-strong militia, arming themselves for a life-and-death struggle.”
She launched a blistering critique: “Since last September, the imperialist US has attacked dozens of civilian vessels in the Caribbean under the guise of stopping drug traffickers. More than 100 civilians have been slaughtered by the US Navy. They have illegally seized Venezuelan tankers, claiming 4 million barrels of crude oil for themselves. Why should the US own the oil buried in Venezuelan soil and exercise rights over it?”
She pointed out that the core of the ‘New Monroe Doctrine’—the US national security strategy—is “for the US to monopolize the entire Americas.” She stressed, “Trump’s strategy is to claim Greenland as US territory, tell Canada to join as the 51st state, and turn all of Latin America into a US backyard. The US remains the ringleader of global imperialist powers. We strongly condemn this invasion of the anti-imperialist nation of Venezuela.”
“This will not end with Venezuela; it will expand across Latin America. The winds of war will inevitably reach East Asia,” she warned. “In the context of World War 3, the Latin American front, starting with Venezuela, has become our first line of defense. As long as the aggressor and plunderer, US imperialism, exists, the fate of Venezuela and the fate of the ‘Republic of Korea (South Korea)’ are one and the same. We will fight on a single anti-imperialist front alongside the Venezuelan people to achieve victory.”
The rally concluded with a resolute pledge: “‘No pasarán’ was the slogan raised by anti-fascist forces against Franco’s forces during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. No one shall set foot on the people’s land. No one shall pass. Under the banner of ‘No pasarán,’ we will wage an even more intense anti-imperialist struggle. All those in the world who truly love their people, peace, and their motherland will unite and fight until victory is won.”
