Under the sanctions regime, the US government can grant exemptions. When it does so, the US imposes conditions. Of course, these conditions are favourable to US companies such as Chevron and unfavourable to Venezuela.
I call it a blockade because the US uses its control of the international financial system to control the behaviour of not only US companies but also companies based in other countries. If any company trades with a Venezuelan government body without getting permission from the US government it can be penalised for breaking US law. The Venezuelan government tries to get around the sanctions by using private companies as intermediaries between the government and foreign entities. Of course the companies expect a profit for doing this. It leads to a tendency to privatise government functions, and the secrecy involved facilitates corruption. Venezuela also trades and cooperates with other countries that are in conflict with US imperialism, such ss Russia, China and Iran. This leads Venezuela to adopt regrettable positions on some international issues. I don't have a recipe for building a strong movement in solidarity with Venezuela. At present the attention of the left is rightly focused on Palestine. But it is important to educate US workers and students about the role of US imperialism in Latin America, including the blockade on Venezuela. Charlie says that Bolivarism "failed". I would say it has been weakened by the blockade, and the retreats made by the leadership in an attempt to circumvent the blockade. Whether it has decisively failed I am not sure. For example, there are communes in Venezuela, but how significant they are I am not in a position to judge. Chris Slee ________________________________ From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Charlie <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, 18 August 2024 1:16 AM To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [marxmail] Venezuela: Calls grow for transparency on presidential vote On Fri, Aug 16, 2024 at 11:12 PM, Chris Slee wrote: In any case, our main task is to oppose the blockade, and any other form of US intervention in Venezuela. Actually, the U.S. sanctions are like a faucet that is turned on and off as officials choose; the U.S. remains willing to bargain in such fashion. Maduro has abandoned the working people while rewarding a circle around him and the top military - and Chevron, recently granted a lucrative concession even though its operation violates the sanctions. How do we "oppose the blockade"? Look at the protest movement against Israel's genocide in Gaza. We can participate in it. Does Chris have a recipe to make the same thing happen for Venezuela? In this reality, "oppose the blockade" comes down to words. Chris wants to make those words support Maduro. This is no favor to the working people of Venezuela. It is not only possible but necessary to combine words in opposition to the blockade with frank lessons about the early gains and later collapse of Bolivarism. It promised a peaceful path to socialism, and like all such attempts, it failed. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#31680): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/31680 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/107927329/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/8674936/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
